Ideas and Resources

Keep kids interested - find child care resources.

Look no further. As a child care provider, this is your one-stop-shop for insights and advice about early childhood nutrition and physical activity.

Also, be sure to check out:

Here's your library of free, simple-to-use, proven resources, inspiring ideas, and practical tips for healthy eating and activity — all in one place.

Comprehensive Guides & Job Aids

Tools from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA):

Alternatives to Using Food as a Reward (job aid)
Healthy Menu Planning (guide)
Limiting Screen Time (letter for families)
Making the Most of Meal Times (job aid)
Non-Competitive & Active Games for Preschoolers (job aid)
Preventing Childhood Obesity (letter for families)

Let's Move! Child Care Checklist Quiz

Other Must-See Resources:

First Years in the First State: Improving Nutrition & Physical
Activity in Delaware Child Care:
A “how-to” toolkit, developed by Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS) for the Delaware Department of Education and funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant, that includes:

administrator’s and menu planning guides
shopping cheat sheet
self-assessments
16 weeks of menu cycles and recipes
shopping lists and budget-saving shopping tips
age-appropriate physical activities

Child Care Provider’s Guide:
A simple stage-by-stage resource with information and tips about early childhood nutrition and physical activity (for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers), from Nemours’ KidsHealth.org, the most-visited children's health website in the world.

Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit:
In partnership with Sesame Workshop, Nemours, and Nemours' KidsHealth.org, this guide (in English and Spanish) teaches child care providers and children concepts of nutrition and physical fitness using kids' favorite Sesame Street puppet friends.

Nutrition & Fitness Center:
A collection of online articles, Q&As, and recipes from the award-winning KidsHealth.org.

Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care
and Education Programs:
A comprehensive guide from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Public Health Association (APHA), and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (often called the National Resource Center, or NRC).

Sesame Workshop:
Look for videos of:

First Lady Michelle Obama talking to Elmo about health choices
“The Get Healthy Now Show” from Sesame Street, Nemours, and KidsHealth
Sesame Street characters teaching positive nutrition messages

Nutrition Know-How

Comprehensive Nutrition Tools

Best Practices for Healthy Eating (guide from Nemours)
Family Checklist for Nutrition in Early Child Care and Education (printable checklist from the National Resource Center)
First Years in the First State: Menu Planning Guide (developed by Nemours for the Delaware Department of Education)
Child Care Provider’s Guide (from Nemours' KidsHealth.org)
Grow It, Try It, Like It! Preschool Fun With Fruits and Vegetables (a garden-themed nutrition education kit from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, USDA's Team Nutrition)
Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit (from Sesame Workshop, Nemours, and KidsHealth)
Healthy Vending Guide (from Nemours)
Nutrition & Fitness Center (from KidsHealth)

Menu Planning & Serving Meals

First Years in the First State: Menu Planning Guide (developed by Nemours for the Delaware Department of Education)
Shopping Cheat Sheet: A Quick Guide to Finding Healthy Foods (from Nemours)

Job aids from NACCRRA:

Nemours' KidsHealth.org articles:

Understanding the Food Groups

ChooseMyPlate.gov (from the USDA)
Making Your Job Easier (job aid for child care providers from the USDA)
Daily Food Plan for Your Preschooler (job aid from the USDA)

Nutritional Safety

KidsHealth resources:

Allergic Reactions First-Aid Sheet (printable instructions)
Choking First-Aid Sheet (printable instructions)
Food Allergies (article)
Food Safety (article)

About Beverages

KidsHealth articles:

Recipes

Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit (from Sesame Workshop, Nemours, and KidsHealth)

KidsHealth recipes:

Recipes (an assortment of meal and snack ideas)
Cracker Stackers
Crazy Combos
Disappearing Zucchini Muffins
Junior Salad Bar
Mini Pizzas
Peachy Parfaits

Physical Activity Insights

Comprehensive Physical Activity Tools

Best Practices for Physical Activity (guide from Nemours)
Development Chart (from Nemours' KidsHealth.org, about milestones from birth to 36 months)
Family Checklist for Physical Activity in Early Child Care and Education (from the National Resource Center)
First Years in the First State: Improving Nutrition & Physical
Activity in Delaware Child Care (developed by Nemours for the Delaware Department of Education)
Child Care Provider’s Guide (from KidsHealth)
Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit (from Sesame Workshop, Nemours, and KidsHealth)
Nutrition & Fitness Center (from KidsHealth)

Activity Safety

Nemours' KidsHealth.org resources:

Dehydration First-Aid Sheet (printable instructions)
Heat Illness First-Aid Sheet (printable instructions)
Playground Safety (article)

Screen Time

Healthy Habits for TV, Video Games, and the Internet (article from KidsHealth)
How TV Affects Children (article from KidsHealth)
Limiting Screen Time (letter for families from NACCRRA)

Be a Healthy Lifestyle Role Model

10 Tips: Be a Healthy Role Model for Children (letter from the USDA)

Support Infant Feeding Decisions

10 Steps to Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Centers (resource kit from the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services)
Breastfeeding FAQs: Safely Storing Breast Milk (article from KidsHealth)
Breastfeeding FAQs: Solids and Supplementing (article from KidsHealth)
Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding (article from Nemours' KidsHealth.org)
Child Care Tips: Breast Milk (poster from the USDA)
Finger Foods for Babies (article from KidsHealth)
How to Support a Breastfeeding Mother: A Guide for Child Care Centers (job aid from the Texas Dept. of State Health Services; click on the first PDF on the page to open)

Videos Worth Viewing

Motion Moments (the National Resource Center offers ideas for incorporating physical activity into your program for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers)
Nutrition & Physical Activity in Child Care Settings series (the Arizona Dept. of Health Services offers videos about family-style meals, physical activity, breastfeeding, and infant nutrition)
Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street, Nemours, and Nemours' KidsHealth.org present “The Get Healthy Now Show”; also check out tons of other videos about nutrition from the beloved Sesame Street characters)

Fun Games & Activities