Going back to school is a great time to teach children how to look after their health.
This includes eating well, staying active, limiting screen time and education. Giving children positive messages, raising awareness and using resources that are suitable for their age can help them build the skills and knowledge they need to take care of themselves.
Health Promotion during the school years aims to improve health by involving children, families, and educators.
At Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, the Health Promotion team works with local schools, organisations and communities to create programs that help school-age children prevent long-term health problems through preventive actions.
The team at Gippsland Lakes Complete Health offers diverse community-specific programs tailored to the needs of East Gippsland.
One example is the “Get Your Game On Outside” program, which encourages children and families to spend less recreational time on screens and more time playing outside.
The Australian Physical Activity guidelines (Department of Health and Aged Care), suggest that children aged 5-17 should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day and no more than 120 minutes of screen time.
“Get Your Game On Outside” promotes fun and active play to get children and families off their devices and into the world of physical games.
Every child deserves a healthy start, and the Vic Kids Eat Well (VKEW) program is all about making that happen. VKEW helps schools, after-school programs, sports clubs, and community groups offer healthier food and drink choices for children.
For example, school canteens are replacing sugary drinks with water, adding more colourful vegetables to meals and sports clubs are serving more fruit and veggies.
If you would like more information on these and other programs delivered by the Health Promotion team at Gippsland Lakes Complete Health.
