Fall Friday afternoons were filled with a variety of healthy activities that ranged from a brisk hike outdoors at Winding Trails followed by a week at a local school where the students enjoyed Spark activities lead by HCHM's energetic P.E. teachers to a virtual bike race among their peers and a sparring session against a computer. All of this took place at Eli Terry Middle School in Plymouth, a middle school attended by 1/4 of the participants of the program. It was great. The kids had a blast. The next week, with the weather getting chilly, we headed inside to Healthtrax. A fitness center in Bristol. The middle school clan were refreshed during water zumba in the pool followed by a spin class. "Keep going! We's almost to the top of the hill!? Next, was boot camp. It was great to see the students sweaty and smiling at the same time. Our last week took place at Education Connection. A local drummer conducted a drumming workshop. Each student had a drum, well, imagine letting loose on a drum. Besides all the physical activity, each week the students took part in the preparing of their meal or dessert. Yes - we had dessert!! Instead of roasting marshmallows, we roasted cinnamon apples. Delicious! The students also made guacamole, spring rolls, and a turkey - no not a real turkey a turkey that was originally suppose to be made with Rice Krispie treats and m&m, need I go on. The students turned this sugary recipe into a healthy one. Instead of marshmallow treats we used rice cakes, and instead of sugary candy we used dried fruit without added sugar. Most recipes can be made a bit healthier by substituting for example, oil with applesauce or honey instead of sugar. It may still contain sugar, but it is sugar in a natural form. The students learned about making wiser food choices. I cannot forget the week at the organic market. The group learned about organic foods, the benefits of buying local farm produce, and what it means when a food is genetically modified. It was a great program. This is my first blog experience. I hope as the word spreads about it that it can be enjoyed by students, parents and teachers.
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