On parent night at Preschool, the topic of snacks their children were eating were

discussed, and had some parents wanting more ideas to make healthier snacks

choices at home as well as when children are at school.

After a lengthy discussion, they called the Extension Office for some resources on

the topic of being aware of your child’s nutrition needs for proper growth

and development.

Based on feedback provided we decided to introduce LEAP (Literacy, Eating

and Activity for Preschool/ Primary) to provide healthier choices when it

comes to snacking and overall eating.

We implemented story time and physical activity with a nutritious snack to

30 students in aftercare. The target was to get the students excited about making

their own snacks with healthy food choices, such as cheese and crackers with

raisins, ants on a log with celery and cream cheese just to name a few.

After talking with the parents, they stated that their children were choosing

more fruits and veggies as a healthy choice than the sweet sugary treats given.

Several weeks had passed 28 focused better in the classroom and became

more physically active due to the overall changes they made.