FAMILY FUN, FOOD, AND FITNESS NIGHT For parents and kids An indoor evening of family fun: physical activity and healthy eating Each footprint stands for 1/2 mile START WITH AN ULTRAMARATHON Have your schoolchildren help you get ready in the afternoon. Make your goal charts. Trace 100 footprints and make a treasure chest with 100 jewels. Each shape will stand for 1/2 mile of running or walking. Make a "pot of gold" with 100 healthy treasures. Cut 100 pieces of construction paper or oak tag into approximate 4"x5" rectangles. Write a different "healthy treasure" on each. Healthy treasures are defined as healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, whole-grains etc.) and different types of physical exercise. Recording healthy treasures FRIDAY NIGHT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Run or walk a half mile, then pick a healthy treasure from the "pot of gold". Record it on a jewel. Run another half mile, then color in a footprint. EVERYONE runs and walks and EVERYONE records the treasures: brothers, sisters, moms, and dads. When all the healthy treasures are recorded and all the footprints are colored in, you have run a 100-mile ultramarathon as a group. Hand out KR/Runner's World 100 mile blue ribbons and get your picture taken. NEXT - HEALTHY EATING Line the tables with loads of healthy foods. Have a table for fruit, another for veggies, one for "make your own granola", and finally have a few tables for fun-food activities. Have plenty of food cut into bite-sized pieces so that kids and parents can load up their plates with delectable, delicious, and nutritious choices. Think that your kids don't like healthy foods? You'll be surprised. GAME TABLE Have a lot of fun with a mystery fruit table. Set up a barrier, shut your eyes, extend your hand, and then taste the mystery fruit given to you. Write down what you think it is on your mystery fruit worksheet. Parents and kids alike have a lot of fun with this activity. Find something new that you love to eat! Gather information, collect data, and find out what kinds of fruits and vegetables kids already love to eat. Make a huge kid-friendly chart and have kids sign-in under the fruits or veggies they LOVE to eat. Be sure to post this chart in the school hall after the event and let others "sign-in" too. Thanks to Ellen Jahne of the Family Resource Center for putting on this wonderful event. To encourage your little (and big) family fitness night attendees to practice healthy habits throughout the year, send them home with Carol Goodrow's healthy treasure chests. Want to have your own 100-mile family fitness event with the KR/RW 100 mile ribbons? E-mail Carol Goodrow editor of KidsRunning.Com. kidsrunning@verizon.net