Fit and Healthy Kids

Its week 1 of our Let's Go Outside - We Can Dig It! Summer Series!
🪏Dig Into Soil! - Scoop, sprinkle, and explore soil layers to discover what lives underground. Children use their senses to compare textures, colors, and materials while learning how soil supports life.

Book suggestion: Dirt: The Scoop on Soil by Natalie Rosinsky helps children understand why soil matters.

Download the guide at – go.unl.edu/lgo_soil

Join us next week as we begin our "Let's Go Outside - We can Dig It" series! This series we'll focus on gardening with young children.

Gardening encourages outdoor play, and helps children understand where their food comes from, often leading to healthier eating habits.

Plan your spring garden and find healthy recipe ideas from UNL Extension - Food and Fitness Page for the little ones to enjoy at harvest time: go.unl.edu/think_spring

On-Demand 💻 Strategies to Enhance Transitions and Routines
Switching from one activity to another can be tough for kids and the adults supporting them. In this webinar, we’ll dive into practical strategies to make transitions smoother and build effective routines that help children thrive.

Register for this on-demand class: go.unl.edu/transitions

Looking for outdoor learning activities for kids? 🪴
Follow along with us this summer as we step outside and start digging! Join us in the "Let's Go Outside - We Can Dig It" series starting in June!

We'll have weekly guides designed specifically for families, caregivers, and early childhood providers working with children ages 0–5. These easy-to-use guides offer simple, hands-on activities that take less than 30 minutes and come with book recommendations.

Each guide focuses on a fun topic like soil, seeds, water, worms, fruits, and vegetables, while building important school readiness skills through play.

Check back the first week of June for our first topic!

Dandelion Print! This fun activity lets children experience the magic of blowing on a dandelion puffball and watching the seeds float away. It’s a great way to develop oral motor skills, which are important for speech development. Plus, it introduces children to the concept of cause and effect, and the idea of making wishes—perfect for a magical springtime moment!

Download this activity and others here > go.unl.edu/dnd_projects

Childcare programs vary, so it helps to decide what values and standards matter most for your family.
Consider what type of care works best such as home care, childcare, or preschool and explore local options. Since some programs have waitlists, choose a few and schedule visits early.

Explore first steps to take: child.unl.edu/choosing-quality-childcare
Visit: fitandhealthykids.unl.edu/family-engagement for more helpful info on effective strategies that impact a child's learning and achievement.

Honoring the dedication, patience, and passion of childcare providers today and every day - Happy Provider Appreciation Day! 🎉

A fun way to get moving this season!

Looking for a fun way to get moving this spring? 🌷 These spring bingo cards focus on physical activity and are great for kids and families. See how many squares you can check off together!
👉 https://go.unl.edu/bingo-cards

Learning in the Heartland | Virtual Field Trips 💻
Bring books to life with virtual field trips and activities. Learning in the Heartland encourages children to learn about community helpers and services. This program provides caregivers, preschool teachers, and parents with a collection of books, virtual tours, art projects, physical activities, and music.

Through engaging, age appropriate experiences, children can build familiarity with roles like doctors, police officers, firefighters, veterinarians, and greenhouse managers.

Learn more on the program: go.unl.edu/learning-in-the-heartland

Arbor Day Activity Idea💡
🌳 Organize a simple tree scavenger hunt to help children learn about the parts of a tree. Start by making an easy checklist with items like leaves, branches, trunk, roots, and bark, along with a few simple words to describe each one. Give a copy to each child.

Take the children outside (for example, to a playground or yard) and have them work in pairs or small groups to look at different trees. Encourage them to find each part on their list. When they spot something, they can take a photo or draw a quick picture of what they see.

This activity helps children explore nature, build observation skills, and learn new words in a fun, hands-on way.