Childcare centre wins healthy heart award
Sand Dunes Early Learning Centre in Plimmerton has been awarded a Gold Healthy Heart Award for its achievements in creating a heart healthy environment.
The Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Award programme supports early childhood centres to create an environment that promotes nutritional health and physical activity.
Health promotion co-ordinator Sian Bliss says Sand Dunes staff involved the children in a range of nutrition and physical activities to help explain the importance of heart health and amended their daily menu to ensure children’s daily nutritional requirement were met.
‘‘It is so important for this age group to be aware of the importance of good nutrition and physical activity, so they can make healthy choices now and in the future.
‘‘Good nutrition not only aids growth and development, but also helps children learn better.’’
The centre has its own vegetable garden, which the children tend to and reap the rewards in their daily healthy morning tea and lunch.
‘‘Having the children involved in the entire gardening process, from planting the seeds to eating the finished result, is key to developing a love for fruit and vegetables,’’ says Ms Bliss.
Physical activity is a crucial part of the daily routine, with walks in the community, gymnastics, kapa haka and bike days being popular amongst the energetic children.
Centre manager Lauren Brown was thrilled the daycare centre had received the award.
‘‘Achieving the gold award has been a humbling experience for our children, staff and families.
For us, it is evidence of our dedication to providing quality care and education to our tamariki.
‘‘We believe that providing our tamariki and whanau with the knowledge and skills of how to lead a healthy lifestyle is where the foundations are built for future learning.’’
The Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Award is a free-of-charge programme that encourages early childhood centre’s to promote healthy eating and active movement to the under fives and their families.
The programme provides early childhood centre staff with nutrition and active movement information, planning tools and curriculum guides, to assist with the implementation of healthier food choices and active movement.