British Columbians are among the healthiest people anywhere—but most of us still have room for improvement in our lifestyle. As parents, we also have great opportunities to help our children learn healthy habits that will last for a lifetime.
Daily Physical Activity (DPA)
Students in BC are required to complete and document at least 150 minutes of activity each week.
LearnNowBC's Daily Physical Activity (DPA) Tracker program is available to K-12 students who need to keep a record of their daily physical activity. With the DPA Tracker Educator Module, teachers can access their students' records online.
ActNow BC
For more information on healthy eating and physical activity, go to the ActNow BC website. It’s your central resource for healthy living support and information.
The ActNow BC World Healthy Living Challenge encourages individuals to fill out a pledge form to identify three things they will do to lead a healthier life and make the world a healthier place. For example, you may pledge to eat healthier, exercise more, stop smoking, or reduce energy consumption. BC participants can win prizes, but this is a worldwide program where people share the pledge globally (available in 11 languages).
Ministry of Education
Healthy Schools - Healthy Living For Families Booklets
Want to make sure your child is getting all the nutrition she or he needs? Want some new ideas for activities you can do together as a family? If so, the Healthy Living for Families guides are a good place to start. The information is tailored to the needs of families with children in Grades K-3, 4-7, 8-9 and 10-12. Each guide also has links at the back to connect you with more resources.
Healthy Living programs and resources
BC has guidelines for food and beverage sales in schools (PDF). They support the province’s goal to eliminate junk foods from public schools.
The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Learning Resource website includes grade-based lesson plans that teachers can use in their Kindergarten to Grade 10 classroom. The lessons are designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to live healthier lives.
The School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program brings fresh produce to the classroom.