Preschoolers Learn Healthy Lifestyle Choices At Early Age

It’s never too early to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. That’s the message that Cathy Mendel works daily to impart to her charges at the .

The unit for January has to do with many different subjects related to healthy living, including exercising, hygiene, and eating healthy foods.

To that end, Mendel teaches her four- and five-year-old students about the food pyramid, and how much food is needed from each group to remain healthy.

“After we’ve completed the lessons, we set the room up like a grocery store, and the children go around with shopping carts and try to pick healthy foods from each group for their carts,” Mendel said. “The students who get foods from each group get a sticker.”

As part of their healthy living curriculum, later in February, the classes will perform in the “Olympics.”

“First we play the Olympic theme, and the students parade around with a ‘torch’,” Mendel said.

The students will then complete different stations with a variety of activities, similar to Olympic sports. At the end of the activities, the students will climb on rafters similar to those seen at the Olympics and receive medals for their performances.

The Paradise Preschool is affiliated with the in Newfoundland.