Before/After School

Preschool/Early Childcare

HEAL's Recommended Strategies for Schools

• Adopt nutrition standards that support the sale and distribution of healthier nutrient-dense foods and beverages during the school day (i.e., meal menus, vending machines, birthday/holiday celebrations, fundraising events, concession stands)
• Restrict the sale, and limit advertising and promotions of less healthy foods and beverages during the school day
• Adopt and implement a policy to provide developmentally appropriate daily physical activity and exercise through physical education classes, recess, interscholastic sports, club or intramural sports, and integrating physical activity into the academic curriculum
• Support school wellness committees to implement school wellness policies and plans
• Conduct highly visible school-wide healthy eating active living campaigns with messages directed to students, staff and parents through various media

HEAL's Recommended Strategies for Before/After School

• Adopt policies to serve and/or promote healthy snacks and provide for some physical activity each day
• Substitute non-educational screen time with active games and team building activities/exercises
• Include before and after school programs in school wellness policies and plans

HEAL's Recommended Strategies for Preschools/Early Childcare

• Adopt policies that promote healthy snacks and physical activity, stimulation and limited sedentary time for children
• Provide skill based nutrition and physical activity learning opportunities for students staff and families

Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading the Way Toward Healthier Youth

Healthy Schools Framework
Criteria for Developing a Healthier School Environment

Eat Smart Move More North Carolina School Standards
A website with tools to create school environments that support healthy eating.

NH Farm to School Program
Project to connect NH farms and schools by integrating agricultural production, school food procurement and school curriculum.

How to Start a Healthy Food Market in Your School
A teacher's guide for grades K-12 provided by The Food Trust.

Classroom Rewards
Recommendations for encouraging healthy options for fundraising, concessions, school stores, vending, classroom rewards and school celebrations.

Fruit & Veggie Recipes
This NH Department of Health and Human Services website provides fruit and vegetable based recipes that can be used in a variety of settings including restaurants and institutional food service programs.

Tools and Resources for Supporting Active Living in Schools

Working with Schools to Increase Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents in Physical Education Classes
An Action Guide

Move More
North Carolina's Recommended Standards for Physical Activity in Schools

Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH)
An evidence-based, coordinated school health program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in children from preschool through grade 8.

Energizers for Elementary Schools
Downloadable classroom based physical activities that help teachers integrate physical activity with academic concepts in elementary schools.

Energizers for Middle Schools
Downloadable classroom based physical activities that help teachers integrate physical activity with academic concepts in middle schools.

New Hampshire Safe Routes to School Program
A planning and community assistance program provided through the NH Department of Transportation.

Additional Tools and Resources for Schools

Report of the New Hampshire Commission on Prevention of Childhood Obesity
14 recommendations for supporting healthy eating and active living for children in schools, community and health care settings.

HEALthy Schools
A New Hampshire resource that provides information and support to school nurses, school faculty and school food-service personnel as they work to promote child health by improving the school nutrition and physical-activity environments.

Health Fair Resources for Schools

Action for Kids, Wellness Policy Tool
A tool that helps schools create a local wellness policy that meets their districts' unique goals for nutrition and physical activity, and helps them put the policy into action to positively impact students' health and lifelong choices.

National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, Model School Wellness Policies

Center for Science in the Public Interest, Sweet Deals: School Fundraising Can Be Healthy and Profitable

Move More North Carolina
Recommended Standards for After School Physical Activity

Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH)
An evidence-based, coordinated school health program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in children from preschool through grade 8.

Smart Snack Ideas from North Carolina Action for Healthy Kids

5-2-1-0 After School Club
Program documents and resources to start your own after school club.

The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC)
This program is a practice-based intervention designed to enhance policies, practices, and environments in child care.

Prevention Institute: Physical Activity, Provide Regular Opportunities for Physical Activity and Play

If you are coordinating a health fair these ideas may help you get started. The amount of time you should spend planning your health fair will depend on the size and type of health fair you want to have. Approximately 2-3 months is an appropriate length of time to organize your fair.

• Set Up a Planning Committee
• Decide on the Theme
• Decide on Your Target Audience
• Set Date, Time and Location
• Arrange Displays and Topics
• Invite Resources People
• Arrange for Donations, Prizes and Food
• Promotion of the Health Fair
• Day of the Fair
• Evaluation

View helpful Health Fair websites by category
View helpful Local / County Resources

Set Up a Planning Committee
Two or more people should be designated to do the planning in conjunction with others who will be involved during the fair. It is necessary to clearly establish the responsibilities of people within the committee. For example possible members might include school staff, teachers, support staff, school nurse, food service director, PTO/PTA members and community members. Back to Top

Decide On the Theme
Your health fair needs to have a theme or focus. This may be to promote Public Health, or it may be may be a more specific health theme.. Here are a few ideas. Fall Fitness Fiesta, Spring Fling, Autumn Tune-up, Fall into Winter, Holiday Happenings, Wellness Roundup, Build a Healthy Foundation, Planting the Seeds of Wellness, Summer Safety, Nutrition, Wellness Scavenger Hunt. If your targeted audience is children giving stations creative and interesting names will increase participation. Back to Top

Decide on Your Targeted Audience
Is your targeted audience students (what age level) or will the audience be families/parents? Perhaps your health fair is for the community. These are important decisions the committee will need to make. Back to Top

Set Date, Time and Location
You need to decide when you want to hold the fair. Specifically, what time of year, what day of the week and what time of day. You need to consider your target audience. It is necessary to consider dates and times which make your fair easy for people to attend. For instance, daytime hours are not always good for working people, but may be great for seniors, or school age children. Evenings are often good for families and people who work during the day.

It is also important to decide on location early, since places such as recreation facilities are often booked well in advance Most communities will have school or organizations that would be willing to provide space for a health or wellness fair at no charge. Consider your target group when deciding on location, since some places are not easily accessible for people of all ages and those with physical disabilities. The location needs to be large enough to accommodate the displays. Tables must be available for the displays, as well as appropriate lighting and enough electrical outlets at the site. Be sure to allow adequate space so the people can move easily around the displays. Ensure that there is enough parking at the location and find out if there is anyone like a custodian who will be available at the site. Back to Top

Arrange Displays and Topics
The next step is to decide what type of displays you will have and the topics for each display. For example, if you are having a Heart Health Fair, then you will want to have displays on all the different risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, high blood pressure, weight and inactivity. You may choose to have a display explaining the heart and heart disease and give specific statistics on the incidence of heart disease in your local area.

You will need to decide on how many displays and how much space each one needs. It is wise to book any equipment you may need in advance. It is also beneficial to create displays that are very eye catching and colorful, as well as easy to understand. Reading level is an important consideration when preparing a display for a particular group of people. One or two messages should be the focus for a display, instead of overwhelming the audience with an abundance of information. It is often helpful if a display allows the participant to be actively involved, instead of simply reading information. For example, a quiz board allows people to answer questions where the correct answer will light up. Back to Top

Invite Resource People
Invite resource people to attend or possibly set up a display from their own organization. The resource people can be available to answer questions on prevention, treatment or education as related to their areas of expertise. It is wise to contact people as early as possible. Once you have decided on a theme, displays, topics, and resource people, then record the number of displays for the fair and make sure you have a contact person for each display.

Contact all people and organizations (in writing) who will be participating to confirm the date, time, location and theme or focus for the fair. Be sure to let them know when they can set up their display. Contact them 2 weeks prior to the fair to confirm their involvement. Back to Top

Arrange for Donations, Prizes and Food
Some organizations may donate some of their products for a worthwhile event. For example, local grocery stores may donate some healthy snacks for a Heart Health Fair. If there are any funds available it may be worth while to purchase a few door prizes for participants. For example, at a Heart Health Fair, heart healthy cookbooks are a good prize and/or a gift certificate to a local athletic shop. Remember it never hurts to ask for donations, you might be surprised at what people will donate. Back to Top

Promotion of the Health Fair
The publicity for your health fair is very important. It is necessary to consider the most likely ways that your target audience could hear about the fair. Poster and flyers can be made and put up in many local establishments within a week of the event. If you are planning to open the health fair to parents and the community you might want to send flyers home with the school students and put some posters around the community.

It is always wise to send specific invitations to particular groups or individuals you would like to see attend the fair. Be sure to promote the fun and interactive exhibits to draws a larger crowd. The first year that Health/Wellness Fair is held the attendance may be lower than in subsequent years. Back to Top

Day of the Fair
There are many things you should remember to bring or send in advance. This includes the display panels, posters, logos and banners that you may need. Determine what audio-visual equipment you will need. For a Heart Health Fair, you may need blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes. Ensure that there are sufficient numbers of tables available at your site in advance. Exhibitors should have pamphlets and information available; however do not leave large quantities on display. This encourages people to take one even though it may be thrown away. It is better to stimulate conversation and determine whether a participant would like the information.

You may also need scissors, tape, markers, extension cords, pens & pencils and paper to cover the tables if needed. The day of the fair allow adequate time to set up. Designate a committee person to be in charge of the equipment, one to be the host and one to handle the registration area. Back to Top

Evaluation
You want to determine whether your fair was a success or not. Decide how you will evaluate the Health/ Wellness Fair. It may be helpful to record any comments or suggestions of people at the fair or you may wish to give participants a short questionnaire. A short report should be written to summarize the event. This may be very helpful when it comes to planning another fair or similar event. Back to Top

Send out thank you notes to the organizations and individuals who participated and also to those who made donations. It is also nice to send a note of thanks to the people who assisted in planning the event.

Provided by: The Coordinated School Health Council We hope this information will be helpful and we encourage your comments and suggestions. Please send those to Martha Judson

Task Group:
Martha Judson RN, MS--Chairperson
Consultant UNH Cooperative Extension
Nutrition Connections Program
Changing the Scene Project Manager
53 Hampton Road
Exeter, NH 03833
603.778.8824

Angela Sheppard MD
Education Consultant, School Health Services
Office of School Health
NH Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
603.271.3891

Regina Flynn
Health Promotion Advisor
NH DHHS
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
603.271.4623

Susan Morrison, M.Ed.
Health Promotion Advisor
NH Div. of Public Health Services
Tobacco Prevention & Control
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
603.271.6684

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Environmental Health

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs- Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

New Hampshire Agencies

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs- Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Asthma

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs- Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Diabetes

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

General Health & Wellness Information

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Food Safety

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Bugs & Germs - Infection Control

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Immunizations

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

HIV / STDs

The following websites may be helpful as you plan your Health Fair.

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• General Safety / Injury Prevention
• Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs
• HIV / STD's
• Immunizations
• Bugs and Germs - Infection Control
• Food Safety
• General Health and Wellness Information
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• New Hampshire Agencies
• Environmental Health

Alcohol, Tobacco & Drugs