• A health education equals healthy growth.family image by redrex from Fotolia.com
  
  Children's health is the priority of all parents. However, as children age, it is important to pass on that information about the many sides of being healthy. By giving young people a clear understanding of proper nutrition, exercise and substance safety through healthy practice activities, a parent can ensure that the child will continue to grow up healthy and strong without direct supervision.
  
  

Nutrition

• Nutrition games are extremely easy to adapt as a child matures. For young children, begin with labeled index cards or pictures of fruits or vegetables. Include other sources of food, such as beans, nuts and meat, and have the child match the pictures to the names of each food. The government-established food pyramid can also be made into a colorful puzzle for a young child to identify and place into the correct slots.
  
  As a child grows and matures, incorporate the idea of serving sizes. Measure cups and half-cups of food, and let him plate dinners with the correct measurements. It is also appropriate to address the concepts of calories, proteins and sugars by taking the nutritional information of different foods and comparing and contrasting them. Soon he will be able to determine what foods are "healthier" than other foods just by understanding the nutritional information.
  
  Many games are also offered online to allow children to learn and be quizzed on new health information. These games are an excellent resource for individual instruction and practice.
  
  

Exercise

• Conscientious nutrition practices are an excellent foundation for fitness. Introduce young children to competitive games: family Olympics and short races, as well as performing outside chores as exercise. As the child grows, incorporate more ruled sports such as baseball, basketball, and football into the family regimen.
  
  Another important concept is to keep track of daily activity. Consider investing in a family calendar or whiteboard to record weekly or monthly activities. Note the amount of time spent and the activity performed. Children accustomed to recording their activity will be able to easily apply those skills to a running or exercise log in the future.
  
  

Substance Safety

• To prevent the misuse of common substances such as alcohol, tobacco and household medicines, clearly discuss each item with your child. It is important to instill in children that alcohol and tobacco are potentially harmful substances, and meant for adults only. Identify common types of alcohol they may encounter, such as beer, wine and liquor, and clearly identify the dangers of each for underage partakers. Depending on the age and maturity of the child, address drunk driving and peer pressure accordingly, including what to do if offered recreational drugs.
  
  It is equally as important for children to understand that household medicines are not recreational, but a tool for maintaining health. Introduce young children to where medicine is kept in your home. Select common types of medicine such as aspirin, cold medicine and flu medicine and explain the function of each. Allow children to see the different types of medicine and read the instructions and warnings together, pointing out that they should never take medicines on their own without consulting an adult. A child who understands the function of medicines will be better prepared to use them correctly in real life.