Healthy School Kids Archive

Keeping schools germ free, getting kids in shape, encouraging healthier choices for the whole family—the Healthy School Kids article archive has inspiration, ideas, and tips to make your PTO and school community the healthiest it can be! Find more tools and info on the Healthy School Kids resources page.

• How To Plan a School Field Day - Tips for organizing and running a day of outdoor play, with involvement from parents and teachers.
• PTO Tailgating Night: Pep Rally for Academics and Fitness - Families loved this PTO-planned event to promote math, reading, and staying fit.
• Preventing Cold and Flu: What PTOs Can Do - Help your school community prepare for cold and flu season with these practical tips.
• Encourage Healthy Habits at School - Schools can be breeding grounds for the germs that cause colds, the flu, and other illnesses. Here’s how PTOs can help fight germs to keep kids in class.
• How PTOs Can Get Students Moving - Children who exercise enough are more likely to succeed in school, and more school parent groups are helping get them up and off the couch.
• Family Fitness Night Tips and Ideas - A family gym night is an inexpensive way for school PTOs and PTAs to get kids moving and put a positive emphasis on physical activity.
• Healthy Snack Ideas for PTO Events - Not sure what to offer as health-minded refreshments at your next parent group activity? Give some of these nutritious (and delicious) foods a try.
• Stepping Up to Family Fitness Challenge - A PTA encourages its school families to walk a combined 1 million steps to better health.
• 13 Ideas To Get Kids Active - It’s not exercise when it’s fun. These ideas add a little fitness to your events or serve as great activities on their own.
• Make Your School More Healthy - Healthy kids who are active and eat right do better in school. Here’s how your parent group can help.
• 10 Ways To Promote Healthy Eating -  From field trips to after-school activities, PTOs are helping kids learn about food and health.
• Food Sales OK Under New S.C. Bill - A bill to restrict junk food in South Carolina schools, including food sold by clubs and parent groups, has been revised to allow groups to continue to sell items like candy bars and cookie dough through fundraisers.
• Have a Healthier Bake Sale - Giving your bake sale a healthy edge doesn’t have to mean less fun, fewer customers, or lower profits. Make choosing a more nutritious treat a fun and interesting alternative to the usual high-calorie fare, and your enthusiasm will win over even skeptical parents and kids.
• The Buzz: Shape Up - In addition to supporting their school’s physical education program, many parent groups are finding new ways to foster fitness outside of school hours.
• Family Night Splash - A flooded gymnasium almost sinks the silent auction.
• PTO Wins With Tournament - Teams of students compete in a basketball tournament that has become a rallying point for the entire middle school.
• Organizing a Fun Run - Done right, a jogathon can build school spirit while also earning some big bucks.
• Fundraiser Goes Into the Woods - An annual trail race through the town forest uses local resources to raise money while abiding by a policy that prohibits sales by students.
• A Balanced View of Food Sales - Federal legislation required school districts to establish “wellness policies” by 2006 that would provide minimum nutritional guidelines for foods available to students. Because each school district could determine what restrictions to impose, however, those standards have varied widely.
• TV Turned Off, Fun Tuned In - A week of activities scheduled for TV Turnoff Week generated lots of excitement for one PTO.