Third grade students from the Panhandle area have the chance to learn about health and wellbeing at the annual Third Grade Wellness Day, (formerly Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day). This even is held within the Panhandle in Sidney, Alliance, Scottsbluff, and Chadron. This annual event is held in September and October with over 900 third graders participating in attendence..
Third-graders are a great age to work with, because while they are learning about nutrition, they are highly influenced by role models. This event gets the kids active! Some of the physical activities include stretch bands, Karate, boot camp, tumbling, Pound Fit, PIYO, Zumba, and yoga. Nutrition stations teach the youth about hand washing, healthy snacks, anti-bullying and vaping education.
The overall purpose of the event is to open the eyes of young people to consider how to balance their energy through physical activity and nutrition working together to maintain health. It is said that if children can find a physical activity that they truly enjoy doing, or an activity in which they excel, they may be more active and therefore more healthy in the future.
This activity is made possible by additional funding from the University of Nebraska at Kearney,
the Nebraska Beef Council and Panhandle Public Health District.