Youth Healthy Living Curriculum, Resources and Activities

4-H Healthy Living

In this 4-H project area, participants learn about balancing physical, nutritional, social and emotional health. Youth, working with supportive adult volunteers, learn about healthy lifestyles through fun, hands-on activities and projects to improve the well-being of themselves, their communities and their world.

The 4-H Healthy Living Pathway includes a variety of supports from curriculum, activities and resources which can be used in different youth settings. Extension staff and volunteers are available to provide training for those interested in learning more. Check out the following and feel free to contact your local 4-H staff for more information.

Curriculum

Choose Health: Food, Fun & Fitness (CHFFF): CHFFF teaches healthy eating and active play through interactive nutrition activities, food preparation and active games. Six hands on lessons are available targeting 8-12 year olds (grades 3-6). Topics include replacing sweetened drinks with low-fat milk and water, eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, eating fewer high-fat and high-sugar foods, and playing actively 60 minutes a day. Regional 4-H Choose Health curriculum toolkits have been organized throughout the state for New Hampshire 4-H volunteers to access. CHFFF has been implemented successfully in NH afterschool settings, classrooms, 4-H clubs and 4-H Special Interest programs (SPIN).

4th H Challenge & Curriculum: 3-6-6 is one way that 4-H clubs are promoting healthier environments at their meetings. It's easy to the make the healthy choice the easy choice with the 4th H Challenge. Once club members start the challenge, digging deeper is an option with the 4th H Curriculum. Six lessons building on smart snacking, moving more and choosing healthier beverage opitions allow youth participants to explore physical activity and healthy eating habits.

4-H Cooking 101 - 401: Cooking is a great way to explore the 4th H. The University of Illinois Extension 4-H Cooking series includes four levels of project manuals and a helper's guide. As youth work through hands-on age appropriate activities, they learn nutrition, food preparation, food safety and kitchen skills and knowledge that build on their skills development. This curriculum series is a great resource for 4-H foods events such as County 4-H Food Shows and the Grilled Cheese Challenge.

Activities

Grilled Cheese Challenge/GCC: GCC can be a fantastic way to promote teamwork among 4-H participants and provide a fun, interactive learning experience in the area of Healthy Living. This event may be offered as a local event at different county activities such as fairs or foods events. Starting in 2018 – 19, 4-H youth may choose to participate as a team at the 4-H Makers Expo. This statewide event is a chance to show case healthy living skills; have fun in a competitive learning environment and meet other youth who love to create and build.

Pickle Challenge/Food Preservation: Several counties are following the lead of Hillsboro County and are planning to offer a Pickle Challenge this year. Food Preservation is making a comeback and this is a fantastic way to build on gardening, food safety and healthy living skills with 4-H youth.

Resources

Healthy habits start early, and they need practice! These resources provide nutrition and physical activity ideas and information to get youth on the move to better health & wellness.