Free Printable Food Journals, Online Fitness Trackers

Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are two big problems special needs students face. Some disablities and handicaps spur weight gain and make exercise difficult. Obesity is a growing concern in the general education population, too. Health concerns long thought to in the adult domain only--diabetes, nutrition, obesity, fitness and general wellness--are cropping up with alarming frequency among juveniles. To combat this, several groups have developed health programs written at kid level. They offer free printable food journals, online fitness trackers and nutrition planning tools. Geared for elementary to high school age kids, these programs teach self-sufficiency and basic life skills related to health. Use these for special needs and general ed. classrooms. read more

Feeding the obese child: Food switches to improve nutrition

 In 25 years of teaching, I've noticed more kids tending toward obesity. Special needs kids are sometimes more prone to nutrition and health problems. Mentally handicapped kids tend to be overweight. They may have more sedentary lifestyles. Weight problems are one symptom of Down Syndrome. Disabled kids have difficulty getting proper exercise. What can we as parents do about it? Growing kids have to eat, right? Yes, but we can control what they eat. Obese kids are typically malnourished, not from eating too little but from eating the wrong things. Here are healthier food switches for kids' favorites. Feeding overweight kids--Food switches to improve nutrition

Free Printable Preschool Games, Crafts, Activities

Hands-on preschool games and activities help build developmental skills in early childhood. There's no need to spend money on lessons for preschoolers. You can find free printable games and interactive educational materials online. Many preschool printables are also cut and paste crafts that kids can make themselves. Here are free printable alphabet activities, reading and letter games, math worksheets and shapes lessons. These crafts are prefect for special needs classrooms, especially ECSE and preschool. Free Printable Preschool Games, Hands-on Activities, Lesson Plans