Healthy Hoe Down for Owings Mills Jewish Community Center Stoler ECE Students

On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 the Stoler Early Childhood Education Center at the Owings Mills Jewish Community Center had its end of the year event, a Healthy Hoedown Picnic, and its dedication of its recently added Natural Play Space.

The hoedown, an event which is usually filled with lots of high fat treats and eats, was tweaked by the Stoler staff in honor of its commitment to the Healthy Choices program and its participation in Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Childcare Initiative, which brought the school national recognition.

JCC’s Early Childhood Education Center philosophy of Derech Eretz –teaching respect for self, others, and the world--had, as its backdrop, the Natural Play Space because it goes hand in hand with healthy activity.

Approximately 300 families participated in the activities, which consisted of “outposts” where the children play games and earned stars for their sheriff’s badge.  Each “outpost”  reinforce Healthy Choices and provided education for the parents.

Examples of the outposts included family square dancing, which reinforced the Let’s Move goal of Michele Obama’s program which consists of at least 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity every day. The Feed and Seed outpost gave children the opportunity to observe how vegetables are being grown in the school garden and reinforces healthy eating of at least five fruits and vegetables a day.  Then, there was a Lemonade Saloon that was representative of Let’s Move goal of limiting prepackaged juices to one serving per day.

The Stoler Early Childhood Education Center’s goal was to provide common experiences promoting healthy behaviors so that families, children, and teachers develop a sense of community and collective memories involving food and fitness, thereby feeling empowered to pursue a path to greater health and well-being. 

Children milked cows, miraculously grew moustaches after drinking homemade lemonade, square danced, planted their crops, climbed atop logs to survey their land, and rode their three-legged tricycle horses around the area.

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