Counting Heartbeats
Get your heart pumping with The Count!
- Watch the video together, then ask children to show you where their hearts are. Explain that they don’t need a stethoscope to feel their hearts beat! If they stay still and press a hand softly on their chests, they’ll feel it! Tell kids that the heart keeps the whole body healthy.
- Speed up your heartbeats by doing a few jumping jacks together. Echo what the Count said: moving is great for you and gives you a healthy heart.
- Explain that it’s also important for our bodies to get rest and for our hearts to slow down. Encourage children to take deep belly breaths and to notice how their heartbeats change. You might ask them to lie on their backs and focus on their breathing. Count aloud slowly as they inhale (“1, 2, 3”) and exhale (“3, 2, 1”). Ask them to notice how their hearts are slowing down, and explain that breathing deeply is a great way to calm the body and slow the heart down.
Dance Dance Dance!
Watch, dance, and sing along with your friends from Sesame Street!
Elmo’s World: Dance Party
Watch and dance along with Elmo, Grover, and friends from around the world!
Healthy Together: Celebrating & Practicing Whole-Family Health
Use these whole-family activity pages to explore new ways to build healthy habits and take care of yourselves… as a family.
Abelardo’s Family Day
A storybook about the many ways families can spend time together and stay active!
Sun’s Up, Sun’s Down: Healthy Families & Healthy Days
A storybook about all the healthy habits that make up our daily routines!
Sleepy Stars
Use this printable to try out some new wind-down strategies for bedtime.
Small Steps, Healthy Wins
A course for clinicians that offers evidence- and strengths-based guidance to aid in your work supporting families in building healthy habits that last a lifetime.
