Color Me Healthy
Color Me Healthy is a program developed to reach children ages four and five with fun, interactive learning opportunities on physical activity and healthy eating.
It is designed to stimulate all of the senses of young children: touch, smell, sight, sound, and, of course, taste. Through the use of color, music, and exploration of the senses, Color Me Healthy teaches children that healthy food and physical activity are fun.
Color Me Healthy is a partnership between NC Cooperative Extesnsion and the NC Division of Public Health (Physical Activity & Nutrition Branch and Nutrition Services Branch). Color Me Healthy is in support of Eat Smart, Move More...North Carolina.
Color Me Healthy Brochure
Color Me Healthy Order Form
Check out the Color Me Healthy music! Download an MP3 with excerpts from all the songs!
Color Me Healthy Sampler Medley (2 mb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is Color Me Healthy?
Color Me Healthy is a program developed to reach children ages four and five with fun, interactive learning opportunities on physical activity and healthy eating. It is designed to stimulate all of the senses of young children: touch, smell, sight, sound, and, of course, taste. Through the use of color, music, and exploration of the senses, Color Me Healthy teaches children that healthy food and physical activity are fun.
Color Me Healthy is designed to be used in family daycare homes, Head Start classrooms, and childcare centers serving 4 and 5 year olds. However, some kindergarten classrooms in the school setting also use Color Me Healthy.
In North Carolina, Color Me Healthy is implemented by NC Cooperative Extension Agents who partner with county personnel (e.g. Health Promotion Coordinators, WIC personnel, Child Care Health Consultants, Health Educators, etc.). Cooperative Extension Agents serve as the primary contacts for NC counties, but their county partners play a very vital role to the success of Color Me Healthy.
2. What does a Color Me Healthy kit contain?
- The Color Me Healthy Teacher's Guide contains 12 1essons designed for use during Circle Time. The lessons provide caregivers with quick, easy ideas that can be taught in a variety of ways. Also included in the Teacher's Guide are six imaginary trips that allow the children to use their imagination to travel to different places and events. The Color Your Classroom section of the guide provides the teachers with suggestions to make their classrooms come alive. Because teachers are role models for children, the Color Me Healthy Teacher's Guide includes a section on how the teacher can eat healthy and stay active.
- Fours sets of picture cards are included in Color Me Healthy. The sets are dairy foods, colors of foods, where foods grow, and places to be active.
- Three classroom posters bring color to the classroom and are used as educational tools in many of the Circle Time activities.
- Seven original songs enhance the lessons in Color Me Healthy. Children and teachers enjoy the upbeat tunes and lyrics as they sing and dance along (CD and cassette tape included).
- A hand stamp is included with the program and can be used as a fun way to reward participation in Color Me Healthy.
- The program reaches out to families with a series of 14 reproducible newsletters that reinforce the message that children are learning in the classroom. Color Me Healthy NEWS is designed to provide families information on healthy eating and physical activity such as how their family can be active together or how to encourage more fruit and vegetable consumption. Each issue contains an after work healthy food idea and a "Kids Kitchen" segment that encourages the parent to involve their little one in food preparation.
- Two parent posters convey a basic message about healthy eating and physical activity. They can be used in the child care facility anywhere where parents gather.
3. Are the kit components available in other languages?
Several of the kit components are available in Spanish; they include the:
- 4 Sets of Picture Cards
- 1 Classroom Poster
- 14 Reproducible Parent Newsletters
- 2 Parent Posters
5. How do I get a Color Me Healthy kit?
If you live in North Carolina and work with children ages 4 and 5 in a childcare, school, or Head Start setting, you can attend a training in your area and receive the Color Me Healthy materials. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Science Agent for details. Color Me Healthy uses a train- the-trainer model and kits are disseminated through those NC Cooperative Extension Agents who have participated in training. If you are a child care provider interested in having Color Me Healthy in your center, your local Cooperative Extension Agent can also let you know about upcoming trainings.
If you are not in North Carolina and would like to order a Color Me Healthy kit, please see the order form on site. Also, there is a training manual available for those interested in training child care providers in implementing Color Me Healthy.
6. Has Color Me Healthy been evaluated?
To date, over 4500 childcare providers have been trained in using Color Me Healthy in their childcare facility. Eight-week follow up data were collected via mailed surveys from participants (n=1102). Survey results indicated that 90.5% of childcare providers are using Color Me Healthy in their classroom. Many providers indicated that using Color Me Healthy increased the physical activity of their children and increased the children's knowledge about healthful eating (92.0% and 93.0%, respectively). Most childcare providers (95.3%) gave Color Me Healthy an excellent or very good overall rating. Overall Effectiveness of Color Me Healthy (as evidenced by the in-depth evaluation that included observation of child care training's, exit interviews with child care providers and interviews with child care providers 12 weeks after
attending training)
Program Outcome
- 87% of child care providers attending the Color Me Healthy training indicated that they spent more time talking about fruit and vegetables and nutrition in general; 20% of centers and daycare homes increased physical activity time
- 78% of teachers perceived that the children were willing to try new fruits and vegetables
- 90% of the children, as perceived by their teachers, improved their
recognition of fruits and vegetables
