ECH Social Media Toolkit April 2025 Theme: An Hour a Day to Play

What do you do with this toolkit? You can use these messages to share information with the families you work with. One advantage to sharing these social media messages this month is that you will find other partners in early childhood sharing the same messages.

If you have trouble accessing the messages through this message, please contact us and we can send it to you in a Word file.

We will send the social media toolkit to you monthly.

Kids need at least 60 minutes of activity every day, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once! Think about ways you can squeeze quick activity sessions into different parts of your child’s day.

Everyone benefits from regular exercise. Here are some ways your child can benefit:

· Having stronger muscles and bones.

· Having a lower chance of getting Type II diabetes.

· Having lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

· A better outlook on life.

Different age groups require different amounts and types of physical activity each day. Check out what type of physical activity your child needs https://bit.ly/3T9erU4.

How can families support healthy active living for their children?

Set limits for your children’s screen time.
Play organized sports.
If possible, consider walking them to school instead of driving.
Make sure activities are safe by encouraging protective equipment use.
Be a good role model.

#DYK Infants need at least 30 minutes of tummy time each day? Tummy time helps build a child’s head, neck, and upper body muscles, which will be needed to develop skills later on.

Encourage your toddlers to do physical activity by keeping it fun! Here are some ideas:

Use balls with different textures to practice catching and bouncing.
Make up games to incorporate different types of movement, like jumping over puddles or cracks, or chasing bubbles.
Invent silly walks or runs, like running like a monkey or jumping like a bunny.

Your child learns the most about healthy and active living from you, so include your whole family in regular physical activity and healthy eating. Here are some tips:

· Keep activities fun!

· Pick activities that are appropriate for your child’s age and development.

· Enroll your kids in sports and take them to the park to play.

Earth Day – April 22:

Happy Earth Day! Looking for a way to include your child in the celebration? Consider doing a nature scavenger hunt, having them color an Earth Day coloring page, or helping them make a bird feeder.

Looking for a local Earth Day event to get your kids involved in the celebration? See this link for more information https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2025/

Happy Earth Day! Here’s a fun snack to introduce to your little ones in celebration https://celebrateyourplate.org/recipes/parfait-celery-sticks

National Gardening Month

April is National Garden Month! Here are 4 tips to engage your child in the garden:

Read books about gardening.
Start small by growing a few seeds.
Let them decide what they want to plant.
Eat what you grow.

Considering gardening this year? Here are some benefits of gardening in honor of National Garden Month:

It helps save money on the family’s food bill.
Gardening is a great form of exercise.
Growing food locally reduces one’s carbon footprint.
Gardening is a learning experience.

Remember to add @ODHMaternalChildFamilyHealth

to tag us in your social media posts!

About the Ohio Department of Health

The Ohio Department of Health’s mission is advancing the health and well-being of all Ohioans by transforming the state’s public health system through unique partnerships and funding streams; addressing the community conditions and inequities that lead to disparities in health outcomes; and implementing data-driven, evidence-based solutions.

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ODH School Nursing and Early Childhood Health Program | 246 N. High St School Nursing & Early Childhood Programs | Columbus, OH 43215 US

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