Davis • Morgan • Weber |
TOP Star Check out TOP Star’s June Newsletter to discover fun ways to introduce and explore mangoes with your kids. We’ve also gathered healthy options to celebrate Father’s Day, new ideas for outdoor play and more! Read on to learn more.
The Laurie Berkner Band ........ 1 Introducing: Mangoes ............. 2 Days to Celebrate...................... 3 Healthy Father’s Day ................ 3 Outdoor Summer Play ............ 4
Laurie Berkner has been dubbed “The Queen of Children’s Music” by People Magazine, and she was highly recommended by one of our very own TOP Star providers! Once you listen to some of her songs and watch the music videos that go along with them, it’s not hard to see why. On The Laurie Berkner Band website, you’ll find free music videos to watch, dance and sing to with your child care kids, fun activity ideas and papers you can print off to share with parents, access to The Laurie Berkner Band store to buy CDs and apparel, and so much more. We hope you check it out and grow to love this great resource. If you have any favorite children’s musicians or activities, please let us know! We’d love to share them in future newsletters. Page 1
TOP STAR | d av i s c o u n t y u t a h . g o v/ h e a l t h • w e b e r m o r g a n h e a l t h . o r g
MANGOES Mangoes are one of the most popular fruits in the world. And once you taste their delightfully tropical and fresh flavor, you’ll understand why. There are seven mango varieties—each with its own flavor and texture. The ones that are best to enjoy in May are Honey, Tommy Atkins and Haden mangoes. Find them at your local grocery store and pair them with the great recipes below! Also, click on the video below to find out how to cut a mango.
Mango Lesson Plan for Kids from Utah State University Extension. How to Choose a Mango
HOW TO:
Cut a Mango
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Davis • Morgan • Weber |
Days to
CELEBRATE N ATIONAL H ERBS & S PICES D AY JUNE 10
Cooking with herbs and spices adds so much life to any meal without overloading on salt, fat or sugar. Many herbs and spices have been linked to a variety of health benefits ranging from cancer prevention to better digestive health to lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Observing National Herbs and Spices Day provides a great opportunity to explore different spices with your kids and demonstrate how to use them. (The pork chop recipe on page 2 is perfect for this!) Mama Rosemary has a whole section of her website dedicated to providing fun, inspiring activity ideas for introducing children to herbs and spices—check it out here! We also found another fun activity from Teach Beside Me called Guess the Spice. Have fun exploring!
Healthy
FATHER’S DAY Click on the pictures and words below to find further instructions for each activity.
Father’s Day Appetizers
Building Memories with Dad
Peach “Donuts” for Dad
N ATIONAL S TRAWBERRY S HORTCAKE D AY JUNE 14
Naturally low in added sugar, this classic dessert is perfect when you want a healthier sweet treat. It doesn’t just have to be served with strawberries though. Use whatever fruit is on hand! Bananas, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries—they all work great on top of a short cake! Click the picture for the recipe.
Following in Daddy’s Shoes
Fruit for Fathers
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TOP STAR | d av i s c o u n t y u t a h . g o v/ h e a l t h • w e b e r m o r g a n h e a l t h . o r g
Garden “Exercise”
OUTDOOR Summer Play June 6 is National Garden Exercise Day! Weird, we know, but let’s run with it and use it as a way to influence our physical activity! We found several outdoor, “garden” theme activities including Garden Yoga (bottom left) from Pink Oatmeal, a Color Scavenger Hunt (top left) from I Heart Crafty Things, and a Nature Scavenger Hunt (right) from Stay At Home Mum.
Sometimes kids just need to get messy, and what better time to do it than in the middle of summer when the hose is just inches away! This activity from Busy Toddler is simple and will keep the kids busy for hours. What kid doesn’t enjoy playing with mud?? Make sure you warn the parents beforehand though!
Muddy Trucks and Car Wash
Sponge Bullseye Try this easy, but fun game from Kiwi Co that will help your child care kids practice their numbers and throwing. It will keep everyone cool and entertained!
Spray Chalk Splatter Painting This activity from Paper-and-Glue is a great outdoor art activity! As the kids paint, help them notice how the spray is different depending on how close they are to the paper. Try “painting” on white AND black paper. The differences are fun to see. Happy painting!
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