Page 6 - Healthy Kids Now - Fall 2021

DIY Family-Friendly Obstacle Course
Help set up an obstacle course in the yard or at a park for
your children. Keep your child’s age and abilities in mind when making your course. For example, use shorter distances between obstacles for young children.
Guide your little athletes during their play — or join in! For stations, consider having each child:
• Pick up a tennis ball and run
over to toss it in a bucket.
• Placeabeanbagontheirhead.
Then, walk across the grass
and toss it onto a paper plate.
• Crawl through a kid’s
play tunnel.
• Jump in and out of a
Hula-Hoop that’s laying on
the ground.
• Run to a basketball hoop and
make one or more shots.
• Skip to a table (or other flat
surface) and stack 6 to 10
plastic cups into a pyramid.
• Walk a line that’s drawn
in chalk.
Have kids walk, run, hop on one leg, or do another silly action between obstacles. Not a lot
of space? Make it a rule to do jumping jacks, dance, or run in place before the next station.
TIPS FOR HANDLING ASTHMA AT SCHOOL
As a caregiver, you want your child Plans should be updated at least
to succeed at everything. And that includes asthma control.You can help by making sure they have what they need to thrive at home and school.
Watch Your Supplies
It’s probably on your to-do list to check your child’s pencil, paper, and binder supplies. Don’t forget to also look through the medicine cabinet before the school year starts. Review expiration dates and get rid of old pills or canisters. Old medications may not work as well and can even hurt your child.
Refill your child’s medication early enough so that you never run out. If your child misses a dose, asthma symptoms may come back or get worse.
Work with Your Child’s School
Every child with asthma should have a written asthma action plan.This tells you, your child, the teachers and school nurses how to spot and treat asthma attacks.
once a year. Already have a back- to-school checkup on the calendar? Great! Ask to go over the plan during the appointment.Tell the pediatrician if your child’s health or medications have changed. Update emergency contact information, too.
It’s important for teachers to know how to manage your child’s asthma. Review these asthma action plan details together:
• Your child’s specific triggers
• Your child’s medicine routine
• Steps to take during an
asthma attack
• When and where to get
emergency help
Give school staff a copy of the asthma action plan. Also, fill out any medica- tion consent forms from the school. That way, your child will get the medicine they need as soon as they need it.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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