A national, community-based program supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Spring is in the air!

It's time for schools, camps, and community recreation programs to offer fun spring activities and start planning for great summer programs. Here are some resources from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to help you get your kids (and adults, too) hopping.

Hearts N' Parks Community Mobilization Guide (Free Download)

NHLBI has a 240- page community mobilization guide designed to help local community, park, and recreation agencies promote heart-healthy lifestyle and changes such as increased physical activity and heart-healthy eating among children and adults. It provides all the necessary tools for creating and delivering heart-healthy activities to participants, tools and strategies for reaching targeted groups, forming partnerships, and working with the media, as well as assessment tools to measure program performance. The guide was developed for Hearts N' Parks, a national, community-based program supported by the NHLBI and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This innovative program aims to reduce the growing trend of obesity and the risk of coronary heart disease in the U.S. by encouraging Americans of all ages to aim for a healthy weight, follow a heart-healthy eating plan, and engage in regular physical activity.

Join 500 park and recreation departments and other community organizations who have expressed interest in bringing the Hearts N' Parks program to their neighborhood. If you would like more information on Hearts N' Parks, please contact the NRPA at programs@nrpa.org or at telephone 1-800-649-3042.

Meanwhile, you can download the guide for free at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/obesity/hrt_n_pk/hnp_resg.htm, or order a printed version for only $12.50 from the NHLBI Health Information Center via the same Web page, or by telephone at 301-592-8573.

Also of Interest: Jump Start! Afterschool Program Manual

This hands-on manual with "get moving" ideas and nutrition tips will help you put kids in grades 3-6 on the path to heart health during afterschool programs, spring break, and all through the summer. The program is designed to augment current afterschool programming, and can be adapted for daycare activities during school holidays. Thirty indoor/outdoor activities encourage children be active, have fun, and learn heart-healthy eating habits. You can try one activity or create an entire program. These activities aim to reinforce kids' language arts, spelling, and math skills too! The activities encourage physical activity and healthy eating habits by using creative discovery. 24 pages.

English and Spanish versions available.

Available online at http://emall.nhlbihin.net/ or by calling the Health Information Center at 301-592-8573. Only $3.50. Enjoy!

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