Benefits of good diets

Benefits of good diets

There are many different local and national incentives which are designed to promote health eating and encourage children to get the best possible start to life with regards to their diet and fitness. Good well-being combines a number of different factors including healthy eating, exercise and support from adults. Each of these factors will have an impact on the well-being of a child and enhance their growth and development.

A range of different factor must be accounted for when following a diet and planning nutritional needs of children as a number of things can affect a child’s development and well-being. These may include:

v Any personal preferences and the likes/dislikes of both the child and their carers.

v Religious diets where a child may be vegetarian or not eat certain foods.

v Any allergies or intolerances which a child may have.
All of the above factors will have an effect on the diet of a child and

should be fully understood by early years practitioners.

Poor diets and how they affect a child

The affects of a poor diet on children can be very damaging and have a massive impact upon the health of those in your care. For this reason, it is always best to ensure that children are given a balanced and healthy diet. Some of the poor affects that can be seen on a child include:

v Poor activity levels
v Tooth decay
v Obesity
v Digestive problems
v Poor brain development

CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education v Anaemia (low levels of Iron)

v Poor development of bones and teeth

Malnutrition and malnourishment

Children should be nourished
and ensured that they have
plenty of nutrition within their
diet. This will make sure that
they have the right things in
their body and can develop at
the correct rate. There are
some subtle differences
between malnutrition and
malnourishment as
malnourishment is not having
enough food to function
normally whereas
malnutrition is not have the
rights types of food in a diet.
So if a child is malnourished
they are not getting enough
food and would benefit from
more being in their diet, but a child suffering from malnutrition may have enough food in their diet but this food does not have the right range of nutrients that they need to develop.

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Planning healthy meals and snacks

It is possible to plan a healthy menu based on similar foods, however eating the same foods every day can become very boring especially for children and, as a result, you may end up inadvertently curbing a child’s appetite by offering limited choices. It is therefore very important that you plan different menus which incorporate a variety of foods each day in order to make meals interesting, appetising and appealing.

Variety is the key to a healthy balanced diet and the following menu plans form a basis for developing a daily diet for children. The menus take into account the foods shown in the eat well plate and provide the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals for children.

The meal plans shown have been written for a child of eight years and will need to be adapted for children of different ages depending on how active the child is and the size of their appetite.

The Early Years Foundation Stage states that children must be encouraged to make healthy choices in relation to food. When meals, snacks and drinks are provided by practitioners these should be healthy, balanced and nutritious. Fresh drinking water must be available and accessible at all times.

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WEDNESDAY

Breakfast Lunch

Dinner

THURSDAY

Breakfast Lunch

Dinner

FRIDAY

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Porridge, fresh fruit
Pitta bread filled with chicken, salad and coleslaw, pot of yoghurt, piece of fruit
Spaghetti Bolognese made with turkey, broccoli, cauliflower and fresh fruit salad with frozen yoghurt

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Seven Day Menu Plan for a Child Aged Eight Years

MONDAY

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

TUESDAY

Breakfast Lunch

Dinner

Wholegrain cereal with full fat milk, Banana or apple
Tuna sandwich, pot of yoghurt, piece of fruit
Grilled chicken, potatoes, broccoli and stewed apples with raisins

Wholemeal toast with butter/jam, fresh fruit
Slice of pizza, raw carrot and cucumber sticks, pot of yoghurt, piece of fruit
Tuna and pasta bake, fresh salad, rice pudding

Muesli with milk or yoghurt, fresh orange juice
Pitta stuffed with grated cheese and tomato, small pot of mixed nuts such as almonds and cashews, piece of fruit Pasta with chickpeas and spinach, apple crumble with custard

Boiled egg with wholemeal toast, piece of fruit Vegetable soup, wholemeal bread roll, raspberry fool Fish pie, carrots and sweetcorn and yoghurt

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SATURDAY

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

SUNDAY

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Banana milkshake, wholemeal toast
Macaroni cheese with peas, piece of fruit
Meat loaf, potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower, pancakes with fresh fruit and fromage frais

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Poached egg, grilled bacon and wholemeal toast, fruit juice Pasta with fresh tomato sauce and salad, yoghurt
Roast pork with fresh apple sauce, mashed potatoes, courgettes and carrots and pear crumble with custard.

Drinks of water/fruit juice/milk should be offered regularly throughout the day. Avoid fizzy drinks.

In addition to introducing a variety of food types to a child’s diet it is also important to think about how variations in eating patterns may affect the way a child eats. This may be something you already do over the course of the week, for example, the main meal at the weekend may be eaten at different times to those during the week. It may be that dinner on weekdays is eaten in the early evening whereas on a Sunday you may prefer to eat the main meal of the day at mid-day. However, it is important to remember that changing the times meals are eaten may encourage children to snack – particularly if they are expected to wait too long between each meal and consideration should be shown in this area if you are to avoid unhealthy snacking between meals.

When planning meals there is no right or wrong method to choose and no two meal plans will be the same as people will invariably take their own and their child’s preferences into account. The important things to remember are:-

v Always include foods from the main food groups.
v Make sure that only a limited amount of fatty and sugary foods are

included

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v Follow the guidelines for the Balance of Good Health
v Take into account the age, weight and activeness of the child when

judging portion sizes and alter these accordingly
v Make sure that meals and snacks are interesting
v Use a variety of foods and introduce different flavours, colours and

textures
v Always make sure that drinks are readily available in either milk, fruit

juice or water form.

Planning snacks

Quiet often we will eat simply because we want to, rather than because we need to. As a parent or practitioner we need to talk to children about what it actually means to be hungry and how we can tell when we are full. Weight will be gained if we ignore the signals which indicate whether our bodies need food or not. At around three or four years of age children may complain of being ‘hungry’ when in fact they may be bored, sad or lonely. Food is then used to overcome these emotions which the child cannot adequately express and a cycle then begins which connects food with emotional feelings rather than hunger. ‘Comfort eating’ is an expression given to someone who finds solace in food for the emotional problems they are experiencing and, although food cannot address the underlying problems, it gives the sufferer something else to focus on.

Although a child’s hunger pangs should not be ignored it is important to ascertain whether a child is really hungry when they say they are or whether they may simply be looking for attention.

Many young children need to ‘snack’ throughout the day. Snacking in itself is not a problem if nutritious food is offered. Avoid allowing children to snack on sweets, biscuits, crisps and other convenience foods which contain ‘empty calories’ and instead try to offer fruit, yoghurt, cheese and crackers, celery sticks, carrots etc. Banning all forms of snacks which are high in sugar, calories and fat is not a good idea.

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Children will inevitably be tempted by television adverts and supermarket displays and it is perfectly acceptable to indulge a child with these foods occasionally.

Strategic healthy snacking is better than allowing children to get too hungry. Children who are allowed to become too hungry will show signs of moodiness, fatigue and lack of concentration. Healthy snacks will enable the child to boost their energy and concentration levels between meals and will also ensure that the child does not go to the meal table ravenous which may encourage them to overeat.

Encouraging children to opt for healthy snacks is relatively easy if you limit the amount of unhealthy snacks you buy. Filling the cupboards with cakes, biscuits and fizzy pop and then insisting your child has a stick of celery and a glass of water is both unfair and unrealistic.

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Digestion

The food we eat provides our body with the energy and goodness it requires to function properly. However, in order for this to happen, the food we consume needs to be broken down so that it can be absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the parts of the body where it is needed. During this process any waste products which our body cannot use will pass through the digestive system and be excreted.

There are a number of structures in the digestive system which are involved in the digestive process and these structures are:-

v The mouth
v The oesophagus v The stomach
v The duodenum v The jejunum
v The ileum
v The colon
v The rectum
v The anus
v The pancreas
v The liver
v The gall bladder

The above series of linked passageways and organs make up the digestive system and each works closely together to break down the nutrients received by the body into smaller, more manageable units.

We will now look at these structures in closer detail:-

The mouth – We chew the food in our mouths in order to be able to break it down so that we can swallow it. Saliva is produced by the mouth which is then mixed with the food softening and moistening it in

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order for us to be able to swallow it easier. Our saliva contains enzymes which help to break down carbohydrates further.

The oesophagus – Food is carried from our mouths to our stomachs by the oesophagus using a process called peristalsis. Peristalsis is a wave of muscle contraction which occur throughout the digestive system in order for food to move in the right direction.

The stomach – When we swallow food it passes to the stomach through the oesophagus and remains here for approximately three to four hours. The food is broken down further whilst in the stomach with the use of enzymes, acid and digestive juices. The body has the ability to absorb water and salt from the stomach. Fats take the longest time to leave the stomach followed by proteins. Carbohydrates will leave the stomach quickest. An empty adult stomach is approximately the size of a clenched fist and can hold around 0.1 litres. However after a large meal our stomach has the capacity to expand by up to forty times this size and may be capable of holding around 2 litres of fluids.

Duodenum, jejunum and ileum – these three passageways all make up the small intestine. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the small intestine is shorter than the large intestine which is not true – the small intestine is actually around 5 metres longer than the large intestine! The small intestine’s name is derived from the fact that it has a smaller diameter than the large intestine. The small intestine digests the majority of the food in our body and food usually remains in this part of the digestive system for approximately six hours. The small intestine breaks the nutrients down into their smallest parts and from here they pass into the blood stream. The body is then able to use the nutrients it requires from the blood stream in order to function correctly. The small intestine is made up of millions of projections called ‘villi’. Each of these villi has a good blood supply and they increase the surface area of the small intestine so that it is approximately the size of a tennis court, which ensures that all the nutrients we have digested are able to cross into the blood stream to be used.

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The colon is commonly known as the large intestine. Food remains in this part of the digestive system for approximately six hours. The colon is about 1 1⁄2 metres in length and it contains millions of ‘friendly’ bacteria which remove harmful elements and help to produce vitamins. The waste produced by our bodies is carried to the rectum via the colon.

The rectum – this is the part of the digestive system which stores waste products (faeces) until they are ready to be excreted. Waste material can remain in this part of the body for approximately six hours.

The anus – this is the opening which is located at the end of our digestive system and it allows us to excrete waste products from our body.

The pancreas – the pancreas releases pancreatic juices into the small intestine to help with the digestion of food. The pancreatic juices flow into the main pancreatic duct. This duct joins the bile duct, which connects the pancreas to the liver and the gall bladder.

The liver – the liver produces bile. Bile is a yellowish liquid which is stored in the gall bladder until it is required. Bile from the gall bladder passes into the duodenum and acts to neutralise the acid contents of the stomach and thereby prevent the acid from damaging the duodenum. Bile also helps to break down fats.

The gall bladder – the gall bladder stores the bile produced by the liver until it is required.

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Changes that occur as food passes through your digestive system

The nutrients which we have digested need to be absorbed by the body if they are to be of any benefit for growth, energy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrients are absorbed when the smallest part of the nutrient passes from the digestive tract and enters the blood stream. Most of the nutrients needed by our bodies are absorbed into the blood stream through the small intestine.

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As previously mentioned the small intestine is made up of millions of projections called villi. Located inside each of the villi are lymph vessels which absorb digested fat and fat-soluble vitamins into the lymphatic system. Eventually the lymphatic system drains into the blood stream and the blood carries the fat to the liver. The fat is then used by the liver in many ways in order to assist the body to function adequately.

Nutrients are converted into living tissue in the body. This process is known as the ‘assimilation of nutrients’. Once the body has absorbed the nutrients they will be used for a variety of functions including:-

Carbohydrates – will be used to produce energy. The energy obtained by the assimilation of these nutrients allows us to be able to move our muscles. The energy from carbohydrates can be used for high intensity activities such as swimming, aerobics, sports etc.

Proteins – will be used to encourage the body to grow and repair itself. Hair, skin and nails are primarily made of protein and, as these tissues are continually growing an adequate supply of protein will be required in order for these processes to be carried out adequately.

Fat – like carbohydrates, fat is used to produce energy. Food containing fat gives us energy for low intensity activities such as walking, sitting and standing. Fat is also required for the protection of the internal organs in the body and for insulation. A cushion of fat helps to protect our internal organs should we fall. Stored under the skin, fat also acts as insulation and prevents us from losing body heat.

Vitamins and minerals – are used by the body to help it to function effectively and maintain good health.

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Benefits of exercise

The health and well-being of a child is affected by exercise as well as diet and nutrition. It is very important that children are given as many opportunities to exercise and play when they are young as possible to ensure that they are healthy and develop in the correct way. A range of different benefits can be seen in children with good exercise routines such as:

v Development of organs- the organs of a child (especially the heart) will be helped when a child exercises often in their daily routine. Without sufficient exercise as a child, people are more likely to develop heart conditions in later life.

v Lung capacity is improved- the lungs of a child are improved through exercise and stamina will be built up. This ensures that oxygen can be taken in and used by the developing organs of a child very efficiently.

v Aids sleeping and eating patterns- having a lot of exercise will help to regulate the sleep and eating patterns of a child and make sure that they keep a steady routine. Exercising outdoors and gaining enough active exercise throughout the day will ensure that children are tired at bedtime and sleep much deeper and are also hungry at meal times to ensure that they eat well.

v Supports the development of bones- walking, running and other types of exercise will ensure that a child builds strong bones and that they are physically able to grow later in life.

v Aides socialisation- children that enjoy a lot of exercise will engage through play and make friends through shared enjoyment of games. This will help a child to learn new skills and ensure that they can share and participate in sports and exercise in a manner that is conducive to their development of social skills.

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Planning age appropriate exercise

When working in an early years setting it is important that practitioners can get the right level of exercise into the routine of each child. This will depend on the age of children as well as their diet, willingness and the speed that they learn. Children that are younger will not be able to run around and exercise excessively- because of this you must be able to come up with ideas for exercise that suits the child in your care.

This may include ‘tummy time’ for younger children where they can learn to move their arms and legs. This posture will also ensure that the hips of the baby, as well as their neck and back are strengthened as they grow older and learn to crawl. Arms and legs will be strengthened in this position as well so that the baby will begin to gain in strength and prepare for when they can crawl.

Once children grow older they will often take part in more vigorous exercise and will likely develop very quickly because of this. Children will learn to walk and run and have a lot of energy in order to develop their strength in all areas.

Planning outdoor activities

The EYFS requires practitioners to be able to give plenty of opportunities for all children including outdoor provision. Physical development of children should enable them to connect with nature and learn from an outdoor environment. This requires the right space, equipment and provision for children to ensure they have the right opportunities to learn and develop in a suitable outdoor space.

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The impact of a poor diet on health and well being

In recent years we have seen the number of overweight children increase dramatically. Paediatricians and family doctors are frequently having to treat children who have developed weight-related problems which were previously seen only in adults. These problems include:-

v Obesity
v High blood pressure v High cholesterol

Children who carry excess weight will also increase their risk of heart attack and strokes in adulthood. There are of course also emotional consequences for a child who is overweight to face as they often have to contend with both social and emotional challenges such as being teased, ignored, embarrassed and rejected which may eventually lead to the child developing poor self esteem and feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness. Overweight children may also be more prone to depression due to the way they are viewed by their peers.

Below are two lists of health problems which are associated with being overweight. The first list covers problems associated with childhood and the second looks at the long term problems experienced in adult life.

Childhood Health Problems Associated with Being Overweight

v Asthma and other breathing difficulties v High blood pressure
v Type 2 diabetes
v High cholesterol

v Liver disease
v Gallstones and gall bladder disease
v Depression
v Inability to exercise due to breathlessness

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v Blount disease – reduced function of the knee joint which causes pain and discomfort

Adult (Long Term) Problems Associated with Being Overweight

v High blood pressure
v Type 2 diabetes
v High cholesterol
v Risk of heart attack and stroke v Congestive heart failure

v Respiratory problems
v Higher risk of certain cancers for example, colon, breast and prostate v Higher risk of dying suddenly
v Infertility problems
v Pregnancy problems
v Arthritis
v Liver disease
v Gout
v Gallstones and gall bladder disease
v Depression

An inadequate nutrient intake in children
and adults can also cause problems. A
person considered as being underweight
is someone who is not consuming
sufficient nutrients or they are not
absorbing enough nutrients in order to maintain a healthy body weight. This may be due to illnesses such as Cystic Fibrosis or Ulcerative Colitis. Although a person who is considered as being underweight because they weigh less than is normal for their height and age they may not necessarily be unhealthy. However many underweight people are not usually in good health and this may be because of bad dieting habits or through the misuse of slimming aids. One of the main health problems associated with not eating a balanced diet is Malnutrition. Malnutrition is usually associated with people who do not have access to sufficient

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amounts of foods or with those people who choose to eat diets which are nutritionally imbalanced for example fast foods which contain high levels of fat and salt but little vitamins and minerals. The main effects of malnutrition are:

v A lack of energy
v Feeling tired and lethargic
v Having wounds which fail to heal or take a long time to heal v Susceptible to frequent illnesses
v Take a long time to recover from illness
v Reduced fertility
v Loss of menstrual periods
v Skin infections
v Anaemia

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Dietary changes

The food choices we make come about for a variety of reasons. We may choose to eat a certain food because:-

v We consider it to be a healthy choice v We are following a diet plan
v We like the taste
v We consider it to be a treat

Whatever the reason for our food choices what is almost certain is that few of us really think about the mixture of foods we put into our bodies and what these foods and the chemicals they contain are doing to us.

Before we can change our diets we need to look closely at what we choose to eat and the factors which influence our dietary choices.

We need to think carefully about:

v Our personal preferences which may affect our food choices v The social factors which may affect our food choices
v Any diseases or disorders which may affect our food choices v Any cultural differences which may affect our food choices

Unless we are suffering from any diseases or disorders it is probably true to say that most people choose to eat food which they like and enjoy, perhaps giving health aspects a little consideration along the way. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to the variety of food on offer here in the United Kingdom however often practical factors may have a huge influence on the food choices we make. For example the type of shops available in our vicinity may influence how often we can buy fresh produce, the cost of food, how convenient some foods are to prepare and cook, whether we have the ability to cook and what storage facilities are available. All of these factors will have some influence on the kind of food choices we make.

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Eating patterns – the way you eat and how often, will also affect your food preferences and it is therefore important to look carefully at how meals are planned and prepared for the family.

Looking at eating patterns in children will help us to determine whether they eat too little or too often and whether the right kinds of foods are being consumed.

Think carefully about each meal you prepare for your child. Is food offered regularly as:-

v A single course meal for example, a bowl of soup or a sandwich
v A two course meal consisting of a main course and a pudding
v A regular pattern of several meals each day
v A series of snacks eaten as and when required such as biscuits, cakes,

crisps, fruit etc.
v A single large meal per day
v A combination of all of the above

When you have explored the above questions you need to think carefully about how meals and snacks are offered. Do you expect children to:-

v Sit down to eat all meals and snacks or are they allowed to ‘eat on the go’?

v Do you eat with the children or do they eat alone? v How long do meal times last?
v How often are meals and snacks served?

In addition to personal preferences to food choice children, like adults, are also influenced by social factors. Just as adults will be influenced by whether they choose to eat in the staff canteen or take a packed lunch to work, children will be influenced by their friends at school and may make decisions on whether to have a school lunch or take a packed lunch depending on the decisions of their peers. Again the choice of

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food they eat may also be influenced by the friends they socialise with. Attending birthday celebrations, sleep over’s at a friends house, or simply being invited out for tea will all socially affect the food choice a child makes.

Media such as television, radio, magazines and the internet are all powerful influences on children and young people and often clever advertising can encourage children to make certain choices all of which may not be healthy ones. Advertisers target children in order to influence parents and adverts are designed to encourage people to buy the product being advertised regardless of whether the product is healthy or not.

Disease and disorders can affect the whole family’s eating habits. Although you personally may not have a specific food related illness it may be that your child or partner is suffering from a specific disease or disorder which makes it necessary for you to have to think carefully about the food you buy and prepare. Although it is not necessary to expect every member of the family to conform to a special diet, particularly if the diet is very restrictive, however it may be necessary to modify the whole family’s eating patterns particularly if the illness is related to a previous poor diet which can of course result in health problems for everyone in the long run. Some of the most common medical conditions which can affect an individual’s diet include:

v Diabetes
v Heart disease
v Celiac disease
v Kidney disease
v Over weight/obesity

Depending on the severity of the disease or disorder the diet may be affected in several ways.

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Diabetes – Diabetes is becoming more common in the United Kingdom as people are becoming more prone to being overweight and obese. Diabetes is the body’s inability to control the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. A suitable diet for a diabetic would include complex carbohydrates such as those found in cereals and vegetables and should avoid consuming too much sugary food.

Heart disease – Heart disease is common in countries like the United Kingdom where processed food and food which is high in fat is often consumed. Fat causes fatty deposits to build up inside the arteries making it difficult for the blood to flow which results in a rise in blood pressure. If a person is suffering from heart disease the coronary arteries which supply the muscles of the heart itself are affected making it difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body adequately.

Coeliac Disease – This is a disorder of the intestines and is usually triggered by a sensitivity to ‘gluten’ which is found in most cereal grains, wheat, barley and rye. A coeliac sufferer will need to stick to a diet which avoids bread, cakes, biscuits etc. Sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain which foods should be avoided as often gluten can be found as a ‘hidden’ ingredient in soups, sauces, gravy etc. Completely avoiding gluten can be very difficult however most food packages now state whether gluten is contained. A simple diet of fresh food is often the best for coeliac sufferers.

Kidney Disease – Kidney failure is one long-term effect of diabetes but can sometimes occur for other reasons. The kidneys work continuously to remove chemical substances from the body which are no longer required. A person who is suffering from kidney failure will need to have these substances removed from their body artificially by means of dialysis. Patients who are receiving dialysis will need to stick to a very controlled diet in order to reduce the amount of urine and harmful substances produced by the body.

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Over weight/obesity – A large number of people in the United Kingdom continually consume more calories than their body actually needs and the result is being over weight or obese. Over weight or obese people need to reduce the number of calories they consume and avoid eating foods which are rich in energy nutrients such as fat, sugar and alcohol. They also need to increase their exercise. It is probably true to say that parents and carers are the major influence on children with regard to their diet as it is these people who create the social environment in the home or early years setting and these people who make the overall decisions on what kinds of food to buy and prepare. Parents and primary carers will be responsible for deciding:

v What kind of food to offer a child
v When meals and snacks will be available
v Whether snacks will be available
v How meals will be served for example sat at the table formally or

informally, on a tray in front of the television etc
v Whether any cultural, health or ethical choices are made

The points below summarise some of the factors that can affect what individuals choose to eat.

v Likes and dislikes
v Appetite
v Health benefits
v Special requirements i.e. medical reasons such as diabetic, milk

allergy etc.
v Influence of friends, peers, family etc. v Influence of advertising
v Religious beliefs
v Celebrations and festivals
v Availability of food
v Ability to prepare and cook food

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Barriers to dietary change

Although the majority of food which we eat is chosen because of personal preferences i.e. because it looks nice, tastes nice etc. there are barriers in society which may actually affect some of the food choices we make. These barriers may include:-

v Culture
v Ethical considerations

Culture– The kind of food eaten by different groups of people varies according to different culture. Some cultures dictate which foods can or cannot be eaten or how foods are prepared, cooked and served. Religious belief also has a strong influence on eating habits as the table below shows:

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Some people’s food choices are developed around conscious personal principles such as:-

v Vegetarianism
v Veganism
v Ethical considerations

Vegetarians do not eat meat and often they will not eat fish. Individuals may make a decision to become a vegetarian either because they don’t like the taste of meat and/or fish or because they have issues with eating food which involves the slaughter or animals. Vegetarians can eat a healthy balanced diet providing they pay close attention to the amount and nature of the vegetables, nuts, grains and pulses they consume.

Vegans do not eat any animal foods at all. These foods include meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese etc. Often vegans need to supplement their diet to ensure that they get sufficient nutrients and vitamins and careful planning of the vegan diet is necessary, particularly for children.

Ethical considerations include being aware of how food is produced. Modern farming methods rely on using various chemicals and more and more people are becoming conscious of the way food is produced, processed and distributed and how this affects the environment making ethical considerations high on the list of priority for consumers.

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The benefits of physical play and exercise

Daily exercise is essential and all children should be able to access exercise in some form every day. Children will strengthen muscles and joints in addition to becoming mentally alert if they can stay healthy through exercise.

For children to want to be healthy and to willingly choose to exercise we need to make it fun and enjoyable therefore it is essential that practitioners find ways of introducing new and exciting ways to keep fit. In order for children to improve co-ordination and balance they need space to run around. Although some forms of exercise can be conducted indoors such as dancing and through the use of games and dance mats, outdoor space is often more associated with energetic exercise and gardens, parks and playgrounds can provide endless opportunities for children to discover and explore.

Encouraging children to stay fit and healthy through exercise has many benefits, both in the short term and the long term. In addition to improving balance and co-ordination and strengthening muscles and joints exercise will also benefit children through:

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v Improving appetite – children will burn off calories whilst exercising and therefore the appetite will be increased.

v Improves the digestive process.
v Increased blood circulation and bone density. v Encouraging strength and stamina.

Many forms of exercise require co-operation and interaction with others and therefore children will be encouraged to form friendships and build on their skills of interaction and co-operation.

Practitioners should encourage children to exercise in a healthy way which emphasises the need for warming up and cooling down and resting between vigorous exercises. By understanding the importance of exercising and discussing the bodies needs before, during and after exercise, children can be encouraged to plan a sensible fitness routine which works well for them without putting excessive strain on the body. Physical development covers all aspects of control over the body and can be split into five categories namely gross motor skills, fine motor skills, co-ordination, balance and locomotive skills. We will now look at these categories in more detail:

Gross Motor Skills – these are skills which involve the use of the main limbs in the body namely the arms and legs. Gross motor skills can be encouraged and developed through activities such as kicking or throwing a ball or swimming.

Fine Motor Skills – these are skills which incorporate the use of the whole hand and these skills can be developed through activities such as catching a ball.

Co-ordination – is where two or more skills are combined together. Co- ordination can be developed through using resources such as building bricks or threading beads onto a string.

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Balance – this can be encouraged through mastering skills such as riding a bicycle, using roller skates or even walking along a straight line.

Locomotive skills – these skills are all about control and can be encouraged through exercise incorporating skipping, running and jumping.

For children to become competent and to enjoy exercise they should be allowed to develop at their own pace and in their own time. If a child says that they are tired or that they are unsure of a certain form of exercise never be tempted to push them into it. Although encouragement is important, you must remember that the child will know their own limits and it is never a good idea to push them into trying something they clearly don’t want to do. This will simply diminish their confidence and put them off future exercise.

Although most physical exercise will probably take place outdoors there are numerous forms of exercise that can be successfully explored indoors and these include dance, drama, games and obstacle courses.

Dance – there are many forms of dance exercise available and these may be through commercially bought products such as DVD’s or interactive games however simple dance routines can be made up without the use of elaborate or expensive equipment. Often young children will move their bodies to any music which is played and older children will probably enjoy making up and practicing their own dance routines. Dance mats are also an excellent tool for promoting physical exercise.

Drama – all children, even those who are very young can enjoy drama. Dressing up and acting out favourite nursery rhymes or stories can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Action rhymes such as Old McDonald Had a Farm and Ring a Ring O’Roses provide excellent opportunities for children to sing, dance and act and all three activities will provide essential exercise.

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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education

Games – In addition to interactive games which can be played on a TV screen children can access plenty of physical exercise through playing simple games such as musical chairs and Simon Says.

Obstacle courses – although most people would associate obstacle courses with outdoor play it is very simple to set up an obstacle course indoors using a variety of items such as cushions, bean bags and foam balls.

Physical exercise outdoors will always be an easier option as all traditional games such as football, tennis, golf and rugby include some form of physical exertion. All children will be able to participate

in some kind of outdoor exercise even if they are not particularly ‘sporty’. Obviously the type of sport or exercise available will depend on the age and development of the child and sports with complex rules should be adapted accordingly if young children are taking part. Earlier we looked at obstacle courses indoors using ‘soft’ equipment such as cushions and bean bags however as there is no need to protect furnishings outdoors obstacle courses can be extended considerably with the use of hoops, skipping ropes, climbing frames, skittles, etc. Ride on toys such as scooters and bicycles provided excellent forms of exercise and can be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Although children need to be fit for the same reasons as adults do it is now always easy to know how much physical exercise a child needs.

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CACHE Level 3 Award in Childcare and Education

Unit Summary

In this unit we have looked at the way in which the health and well being of a child can be supported and helped through a variety of different methods such as dietary requirements and exercise. The dietary and exercise requirements of children do differ dramatically throughout their childhood and in different development stages so being able to adapt to the needs of each child is very important for a practitioner.

You should now have a much better understanding of the needs of children and be able to work with people in their early years to ensure they are happy and healthy so that they can thrive in their environment.

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