Activities
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We are a busy family with 4 children ranging from 3-11 years of age. The three oldest children are very involved in school, competitive sports, church, and other group activities and true all-together-family time is rare and precious. Every night that all 6 of us can sit down for a family dinner our kids clamor to see whose turn it is to control "Days starting with....” If you can imagine a 3 year old rolling her hands around saying "Days starting with ......DADDY!" as she points excitedly to Daddy, it is pretty cute=o) Anyway, then Daddy tells about his day from beginning to end with all the highlights in between. Then the child in charge selects another member of the family to tell about their day, until everyone has had a turn. It has been a great way for our family to maintain a connection when getting pulled in several directions and something that we all look forward too!
- Van Ostrand Family, Lincoln, NE
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Choose a theme for hiking/walking. Collect pictures of leaves, identify birds, or create a treasure map. Capture pictures of the family on a hike/walk; write down thoughts and stories from the hike/walk.
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Develop a list of all the wildlife (animals) you may see in your community. Go for a walk as a family and see if you can find your list of wildlife near your home or on a family hike.
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Sundays in our house are deemed No-Electronic Sundays. No screen time-for anyone! A lot more book reading and family or sibling games happen, and it's peaceful!
- Zalokar-Jones Family, Columbus, OH
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For fun ask “where's dinner” meaning where shall we eat tonight?
It could be on the porch or the patio, on the stairs or the family room floor as if an indoor picnic.
Consideration of what types of food to be served is important. With chairs and blankets make a tent and pretend you are far far away and describe what it's like where you are and what "foods" you're having there. Ask questions like is it sandy, hot or cold, any animals lurking around?
- Rubio Family, Avon, IN
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Work and school during the week, so as a way to connect as a family early in the weekend try a fun Saturday in the park routine...pack a picnic breakfast (healthy food only!) and together as a family walk or ride bikes to the local park...at the park play, eat breakfast and enjoy this special time together...the park is usually not very busy early in the morning which adds to the fun! It is a great way to spend time together before busy weekend schedules and chores begin.
- Diamond Family, Raleigh, NC
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Go for a family walk and every few minutes or at the end of each block perform an activity for one minute to increase everyone's heart rate. Try lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers or running in place.
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Kids ask a grown up to help you. Cut a one-gallon plastic jug (like a milk jug) in half horizontally. Recycle the bottom half of the jug, but save the top half with the handle and keep the cap. Grown-ups cover the cut edge of the jug with duct tape. Cut and decorate a jug for everyone in the family. Now two or more family members can play together using the jugs to toss a tennis ball or beanbag back and forth. See if you can toss and catch without touching the ball with your hands. In the warmer months try tossing water balloons back and forth. The jug can also be used by one family member, toss the ball in the air and catch it using the jug, see how many successful tosses and catches you can make in a row.
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Take a family trip to the mall, but make it a rule that before you can go into a store, you must first walk a lap around the entire mall. Window-shop as you go.
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Wear a pedometer (a gadget that counts your steps) and track your movement. Everyone in the family can wear them and compare steps at the end of the day. Set goals or have contests. You may decided to give out prizes for the most steps in one day or one week.
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Turn up the music and do chores together (clean the house, wash windows, laundry, etc.)
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Designate one evening a week a family activity night. Go bowling, swimming, roller skating, or play ping pong, tennis, basketball, etc. You can even take a class involving physical activity. Find something everyone likes or will try or is interested in practicing.
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Set up a badminton net in your backyard or at the park. Play badminton, or be creative and make up your own game (for example, your own version of volleyball, keep the ball off the ground, etc.).
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Create a nonverbal communication system for your home. You can make and decorate a special mailbox and use it to leave personal notes for each other on a daily basis. The notes can express encouragement and support, or they can be about something that is causing anxiety or concern, but you are not comfortable talking about. They can be about anything at all. Keep the mailbox in a safe and common area. The mailbox can be decorated with magnets, family members' names, pictures of animals that represent each family member, or whatever you like. Use your imagination!
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Turn off the TV during family meal time. Give your time and attention to each other instead. Talk about the your day, important happenings in your lives, and Healthy Family Home activities you did earlier that day or want to do this weekend.
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Decorate a jar using tissue paper and glue, inside the jar or container place a variety of topics that the family comes up with (movie title, book title, play title, TV show, quote or phrase), every night there is a family meal, someone can draw from the jar and engage the family while performing gestures
To indicate Categories use the following hand gestures:
Book title - Unfold hands as if they were a book
Movie Title - Pretend to crank an old-fashioned movie camera
Play Title - Pretend to pull the rope that opens a theater curtain
Song Title - Pretend to sing
TV Show - Draw a rectangle to outline the TV screen
Quote or Phrase - Make quotation marks in the air with fingers
Make up your own family gestures and “inside” lingo to have more fun each time you play charades.
Snack Recipes
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Celery
Peanut Butter
Raisins
Take 1 bar of celery and break it into 3 pieces (for you logs)
Take a spoon and fill the celery until full (to make the raisins stick and stay)
Take and place 1, 2, 3, or 4, (your choice) raisins on the top of the peanut butter and your healthy snack is ready to be served
Serves: 3 people per celery stick - Morgan Family, Mt.Vernon, KY
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2 cup berries (fresh, frozen)
1 cup non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt
1 ½ tbsp honey
½ cup walnuts or almonds
Mix everything together and enjoy.
Serves: 2
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2 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots - diced)
2 cups unsalted nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin, peanuts, almonds, sunflower, cashews
Preheat oven 350°F
Spread 1/3 cup of mixture on baking sheet.
Bake until warm, about 5 minutes.
Serves: 12
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1 ½ cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks or blueberries
½ cup orange juice
1 ½ cup low or non-fat yogurt (vanilla or plain)
1 cup crushed ice
In a blender, blend strawberries, pineapple, orange juice, yogurt, and ice until smooth.
Serves: 4
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2 cups light pancake mix
2 tbsp applesauce
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup skim milk
1 cup berries or (chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit)
Preheat oven 400°F
Combine the first five ingredients.
Fold in the berries.
• do not over mix batter
Bake about 18 minutes.
Serves: 12
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1 cup real peanut butter, creamy
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup unbleached flour
½ tsp baking soda
Peanut halves or chocolate chip morsels
Black shoestring licorice
In a bowl cream peanut butter, butter and sugar.
Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.
Cover and chill dough for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll into 1 inch balls. Pinch one end, forming a teardrop shape.
Place on baking sheets; press to flatten.
For ears, press two peanuts into each cookie near the pointed end.
Using a toothpick, poke a whole in the opposite end for the tail.
Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
While cookies are warm insert licorice for tails.
Serves: 4 dozen
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2 cups rolled oats
1 cup ready to eat cereal flakes (bran)*
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
½ cup raisins, unsweetened
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
½ cup instant nonfat dry milk
¼ cup honey
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp canola oil (vegetable)
• Optional
Preheat oven 350°F
Combine oats, cereal flakes, flour and baking powder.
Stir in carrots, raisins and cinnamon.
In another bowl whisk dry milk and water until smooth.
Add honey, egg whites and oil to milk mixture.
Pour over dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined; do not over mix.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Non-stick spray 9 x 13 inch pan.
Pour in the batter and bake 25-35 minutes.
Let cool for 2 hours, and then cut into bars.
Serves: 10
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4 medium nectarines
2 large plums
5 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup unbleached flour
¼ cup old-fashioned oats
3 Tbsp cold, reduced-fat butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup pecan chips, toasted
Preheat oven 375°F
Cut fruit into slices over a bowl to catch juices; discard pits.
Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon over fruit. Mix well.
Place fruit in 9-inch pie plate
In a small bowl combine flour, oats and remaining sugar and cinnamon.
Cut in butter until mixture. Stir in pecans and sprinkle mixture over fruit.
Bake 30 minutes or until filling bubbles.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves: 6
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½ cup egg substitute
2 egg whites
1 cup skim milk
4 Tbsp light brown sugar or honey
¼ tsp nutmeg, grated
¼ tsp cinnamon
3 slices whole wheat bread, diced
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup dried cranberries (non-sugar coated)
Grated lemon rind*
• optional
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg substitute and egg whites until well blended. Add the milk, sugar or honey, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the bread and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the bananas and cranberries.
Coat a 1 - 1 ½ quart casserole with no-stick spray. Add the bread mixture. Place the dish in a larger baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the inside pan.
Bake at 350˚ F for 50 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the water bath and allow cooling on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with lemon rind.
Serves: 4
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Healthy Family Home is the idea and notion of bringing some, fun and flexible ideas to families interested in improving the health of their family and home. Bring a healthier way of living to your family by exploring Healthy Family Home. Find simple ways to incorporate healthy habits that will make a difference for your entire family.
Healthy Family Home is built on four themes: 1. Eat together as a family
2. Play together as a family
3. Check in daily with each child
4. You are your kids' primary and best role model for a healthy lifestyle
Eat Healthy All family members should be effective role models by participating in all of the guidelines below: • Serve fruits and vegetables at every snack and meal. Offer fresh fruit and vegetable options daily.
• Make water the primary drink option every day. Other options should be non-sugar-sweetened.
• Include a whole-grain or protein option with every snack
• Provide healthy, unsaturated-fat foods at meals and snacks. Emphasize moderation, balance and variety Grocery Shopping list Use this kid-friendly grocery list to make your families shopping trip a healthy experience. Shopping List
Play Every Day Guidelines All family members should be effective role models by participating in all of the guidelines below:
• All family members should be effective role models by participating in all of the guidelines below:
• Moderate, fun, physical activity: try for at least a total of 60 minutes every day (which can be spread out in 10 to 15 minute intervals), and include outdoor activity whenever possible.
• Vigorous, fun, physical activity three days a week: aim for 20 minutes total on these days and include outdoor activity whenever possible.
• Bring adults and kids together in physical activities in order to provide opportunities for connecting and modeling positive behavior.
• Limit screen time to less than two hours per day (television, video games, computer). Meals should not be consumed in front of a screen. Family Time Guidelines • Provide each child with one-to-one time every day.
• Sit down as a family for one meal each a day.
• Involve kids in snack and meal preparation and cleanup every day.
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Click Here To Download the Healthy Family Home Starter Kit.
Healthy Family Home Resources: Tracking Poster
Family Obstacle
Hop Scotch
Family Plate
Parents Guide 
Click Here to download the Parents Guide! 
Working out as a family gives everyone more energy, improves blood circulation and mood, tones muscles, and makes us healthier. We owe it to the family to stay as healthy as we can.
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