Health Promotion Project

• Health Promotion Policies
• Resources Available
• Resource Library topics

The Early Years Health Promotion Project is a collaborative initiative between Sligo and Leitrim County Childcare Committees. The project is funded by the HSE, West. The overall aim of this project is to help establish a positive attitude towards a healthy and active lifestyle among children who attend Childcare Services in Sligo and Leitrim. An important objective within this aim is to implement the National Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-School Services.

View the Early Years Health Promotion Project Newsletter

• Spring 08
• Summer 08
• Autumn 08
• Winter 08

There are 14 services on the project at present:

• Tullaghan Community Playgroup
• Kinlough Community Playgroup
• Tiny Toppers Pre-School Playgroup
• Tiny Hearts Community Crèche and Playschool
• Dromahair Playgroup
• Drumkeerin Childcare Services
• Childhood Days, Drumshanbo
• Dowra Childcare Services
• Breffni Childcare, Carrick-on-Shannon
• Cara Iosa Childcare
• Mohill After School Club
• Gortletteragh Community Playgroup
• Cloone/Aughavas Community Playgroup and Afterschool
• Shannonside Community Childcare

Health Promotion Policies

The project worker visits the services on the project to support them to develop and implement policies in relation to nutrition, physical activity, sun safety and oral health.

This is achieved by:

• Food tasting Sessions with children
  One of the ways in which the Project implements healthy eating is through introducing children to new foods and allowing them to experiment by touching, feeling, smelling and tasting different healthy foods.
  
• Physical Activity including Action Kids with the services
  These visits involve doing activities with the children and supporting the Childcare workers in continuing the activities.
  
• Oral Health
  Oral Health Workshops: Project Worker talks to the children about foods that are good and bad for their teeth. They learn how to brush their teeth properly.
  
• Outdoor Play
  

Resources available:

• Preschool workbook - A pre school workbook has been designed for children aged 2-5 years. The aim of the workbook is to promote and encourage healthy eating to children in a fun way through different activities. The workbook consists of colouring pages, parent and child activities; mix ‘n’ match activities and much more. It also includes a song about the importance of hand washing and tips on personal hygiene when handling food.
  Download Preschool Workbook (PDF - 776Kb)
• Summer Scheme Booklet - A summer scheme booklet has been designed for services that are running a Summer Scheme. The booklets provide services with information on incorporating healthy eating into their summer scheme. Sample shopping lists, recipes, tips for barbequing and advice on food hygiene are included. There are also a variety of outdoor games and activities that could be included in any summer scheme.
  Download Summer Scheme Booklet (PDF - 1,522 Kb)

Resource Library topics:

• Three Week Menu Plan, HSE
• Action Kids Manuals, Val Sabin Publications
• Learning Outdoors in The Early Years,
• New Baby and Toddler Cookbook, Annabel Karmel
• I Want To Play - Practical play ideas to use at home with young children, The Early Years Organisation
• Food Fun for Under Fives, Scottish Pre-School Play Association
• Play For All – Providing play facilities for disabled children, Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA)
• Inspiring Play in Early Childhood, IPPA, The Early Childhood Organisation
• Playing Outdoors- Spaces and Places, Helen Tovey
• Power of Play- A play curriculum in action, IPPA, The Early Childhood Organisation