Game On!

The Cunningham gymnasium was bustling with activity duringGame On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge.  Coordinated by Brenda Sharp, elementary physical education instructor for USD 332, the event incorporated nutrition, physical activity and learning through a series of family-friendly activity stations.  Action for Healthy Kids selected the grant proposal submitted by Sharp and supplied funding for Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge.

Using a variety of sport movements the Sports Illustrated Warm-up got the participants and their exercise buddies up and moving.  Wellness challenge activities included Eat Your Colors and Food Groups Search and Rescue.  The Strong Bones Training Camp provided the physical challenge component.  Stations included the Milk and Cereal Run, Jumping for Dairy, Milk Dribble, Cheese Zig-Zag, Strong Bones Puzzle and 3-A-Day Push-ups.  Milk mustache portraits concluded the Strong Bone Training Camp activities. The finale of Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge was the nutrition component.  Snack items included cheese and crackers, McDonald’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfaits, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars, Freeze-dried Fuji apples and Asian pears; and hydrating ice-cold water.

Participants of Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge were eligible for activity-based prizes.  Kylee received a Ladder Ball game for having the most family members in attendance.  Additional prize winners included: Jenna – Speedminton set; Andrea – Bocce and Croquet set; Cali – Bocce set; Annika – Basketball and NBA bag; Jacob – Soccer Set; and Paige – Rope set.   

Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challengewas developed by Action for Healthy Kids as part of a continuing initiative in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Action for Healthy Kids is the only national non-profit organization specifically addressing the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school.

 Photograph Captions/Identifications:

Kylee, Ingrid, Kortney and Bart---display their milk mustaches during Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge.  Kylee received recognition for the most family members attending the event.

Jenna and Jerree work to solve the skeleton puzzle at one of the Strong Bones Training Camp stations.

Angie, Makayla,  Andrea and Jacob help their teams during the Food Groups Search and Rescue.  As part of the Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge, teams were challenged to randomly collect picture cards to create the Food Pyramid and then a healthy breakfast.

Mustaches galore!  Youth participants at Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge display their milk mustaches.  In the center of the group is Mrs. Sharp, event coordinator.

 Game On!