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With the arrival of the winter season, we asked Directors and Educators from Healthy Start child care centres how they keep themselves and the children in their care active. Here are some of the answers we received: When the winter days are too cold to go outside, we do a lot of dancing in our center to keep active.  We also have a yoga instructor to do Kids Yoga with the children. We leave a CD available for the kids to use at any time with pictures of the yoga poses. When the weather is nice we go outside to climb the large hills of snow at the park, close to our centre. – Vanscoy Early Learning Centre, SK The children go outside daily for 45-60 minutes. When the weather does not allow us to go outside and we must stay inside the children do yoga, dance through obstacle courses, do ballet, stretch and move a lot with music, as well as aerobics. We try to encourage them to be active throughout the day wherever they are to decrease sitting time as much as possible. We are promoting different activities every day, for example activities with resistance to strengthen muscles. The children were shown the right way of sitting up straight, which is pretty hard. We try to increase the children’s flexibility through yoga and ballet dances. Finally, having knowledge about the importance of the circulatory system, we are making the children aware of the importance of walking running etc. to stay healthy, especially in the winter when they are more limited in choices to be active. – Kinder Kollege, Kindersley, SK To keep our children busy during the winter months, we incorporate movement into songs when we sing them, play Freeze dance, pp. 34-35 from LEAP-HOP, games like red light, green light, and What time is it Tricky Wolf, pp. 100-101, or do yoga. With weather permitting us to go outside and be active the children play tag, soccer, make snow angels and snow men, and go for neighbourhood walks. – North Battleford Day Care Centre, SK When we go outside, the children love tobogganing.  They will use their toboggans to pull one another around the yard, as well as transport ice blocks to be used to build forts. We will build forts in the backyard, decorating the ice blocks with food colouring mixed in water. The children also love helping out when we need to shovel the snow and make snowmen of all sizes. When we need to stay inside, we play three of the games found in LEAP-HOP binders. Parachute lift-off, pp. 66-67 and Playful parachute, pp. 70-71 are two good options. They especially enjoy Freeze dance, pp.34-35 as they have the chance to dress up as characters from the movie Frozen and sing and dance around the room. We also play with hula hoops. The children really enjoy spinning the hoops around their waists or setting them up for hop-scotch. They also pretend to be frogs, hopping from one lily pad to the next. The children love taking the sponge noodles and pretending they are snakes that need to be jumped over or make shake. We have put a track in our centre so that the children can follow the route. Equipped with steering wheels that we bought, they pretend to be cars that need to follow the traffic signs and road signs we have made. Finally, any action song is a lot of fun to move along to. We hope to introduce them to yoga this winter. – Dundonald Childcare Cooperative, SK  

Miniature Brownies (Gabrielle’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1/3 cup of brown sugar ¼ cup butter 3 oz semisweet chocolate ½ tsp. vanilla 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup flour 24 chocolate Rosebuds Directions: In a saucepan, melt sugar, butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring, until chocolate is just melted.  Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute. Blend in vanilla and egg; gently fold in flour until blended. Spoon into tiny baking cups. Bake at 350o F in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; set a Rosebud on top of each. Let cool. Makes 24 brownies Source: The Canadian Living Christmas Book   Lentil Soup (Stephanie’s Favourite) Ingredients: 2 cups of lentils 8 cups of fresh water 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 sprigs parsley, chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced ¼ tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. salt 20 oz can of tomatoes 2 tbsp. vinegar A pinch of oregano Directions: Wash lentils, and then add to 8 cups of water in a large pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, pepper and salt. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Add tomatoes, vinegar and oregano. Simmer for a few minutes more before serving.   Cheesy Artichoke and Bean Dip (Holly’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1 can (19 or 15 oz) of cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise Pinch of cayenne pepper Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest Directions: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Coat a 2- to 3-cup baking dish with non-stick spray. Place the beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a food processor. Process until almost smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl once or twice. Transfer to a medium bowl. Site in 2/3 cup of the Parmesan, parsley and lemon zest. Scrape into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp. of Parmesan. Bake the dip, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes or until it is heated through. Serve warm with whole grain pita chips, whole grain crackers, or veggies. Serves 8 Source: http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/warm-artichoke-and-bean-dip-recipe-2/   Little Date Balls (Mélissa’s Favourite) Ingredients: 2 cups of dates, pitted and chopped 1 egg 2 cups of melted butter ½ cup of almonds or pecans, finely chopped ½ cup of crisped rice cereal (Rice Krispies) 1 tbsp of vanilla extract Unsweetened shredded coconut Directions: In a saucepan, on medium heat, heat the butter, egg and dates for 5 to 10 minutes. Add in the almonds/pecans, Rice Krispies and vanilla extract. Mix well (if the mixture does not easily run, put into a blender for a couple seconds). Wet your hands with cold water and make round balls about a tablespoon in size (CAUTION: the mixture will still be hot), then roll the balls in the unsweetened shredded coconut. Refrigerate the balls until they are firm enough to eat. Keep in the refrigerator. The recipe makes about 14 balls. Enjoy!   Baked Oatmeal with Fruits (Allysha’s Favourite) Ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 2 eggs ½ cup melted butter 2 tsp. vanilla extract ¾ cup dried cranberries Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into 9 x13 inch baking dish. Add fruit, any fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Source: CHEP – Good Food Inc.   Low-fat turkey gravy (Marie-Lynne’s Favourite) Ingredients: 4 cups unsalted turkey stock, divided 2 tbsp. fresh sage, remove from stem and finely chop 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, remove from stem and finely chop 1 cup skim milk 1/4 cup cornstarch Directions: Place turkey stock in a saucepan on the stove top over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add sage and thyme to the simmering stock. Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by 1/4, or until about 3 cups of stock remain. Pour milk into a small bowl. Add cornstarch and stir to mix evenly. Slowly pour milk mixture into the simmering stock, stirring slowly. Bring sauce to a boil and continue to stir until stock thickens and has a nice shine, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour gravy into warmed gravy boat and serve. Serves 8 Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/recipes/turkey-gravy/rcp-20049921   Squash recipe (Stephanie’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1 medium squash (acorn or butternut) 10 fresh sage leaves chopped roughly or 1/2 tsp. dried sage 2-3 red chilies sliced thinly fresh or 1 tsp. dried chili flakes (vary the amount of chilies depending on your desired level of spiciness) 2-3 garlic cloves, diced Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil Directions: Heat oven to 350° F. Chop the squash into 3/4 inch slices and place in single layer on a pan. Combine olive oil, sage, chilies and garlic for seasoning. Drizzle the seasoning over squash until coated. Roast uncovered for 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!   Note: If baked uncovered the squash will blacken, it can be covered depending on preference. Source: James Del Frari and Jamie Oliver, http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/roast-squash-sage-chestnut-and-pancetta-risotto/   Grilled Chicken Sandwiches (Mélissa’s Favourite) Ingredients: 1- 1/2 cup of cooked chicken, minced ½ cup of low-fat mayonnaise 1 green onion, chopped finely 1 small celery stalk, minced Salt and pepper to taste Whole-wheat bread slices Directions: In a mixer, put in the cooked chicken, celery stalk, green onion, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Reduce the mixture until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Spread the mixture on the bread slices to make the sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Put the sandwiches in a Panini grill until the bread turns golden brown. Note: The sandwiches can also be grilled …

Read moreThe Healthy Start Team’s favourite winter recipes

Healthy Start is one of many provincial and national programs aimed at increasing physical activity, promoting healthy eating and encouraging staff wellness in early year settings. Working on this intervention, we come cross a lot of other great programs that are also accomplishing these goals. We would like to highlight some of the excellent work being done by the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) in Saskatchewan. On October 29, 2014, two members of the Healthy Start team had the unique opportunity to facilitate a workshop as part of a larger forum, organized by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, for CAPC Coordinators from all over the province. The forum, held at the Travelodge Hotel in Regina gave participants a chance to attend presentations by Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Louise Humbert on injury prevention and physical literacy, respectively. The CAPC program, established in 1992 and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), is part of a larger, national initiative. CAPC’s main objective is to enhance the well-being and healthy development of children living in conditions of risk. Clients of the program are families with low incomes, teen parents, single parents, recent immigrants or come from remote and isolated communities. In Saskatchewan, special consideration is given to Métis, off-reserve First Nations, northern children and their families. An example of a great initiative funded by CAPC is the Parent & Pre-Kindergarten Education Program (PPEP) in Esterhazy, part of the Good Spirit School Division. The program is offered in three rural communities for children aged 3-5 years old. Parents participate in support groups, parenting courses, and are involved in classroom activities. One of their (post-workshop) goals was to invite Reg Leidl, Physical Activity Consultant with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, to present on physical activity in education environments. At the forum, the Healthy Start team explained how to incorporate physical activity and healthy eating into the daily routines of these programs, essentially building on the foundations already in place and by sharing the LEAP resources as they are simple, easy-to-use and take a minimum amount of preparation and space to facilitate. It was interesting to learn that many of the CAPC programs have already developed their own initiatives concerning physical activity, healthy eating and staff wellness initiatives. A lot of great ideas were presented as easy measures to adopt in their daily schedules such as eating with the children more often, providing parents with nutrition information, and making a fun environment to explore new foods. There were also great suggestions for increasing physical activity such as promoting outdoor activities (park time), taking active breaks together with the children, and hosting gym nights for families. The workshop presented a great opportunity for the Healthy Start team to assist CAPC Coordinators in assessing their current practices, setting SMART (Specific-Measurable-Attainable-Realistic/Results-based-Timely) goals, action planning and adopting guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of these changes in their projects and centres.

‘I do my best thinking while I am physically active.’ – Dr. Louise Humbert, Associate Dean, College of Kinesiology Early Learning Child Care Educators play a significant role in teaching children physical literacy at a young age. Their purpose is to help kids understand how to move. This enables the children to be better equipped at choosing to be physically active throughout the rest of their lives. During the second morning session of the Healthy Start / Départ Santé (HSDS) September Team Training, Dr. Louise Humbert introduced the Saskatchewan and New Brunswick team to physical literacy, a field of research pioneered by Dr. Margaret Whitehead. There are three main ideas associated with physical literacy. Firstly, one must begin with the motivation to be active. This can include sport but is not exclusively limited to sport. There is a desire to move within us all. We need to encourage and develop confidence and competence around movement. One of the easiest examples of this is for people to start moving by walking as there are little to no barriers to entry for this. Secondly, children need to have the right skills for movement on land, air, and water in order to open up a lifetime of movement. This foundation of physical literacy is comparable to learning one’s A-B-Cs or Do-Re-Mis. Once children have been exposed and are fluent in the alphabet of physical movement, their vocabulary for exercise, sport, and wellness increases substantially. The last component is making the continuous choices to be physically active. The desired outcome is for kids to have the confidence and competence to be physically active for all their years. Other topics covered in Dr. Louise Humbert’s presentation were the testing of gross motors skills in 3-5 year olds using the TGMD2 tool, implementing the tool in HSDS data collection, as well as the introduction of key concepts to the Project and Knowledge Development & Exchange (KDE) Coordinators.

In the past few weeks, three new people have joined the Healthy Start/ Départ Santé team in Saskatchewan : Marie-Lynne Gaudet is the new Healthy Start Project Coordinator. She will be working with Allysha Larsen in the implementation of the program and in training early learning child care centres in Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree from the University of Saskatchewan. While completing her studies, she gained experience working with university athletes and the public. Marie-Lynne can be contacted at [email protected] and at 306-653-7454. Holly Hallikainen joined Healthy Start in late August 2014 as the Evaluation Coordinator. She will be spending the majority of her time working at the University of Saskatchewan organizing the evaluation research team, comprised of members from Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Holly is a Registered Dietician and has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. She is in the process of obtaining her Master of Public Health from the University of Victoria. Before joining Healthy Start she worked as a public health dietician with Northern communities in Saskatchewan. Holly can be contacted at [email protected] or at 306-966-7943. Stephanie Ortynsky has recently started as the new Knowledge Development and Exchange Coordinator for Healthy Start. She will be coordinating the project’s Knowledge Development and Exchange Committee and disseminating research findings to stakeholders. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Public Health both from the University of Saskatchewan. She comes to the team with diverse experience in public health, marketing communications and strategic planning. She can be contacted at [email protected] or 306-260-2592. The Healthy Start team would like to extend a warm welcome to its newest members!