Healthy Eating & Physical Activity

Bouncing Bubbles is committed to helping raise a healthier generation of children.  It is our policy to follow the 5210 Let’s Go! priority strategies for healthy eating and physical activity:

  • We limit unhealthy choices for snacks and celebrations.
  • We have eliminated sugary drinks.
  • We prohibit the use of food as a reward.
  • We provide opportunities for physical activity every day.
  • We limit recreational screen time.

Drinking water is always visible and freely available to children, both indoors and outdoors.

Mealtimes

  • Provider and children eat meals together, family style, so that children can learn and practice table skills.
  • Provider talks with children during mealtimes about healthy habits and healthy foods and check-in with them about hunger and fullness.
  • Provider never forces or bribes children to eat any particular foods or to clean their plates.

Celebrations

• We think healthy treats can be just as fun as cookies and cake.  As such, we ask that you provide only healthy treats or non-food items if you choose to contribute to celebrations at child care.  Healthy treats include fruit salad or veggies with dip.  Some ideas for non-food items are stickers, bubbles or chalk.

Nutrition Education

• Provider participates in yearly training on nutrition topics.

Farm to Childcare

We are committed to providing healthy food grown nearby.  Buying and teaching about local, healthy food can help children form healthy eating habits and support local farmers.  Through our Farm to ECE program, we will:

  • Offer a variety of local fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains, dairy products, and/or protein foods throughout the year.
  • Offer local fruits and vegetables 3 times per week or more during the growing season.
  • Offer children education about food and where it comes from.  This includes tasting and cooking activities.
  • Share information with families about local foods on the menu, children’s learning activities, and ways to purchase and prepare local foods at home.
  • Keep a garden that supports children’s learning and grows fruits and/or vegetables for meals or snacks.  Families are invited to help us plan and maintain the garden.
  • Provide gardening time to preschool children once a week or more.  Children will help plan, plant, care for, harvest, and learn from the garden.  Children may get dirty when gardening.

Screen-Time Reduction
It is the intent of Bouncing Bubbles Child Care to provide your child with many opportunities to investigate the world around them with concrete, hands-on learning activities.  We feel that recreational TV and digital media time should be limited to no more than 30 minutes per week at child care.  No screen time is allowed for children under 2 years of age.  We feel young children learn best with hands-on activities using all their senses throughout the day.

Physical Activity
Children attending Bouncing Bubbles Child Care play outdoors daily when weather conditions do not pose a significant health risk (20 or colder/90 or warmer).  Activities include structured play (led by an adult) and free play (not led by an adult).  In the event of inclement weather, structured physical activity will be provided indoors (dance, yoga, physical games).  The provider participates in physical activities to encourage child participation.  Physical activity is never withheld as a form of punishment.

      • Toddlers participate in 60-90 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.  Preschoolers participate in 90-120 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
      • Children must be dressed appropriately for the weather, including wearing appropriate seasonal clothing and footwear, so they can participate fully, move freely, and play safely.
        • Snow:  heavy coat, snow pants, winter boots, hat and mittens
        • Rain:  raincoat and waterproof boots
        • Different temperatures during the day:  layers of clothing
      • Footwear should provide support for running and climbing, such as sneakers.
      • Inappropriate clothing and footwear include footwear that can come off while running (flip-flops), clothing that can catch on playground equipment (drawstrings) and clothing that does not protect children from current weather conditions.

CACFP
Bouncing Bubbles believes in providing nutritious meals and snacks for children and have been awarded the CACFP Child Nutrition Professional certification by the National CACFP Sponsors Association! Weekly menus always include a variety of healthy foods.  We follow the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) that was established to improve the health of children in childcare facilities both by improving the nutritional quality of meals and by promoting healthy eating. In order to qualify, meals must include the following nutritional components:

Breakfast

  • Milk
  • Fruit or Vegetable
  • Grain

Lunch

  • Milk
  • Meat or meat alternate
  • Fruit
  • Vegetable
  • Grain

Snacks
At least 2 of the 5 components

  • Milk
  • Meat or alternate
  • Fruit
  • Vegetable
  • Grain


It is the policy of Bouncing Bubbles that food brought in by children or prepared by the facility are properly stored in refrigerators or on shelves.  All food is stored, prepared and served in a sanitary manner.

Refrigerator temperature does not exceed 41° F.  Freezer temperature does not exceed 0° F.  There are thermometers in both the refrigerator and freezer to monitor temperature.
All milk products are pasteurized.  All fruits and vegetables are washed thoroughly before use.
All cooked foods are cooked to proper temperatures.  At least one whole grain is served per day.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.