Exercise, food and hygiene
Biology · Key Stage 1 · The School
Why bodies need to move
Exercise keeps your body strong. It keeps your heart strong too. It helps you sleep well. It helps you feel happy. Running, swimming and dancing all count. Try to move every single day. Fresh air helps too.
A balanced plate
Food comes in different groups. Fruit and vegetables. Bread, rice and pasta. Meat, fish and beans. Milk and cheese. A healthy plate has some of each group. Too much of one group is not balanced.
Why we wash our hands
Germs are too small to see. They live on our hands. They spread when we touch things. Washing with soap removes them. Wash before eating. Wash after the toilet. This stops germs from spreading.
Sleep matters too
Sleep is part of staying healthy. Your body rests while you sleep. Your brain sorts out the day. Children need more sleep than adults. Going to bed at the same time helps you sleep well. A good sleep helps you learn and grow. Try to rest well every night.
Imagine a child's school day. We check it in four steps. Step one is exercise. A walk to school takes 10 minutes. Running and jumping at playtime takes 20 minutes. Dancing after school takes 30 minutes. 10 and 20 make 30. 30 and 30 make 60 minutes. The National Health Service lists all three as ways to be active. It says children should be active for at least 60 minutes a day, counting the whole week together. That activity should make you warm and a bit out of breath. Some days can have more and some less. This day has 60 minutes. Step two is food. Lunch is an apple, bread, fish and cheese. The apple is from fruit and vegetables. The bread is from bread, rice and pasta. The fish is from meat, fish and beans. The cheese is from milk and cheese. Lunch has food from each group, which is a good start to a balanced plate. Step three is hygiene, which means keeping clean. Before lunch the child washes with soap and water. The National Health Service says to wash for about 20 seconds. Washing well removes germs. Step four is sleep. The child sleeps 10 hours. Newcastle Hospitals says children aged 5 to 13 usually need 9 to 12 hours. 10 is between 9 and 12, so it fits. All four parts are in this day.