Inside: Wellness Week is an easy, low cost program for students that encourages activity and healthy eating. Here are free printables to make it easy!
For many years, my sons’ school held a Health Challenge every spring. It was created by one of the parents and was a hugely popular program. Kids tracked habits like how many new foods they tried and how often they chose water over soda. Winners were awarded with fun, active prizes like a pool party or an evening of indoor rock climbing.
The kids (and parents) loved it, but it was a ton of work. This year, with a smaller Wellness Committee and less volunteer power, we decided to simplify. We wanted to incorporate a lot of the ideas of the Health Challenge into a more manageable event. So we created Wellness Week.
What is Wellness Week?
Wellness Week is a weeklong school wellness program that consists of different themes each day. Students are encouraged to eat vegetables, move their bodies more, and have fun.
What’s great about Wellness Week
- It’s a hit with the students
- It’s very manageable to organize. We pulled it off with only a handful of people on our PTA committee–plus help from other parents
- It’s low-cost
- It encourages healthy habits and exposes the students to different foods and activities
Here’s how we did it.
How to Host a Wellness Week at School
MONDAY: Take The Screen-Free Pledge
We distributed this Screen-Free Pledge form to students the Friday before Wellness Week, along with a summary of Wellness Week and the daily themes (get the customizable flyer here). We hoped that by going screen-free all week (no TV, video games, tablet computers, etc.) kids and families would be encouraged to be more active together.
All students who signed and returned the form to school during Wellness Week were entered into daily prize drawings. We randomly chose 10-20 kids each day to pick a prize from a stash of items that have been donated by local companies and organizations over the years (like water bottles, bike helmets, and jump ropes) and items that we purchased with some of our PTA budget. We displayed all of the Screen-Free Pledge forms on a banner in the cafeteria for everyone to read. (Get a sheet of printable pledge cards)
TUESDAY: Try it Tuesday
Parent volunteers circulated around the cafeteria with samples of edamame and sugar snap peas for the students to try. This was a big hit! Lots of kids asked for seconds and thirds. You can use PTA funds if you have them or ask local markets to donate produce. We’ve done both.
WEDNESDAY: Recess Rocks!
We asked parents to donate their time and talents on the playground during recess. Two parents ran soccer drills, one black-belt dad taught Tae Kwon Do moves, two parents brought boxing gloves and held pads for the kids to punch, and parents turned long jump-ropes for students. I knew the event was a success when a fifth-grader came up to me after school and said, “Recess was AWESOME!!!”
THURSDAY: Get Caught Eating a Veggie
We encouraged students to pack vegetables in their lunchbox or choose them as they went through the lunch line. During lunch, parent volunteers went around the cafeteria with cameras, snapping photos of kids who were spotted eating veggies. Then we put a bunch of the photos on a monitor in the school lobby for the kids to see. (The idea came from this post on the National PTA site.)
FRIDAY: Walk Or Bike To School Day–Plus a Dance Party In The Gym!
On the last day of Wellness Week, we encouraged students (who were able) to get to school using their feet instead of a car. Everyone who came to school by foot, bike, scooter, or skateboard got a sticker as they entered the school (get the printable sticker template here). Despite the chilly weather that morning, we had more than 180 walkers and bikers–and a totally full bike rack! It was also the first day of our new Walking School Bus, in which parent leaders pick up students along designated routes and everyone walks together. Get more information about starting a Walking School Bus.
On Friday, we also surprised the students with a dance party in the gym before lunch. We brought the students into the gym in three shifts by grade, and played a mix of popular songs (like “Shake It Off” and “Happy”) over the sound system. Kids were doing silly dances, breakdancing, turning cartwheels, and forming conga lines. Most importantly, there were lots and lots of smiles. Even some teachers got in on the action! It was definitely one of my most favorite moments of the school year.
| You might also like: How To Plan a Walk & Bike To School Day |
Want to Do This At Your Child’s School?
Want to have a Wellness Week at your child’s school? I created a free bundle of printables to make it easy for you. The bundle includes a day-by-day summary, task checklist, and morning announcement ideas. You can also get a free done-for-you flyer (which includes the Screen-Free Pledge Card) that you can customize with your school name and Wellness Week dates.
Get the free bundle Get the flyer
I hope you’ll consider suggesting a program like Wellness Week at your school too. And if you have other great wellness-related programs at your school, I’d love to hear about them!
More Ideas For School
I served on the Wellness Committee of my kids’ school for several years and have lots of resources and ideas for you:
A Healthy Teacher Appreciation Snack
How to Partner with a CSA for a Healthy School Fundraiser
Ideas + Supplies For Active Indoor Recess
