1. What can we do to keep our bodies healthy? Encourage your child to make decisions about healthy family habits by asking their opinion on what fruits and vegetables to eat for dinner, or where to go on a family walk.
2. What can we do to keep our minds healthy? When we are sad, angry, or happy, it can be helpful to tell someone how we’re feeling and talk about why we feel that way. This is part of being mindful — or being aware of our emotions in the moment.
3. What can we do to keep our family healthy? Talk with your child about why we cover our mouths to sneeze and wash our hands before making lunch. When we practice healthy habits for ourselves, we’re also taking care of others!

To make healthy eating choices a fun family activity, choose a letter (maybe the first letter of your last name) and create a lunch menu based on that letter. (For the letter “C” — carrots, cucumber, corn. Or lettuce, lentils, lemon for the letter “L.”) With young children, you can introduce important mental health skills like resilience and confidence with a simple goal-setting activity that helps children face challenges by creating their own “I can” statements. (“I can write my own name,” “I can tie my own shoes,” or “I can throw the basketball into the hoop.”)

Encourage older children to practice resilience and overcome challenges with a jar of affirmations (“I am kind,” “I am going to have a good day”). Then, boost their confidence by asking them to be a healthy mealtime helper -- creating a lunch menu based on their favorite letter or designing a fruit snack full of their favorite colors. For some downtime after a long day or week, take time to be mindful as a family with this calming breathing exercise.