Summertime is the perfect time to provide young children with opportunities to play outside, soak up the sun (remember sun screen!) and eat delicious, healthy foods.

Here’s why that’s important: Physical inactivity and poor nutrition have caused a childhood obesity problem in our country. The percentage of American children who are obese has doubled in the past 20 years. Currently, it is estimated that one out of every five children is obese.

Children who are overweight have a higher than normal risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis and poor overall health. Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure. It is important to understand that these diseases, when caused by obesity, usually go away when the child has lost the extra weight.

Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama updated the traditional “Food Pyramid” to MyPlate, a visual of a meal which should be easier to teach young children and simpler for them to remember. 

She also announced the Let’s Move! Child Care program to help teachers and caregivers of young children promote physical activity and healthy eating. Please click here to visit the Let’s Move! Child Care website and see all of the wonderful, free resources available to you.

The Let’s Move! Child Care program has five key goals for helping young children build healthy habits when in child care:

1. Physical Activity: Provide 1-2 hours of physical activity throughout the day, including outside play when possible.

2. Screen Time: No screen time for children under 2 years. For children age 2 and older, strive to limit screen time to no more than 30 minutes per week during child care, and work with parents and caregivers to ensure children have no more than 1-2 hours of quality screen time per day (as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics).

3. Food: Serve fruits or vegetables at every meal, eat meals family-style whenever possible, and don't serve fried foods.

4. Beverages: Provide access to water during meals and throughout the day, and don't serve sugar-sweetened drinks. For children age 2 and older, serve low-fat (1%) or non-fat milk, and no more than one 4- to 6-ounce serving of 100% juice per day.

5. Infant Feeding: For mothers who want to continue breastfeeding, provide their milk to their infants and welcome them to breastfeed during the child care day. Support all new parents' decisions about infant feeding.

Being a CDA means prioritizing for the health of the children you serve. Please consider taking on the five Let’s Move Child Care goals this summer and on into the future.