Promoting Health And Wellness In School Fun Run Planning
In This Post:
- Health promotion in schools
- Why promote health in schools?
- The importance of physical activity
- What is healthy fundraising?
- Reasons for healthy fundraising
- How a fun run works
- How to raise money
- How to fundraise with the rising costs of living
- Ways a school fun run can benefit your mind and body
- How to promote health and wellness in fun run planning
- Safety measures to consider in school fun run planning
- How to establish and promote positive mental health in your school
- Encourage wholesome eating
- How we can help
Health Promotion In Schools
Everyone has a role to play in health and wellness for children. Within the school it is a combined effort of all the school staff (including canteen staff), parents, carers and the wider school community to be positive role models by supporting and promoting healthy eating and physical exercise.
Health promotion in a school setting could be any activity done to improve and/ or protect the health of all students.
Why Promote Health In Schools?
Research has proven that healthy young people have better learning outcomes and young people who feel happy and connected at school are less likely to undertake high-risk behaviours.
Children need a supportive environment to make the right decisions regarding their physical and mental health. Given that they spend such a large portion of their day there, the school provides a perfect opportunity for this by way of running specific wellness programs, such as fun runs.
An employee wellness program is another great idea as a way of maintaining the mental health of all staff members.
The Importance Of Physical Activity
The benefits of regular exercise in reducing the risk of disease, managing stress and promoting a healthy lifestyle are well-recognised.
Schools have a unique opportunity to promote and encourage physical education, wellness activities, organised sport and the incorporation of movement into regular classroom learning.
What Is Healthy Fundraising?
A health-promoting school creates a culture of wellness that encourages healthy choices in every aspect of schooling life, which includes fundraising events.
Australia is facing an epidemic of obese and overweight children, which has more than doubled in the last twenty years.
One way school communities can play a part in tackling this problem is by making the choice to fundraise in a healthy way.
Reasons For Healthy Fundraising
- Enjoy an easy, cost-effective and credible way to generate significant revenue for your school.
- Encourage risk-free activities that promote health and well-being.
- Provide the personal satisfaction of being a positive role model whilst boosting the school spirit.
- Show your school community that you care about children’s health and sense of fun, rather than just profit.
- Reinforce the health messages that children hear in the classroom in a flexible and creative way.
- Involve the whole school and foster a sense of community involvement amongst students, parents, teachers and other staff by providing awesome rewards.
- Healthy fundraising can also mean not only looking after the health of the student, but the community and environment as well. Check out our Care for A Cause program which redefines the concept of incentives to fundraise.
Still not convinced? Discover the top ten reasons why it’s great to host a school fun run.
How A Fun Run Works
Essentially, each child taking part in the fun run individually approaches family and friends to sponsor them for a set amount for every lap they run.
You can also be creative when it comes to adding a theme to a school fun run. Some great alternatives include a fancy dress theme, a walk-a-thon, turning it into an obstacle course or even making the kids dance instead of run.
For a more in-depth look at how to initiate this, follow our step-by-step guide to planning a successful fun run.
How To Raise Money
- Make It An Easy School Fundraiser (For Everyone)
Don’t ask your families to collect physical cash. Instead, look for online/ cashless fundraising options as this money normally comes in from outside your local community (via friends and relatives living interstate or overseas). - Utilise Social Media
Social media has become a vital fundraising tool in the digital age we live in. Social media can help your school community reach a broader audience and encourage more people to donate. - Engage Your Whole Community
Holding whole school challenges means a lot of people will be engaged to raise a little bit of funding and this tends to work better than relying on just a few exceptional families raising a lot of money each. - Make Sure No-One Misses Out
A school fun run is an excellent way to promote a sense of community and togetherness. It allows all students to partake in the fun, regardless of whether they are able to fundraise or not!
How To Fundraise With The Rising Costs Of Living
No matter what is happening in the economy, schools still need to upgrade their resources, equipment, etc. So, the increasing cost of living can impact schools, as well as school families.
These growing financial pressures can make it extra challenging to raise vital funding to improve the learning environment for students. However, financial wellness is also essential for health and needs to be kept firmly in mind.
Ways A School Fun Run Can Benefit Your Mind And Body
School fun runs offer numerous benefits for the physical and mental well-being of students and staff alike.
They promote an active lifestyle from a young age, encouraging healthy habits and the development of gross motor skills.
Additionally, these events teach children the importance of goal-setting, perseverance and teamwork whilst maintaining optimal employee wellness levels as well.
Want happy kids? Find out how to get students excited about the school fun run.
How To Promote Health And Wellness In Fun Run Planning
Preparing children for a school fun run involves creating a positive and supportive environment.
Engage them in regular age-appropriate training exercises to encourage them to take control of their own health.
Teach them about the human body and the importance of stretching (or even give them a warm-up yoga class). Also, ensure they wear appropriate clothing and footwear and get them to practise proper hydration during the event.
Safety Measures To Consider In School Fun Run Planning
While school fun runs for children are generally safe and enjoyable, it is crucial to ensure appropriate supervision and safety measures.
Parents and event organisers should prioritise child safety, ensuring adequate hydration, proper warm-up and cool down, and necessary medical support in case of emergencies.
How To Promote Positive Mental Health In Your School
Along with exercise, we all know the importance of following a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet, especially amongst school-aged children.
Ensure this aspect of well-being is also promoted in your fundraising endeavours, by encouraging healthy food choices on the day to keep the students energised and their mood upbeat.
Encourage Students To Consider The Health Of Their Community And Environment
You may be able to write about elements like:
- Not only physical health, but a healthy social awareness as well
- Raise funds for the school as well as a favourite charity or environmental organisation
- Foster a sense of pride within the school and community with what they’ve been able to do for others.
- Our Care For A Cause program does that by providing books and meals, planting coral and trees, and helping to protect turtles on the reef.
Encourage Wholesome Eating
Carbohydrates will be the kid’s primary energy source for the run, so make breakfast suggestions such as toast, overnight oats, fruit, yoghurt and freshly-pressed juices and smoothies.
In addition to this, make a point of serving only high-quality and nutrient-dense foods and goodies on the day.
These can include sandwiches, sushi rolls, pesto pasta and mini pizzas, as well as healthy, homemade, low-sugar treats.
How We Can Help
We assist schools and groups to maximise their fundraising capability all year round to help make magic memories that will last.
This is achieved through our variety of tried-and-tested wellness programs, cutting-edge technology and personalised support.
Through our range of health and wellness ideas we successfully save schools valuable time whilst helping them raise money – and more than they ever thought possible.
Talk about easy, profitable fundraising!
Want to raise more profit for your school? Find out how here.
