Keeping our Bodies Healthy for 2012 December 19, 2011

In the month of November, our Tūtū and Me Families learned how to keep their bodies healthy by eating healthy fruits and vegetables and exercising. The science center became the “juicing” center as keiki and caregivers made fresh fruit and/or vegetable juice for themselves to enjoy. Some fruits they used were apples, oranges, pineapples and pears. They also used romaine lettuce and carrots. Keiki also saw how a solid fruit/vegetable turned into a liquid for them to drink. A lot of the keiki enjoyed their fresh juice with their snack.

In the culture center, we focused on the niu, or the coconut plant and its many uses. Keiki used their senses of touch and hearing to explore the coconut and in the following weeks after, keiki and caregivers had the opportunity to grate the meat of the coconut and taste it as well. With the empty shells, they created beautiful jewelry with it.

A huaka‘i was planned for both sites to visit the local grocery store in the towns that we serve. Keiki and caregivers were able to see what goes on “behind the scenes” at the local grocery store. We handed out an activity sheet with simple activities for families to do while grocery shopping with their keiki.

Let’s have a goal of keeping our bodies healthy for 2012!