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1. Plant a tree
2. Hang a bird feeder
3. Create a special place for digging
4. Place a log outside the heavily trafficked area
5. Designate a table or shelf as an outside discovery center
6. Plant a cornfield
7. Create a whiskey barrel herb garden
8. Construct a rose arbor
9. Plant a North Carolina heritage garden
10. Inventory natural elements

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Starting Small Mixed Age Preschool participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Nutrition and nutrition education is an important part of their child care. The CACFP monitors the meals served to the children, offers meal reimbursement to help cover the costs of nutritious meals and snacks, as well as education for child care providers.

Starting Small Mixed Age Preschool is also involved in the "I am Moving, I am Learning" and the "Choosy Kids" Initiatives that was created by Head Start as a way to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity.

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I Am Moving, I Am Learning (IMIL) is a proactive approach for addressing childhood obesity in Head Start children. IMIL seeks to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity everyday, improve the quality of movement activities intentionally planned and facilitated by adults, and promote healthy food choices everyday.

• Dr. Linda Carson, Ware Distinguished Professor at West Virginia University (WVU), trainer for IMIL, created a child wellness character named Choosy who has become the signature feature of her community outreach programs at WVU, as well as a popular choice for the growing IMIL community. Dr. Carson, has assembled a team of expert trainers in a WV training company, Choosy Kids, who offer staff development training for early care and education of young children birth to five years.
  
• IMIL was introduced by Region III as a childhood obesity prevention pilot project in West Virginia and Virginia in 2004 and 2005.
  
• The West Virginia Head Start Association was the first Head Start organization to deliver statewide training focused on the IMIL childhood obesity prevention initiative.
  
• In 2006, Dr. Linda Carson of WVU and Amy Requa, Region III Head Start TA System, ICF International were the recipients of the ACF Partnering for Excellence Award.
  
• Choosy Kids was selected as the National IMIL training team to help raise awareness of IMIL strategies in all 12 federal regions.
  
• In 2007, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc released a preliminary report summarizing the implementation of IMIL in federal Region III.
  
• By May 2008, all Head Start regions have been introduced to IMIL training. These training events have reached over 2000 Head Start trainers, teachers and technical support personnel with a potential final impact of over 250,000 Head Start children being introduced to the three goals and strategies of IMIL.
  
• In May 2008, teams of IMIL facilitators from each region were trained in an effort to bring IMIL to every Head Start program across the country in an expedited way.
  

Use MyPyramid to help your preschooler eat well, be active, and be healthy. MyPyramid for Preschoolers is for children 2 to 5 years of age.

Click on this LINK to get a customized MyPyramid Plan for your preschooler.

WATCH

Produced and created by ACF Region III Head Start and the Technical Assistance Network, ICF International

Link from FamilyFun.com

• As an ambassador for healthy children, Choosy wants to help prevent childhood obesity.
• Choosy is a role model who encourages healthy decision-making from all of us.
• Choosy assists parents, teachers, and health professionals by supplying consistent health messages.
• Choosy recognizes that preferences for food and physical activity are “learned” from others early in life.
• Choosy helps grown ups to intentionally facilitate movement and nutrition experiences of young children so that healthy preferences are reinforced early and often.
• Choosy helps to promote healthy messages and behaviors in homes, child care centers, agencies, and schools with lively songs, activities, and helpful materials.
• Choosy’s name is tied to his behavior, and his message is simple: Choose Healthy Options Often & Start Young(TM)

KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents — each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources — all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.

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