Why Is A Healthy Diet Important?
A healthy, nutritious diet is important at any age, but it is especially important for growing children to receive the proper nutrients. A balanced diet is necessary for proper growth and brain development. Between the age of one and adolescence, children grow about 2.5 inches per year. They have many growing bones and muscles that require proper nutrition so that they can reach their full potential. Proper nutrition can boost brain function and enhance a child’s learning by ensuring she/he has both energy and attentiveness. Studies have shown that children who do not receive enough essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids perform poorly at school academics and exhibit aggressive behaviors. Proper nutrition allows children to develop and enjoy good health.
Physical Activity
Nutrition is extremely important for a toddlers health, but the amount of physical activity they are participating in is another key factor that affects a toddlers health and well being. In the transition between infancy and childhood toddlers must learn the foundations of movement. When toddlers run, jump, fa and throw toys they are practicing motor skills. Toddlers learn by playing and must be given a play enviroment that promotes learning.
Toddlers require several hours of unstructured play daily. It is also reccomended that parents provide 30 minutes of structured activity to help promote cognitive development. Toddlers should be given activitities that promote language, complex thinking and imagination. All toddlers develop at a different rate and play should be customized to suite their developmental stage. This will allow todders to maximize opportunities to build new skills through play. When parents become aware of how skills can be practises and learnt through play they can choose toys and activities intentionally. Toys are the essential ingrediant to stimualte a childs development.
Health For Life
Making healthy food choices is...