Sid the Science Kid is an educational animated television series using comedy to promote exploration, discovery and science readiness among preschoolers. This landmark production, co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles for PBS KIDS features a practical in-school science curriculum, uses music and humor to celebrate children's natural curiosity about science in everyday life. The energetic and inquisitive 5-year-old Sid starts each episode with a new question ("Why are my shoes shrinking?" "Why do bananas get mushy?") and embarks on a fun-filled day of finding answers with the help of family and friends. Watch this Fall at 8:30 am Monday-Friday; 7:30 am Saturday and Sunday.
WHYY Kids Club and Sid the Science Kid
After watching the episode, Must See TV! (airing Wednesday, October 21 - 8:30 a.m.) try this Super Fab Lab Investigation to find out how exercise changes your heartbeat! Instructions online at www.pbs.org/parents/sid/
Nutrition on the Web
For more information about healthy foods, visit these links:
On the Shelf
Additional reading on children health issues:
- Pre-School to Age 8
Babar's Yoga for Elephants by Laurent De Brunhoff
What's for Lunch by Ann Garrett and Stephanie Peterson
- Ages 7-11
The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole
- Ages 11-14
Food and You: A Guide to Healthy Habits for Teens by Marjolijn Bijlefeld
Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps... by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
- Parents and Families
Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids: A Complete Guide to Nutrition for Children, Birth to Six Year Olds by Elizabeth Ward
Healthy Snack of the Week
Kids love peanut butter and jelly, but they also love (and need) variety to keep them interested. Try a new sandwich in their lunch, and sneak in some vegetables!
Spread vegetable cream cheese on whole wheat bread and add thinly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Lightly salt and pepper for flavor. If one of those vegetables doesn't appeal to your eater, try just the other alone.
A sweet (and still healthy!) alternative is spreading blueberry cream cheese and topping it with sliced strawberries on honey wheat.
Get Moving!
After trying the heartbeat experiment, ask your children what their favorite aerobic exercises were that got their hearts beating. Whether its jumping jacks, running to and from a target, hula-hooping - get them to do a little bit each day before the Y12K run! Engage them by incorporating some numbers: count heartbeats, hula hoop rotations, speed of laps, etc.
Try this aerobic exercise:
Rabbit Race: Allow your child a 5 to 10-yard head start for a 40-yard race, chasing him or her from behind. Rest 90 seconds, then repeat 5 times.
UK researchers found that when exercise is called "play" or "fun," 83% of overweight children will do it consistently! Let's call it "play time"!
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