Afterschool

Schools are hubs for the community, and they are often bursting with activity for hours after the last bell. Afterschool clubs, concerts, plays, sporting events, and family nights offer an opportunity to provide extended learning, reinforce healthy behaviors, and share the school’s commitment to healthy eating and physical activity with a wider audience.

Here are some ideas for putting a fresh spin on your afterschool hours.

• Offer afterschool clubs based around gardening, cooking, or physical activity: Afterschool Club Kits. 
• Check your school district’s wellness policy for rules and guidelines for foods and beverages at afterschool events.
• Hold open gym time before evening events so families can play together before the main event: Open Gym
• Work with administration to set a policy that family nights should include only healthy snacks and a physical activity. Snacks and activities can reinforce the theme of the night!: Healthy Family Nights
• Provide free samples of fruits and vegetables during afterschool events.
• Include easy grab-and-go items in your event food budget, such as clementines and apples or packs of baby carrots. Don’t have a food budget? Ask a local grocery store for a small donation.
• Give concession stands a makeover with healthy snacks:
  • Share this Healthy Snack List with concession stand organizers.
  • Use Sip the Drip to promote free or bottled water.
  • Place healthy snacks in easy to see and reach places (and put the candy and treats just out of reach).
  • Write catchy names for healthy snacks on colorful signs.