My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More educational package

My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More is a home-based program for parents or caregivers and their children ages 3-5. This unique program actively engages parents and children in a co-learning process as they experience how to make healthy food choices and become more physically active.

The packages contain all of the resources that you need to deliver the program. 

All resources are in English.

About the program

My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More consists of six units. They can be taught in a one-hour session or divided into four “mini” lessons. These shorter lessons help accommodate the limited time home visitors have to work with parents and children in their homes.

By participating in this home-based program:

• Parents and children will understand the importance of varying foods and physical activity for better health.
• Parents and children will prepare and eat healthy recipes that are fun and creative.
• Parents and children will participate in physical activity while learning about the importance of daily exercise as a part of good health.
• Parents will learn and practice ways to save money on groceries.

This evidence-based program ensures that students meet the objectives through the combined efforts of the:

• SNAP-Ed Educator who trains the home visitor to present a series of active, hands-on lessons about the many benefits of eating healthy and increasing physical activity.

• Home visitor who presents the lesson activities to the parent and child to reinforce nutrition and physical activity messages.

• Parents who create a “Family Snapshot,” identifying strengths, opportunities, and goals for making healthy food choices and increasing physical activity.

All families possess knowledge, skills, experiences – and most importantly – strengths. My TIME is based on the philosophy that parents are experts in their own lives. Instead of telling parents what is best for their family, My TIME offers hands-on activities to draw on their unique experiences. This facilitates an educational opportunity that encourages parents to reflect, share, and ultimately discover their own desired path.

My TIME focuses on assets rather than the deficits of families. These assets are the springboard to build upon. My TIME creates a learning environment where families are producers, not just consumers, of knowledge. In each lesson, parents create a “Family Snapshot” to identify their strengths and opportunities and set goals to create a healthier family. [See a sample: Family Snapshot (PDF).] Sharing their own stories and experiences plays a key role in encouraging families to grow personally and develop greater self-confidence.

The ”TIME” in the title symbolizes the four core principles of the program: together, inspire, motivate, and empower.

• Over the course of a month, the parent and child will work together with the home visitor to learn practical tips to eat healthily and move more. 

• Taste-testing activities are used to inspire healthy eating. 

• Furthermore, simple ideas promoting daily exercise are offered to motivate parents and children to move more.

• Lastly, but most importantly, My TIME will empower parents to stay connected to their own goals and opportunities to improve the health of their families.  

About the package

The educational package is web-based. Purchasing the educational package gives you access to the My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More facilitator website. This website is the “one-stop-shop” and contains all of the resources you need to teach the program.

My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More Facilitator Guide is a core resource for My TIME. The facilitator guide contains each unit’s lesson plans, a list of lesson materials, and preparation instructions. The guide has been formatted to print 2-sided for placement in a binder.

There are also a number of print-friendly handouts within each unit’s section on the facilitator website. You will use these within the lessons, to help guide activities and continue the learning for parents and children.

My TIME is divided into six units:

• Unit 1: Variety My Way!

• Unit 2: Fruits and Vegetables...All of the Time!

• Unit 3: Milk for a Stronger Me!

• Unit 4: Got Snacks...Healthy and Convenient!

• Unit 5: Whole Grains for the Whole Family!

• Unit 6: My Food...My Budget!

Each My TIME unit features the following four “mini” lessons.

• Lesson 1: Time to Learn [See a sample: Unit 1 Lesson 1 (PDF).]
• Lesson 2: Time to Taste [See a sample: Unit 1 Lesson 2 (PDF).]
• Lesson 3: Time to Move [See a sample: Unit 1 Lesson 3 (PDF).]
• Lesson 4: Time to Connect [See a sample: Unit 1 Lesson 4 (PDF).]

My TIME to Eat Healthy and Move More is now featured in the SNAP-Ed toolkit.