CELEBRATING NUTRITION MONTH? DO IT IN STYLE WITH OPT STOMACH PUPPET!
Did you know March is National Nutrition Month?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has designated this month's theme as: Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.
It "encourages everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. How, when, why and where we eat are just as important as what we eat.”
How will you share this Nutrition Month's vital challenge - with your families, students, place of worship, friends, and whoever could use a positive health message?
How will you create an inviting atmosphere to enjoy great food? Engage all the senses.
Over the years, my Organic Puppet Theatre: Health Activities Book, has used colorful, wacky-looking paper-and-ziploc-baggie Stomach puppet to share healthy eating with thousands of kids in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Why Do U.S. Leaders Love OPT Stomach Puppet To Teach Nutrition?
Our Stomach Puppet empowers one child who then empowers a whole family to get healthier! And that enthusiasm ripples out the neighborhood, school, place of worship, and even wider audiences.
A few reasons shared with me:
A North Carolina teacher wrote that some of her former students were so inspired by OPT fun that they're now going to medical school! (Joann's testimonial review HERE.)
At U of MN Hospital, Terry and I made puppets with kids facing health challenges. One boy was reluctant to eat after his organ transplant, but making a happy Stomach puppet helped him value his stomach. He soon started eating! Body seen thru fresh eyes - with puppets and an open heart.
In my annual Road to Wellness Health Fairs, I always included health posters bought during my global trips. One boy's mouth flew open when he saw posters from his native Russia. In one poster (below), a skeletal hand offers poppies (symbolizing drugs) to a healthy hand. Graphic message in Cyrillic: Drugs=Suicide!
Leaders Around World Love OPT Stomach Puppet Fun Too
From its humble MN beginnings, who'd have imagined the OPT Stomach Puppet would touch kids and adults around the world? A Reunion Island teacher, community leader in Peru, Slovenian doctor, and kids from many countries at Yemen's International School are just a few examples. Our colorful Stomach translates beautifully to any country! A few lovely anecdotes from around the world about the Stomach:
After making Stomach puppet at Canada’s Ontario Science Centre, workshop leader Judith Arrowood asked kids the name of the tube connecting mouth and stomach. One child immediately, and very enthusiastically. piped up: "The ASPARAGUS TUBE!” LOL!
A Peace Corps worker in Ecuador had no baggies in her mountain village so Beth simply taped OPT puppets to the kids' clothes. They shrieked with glee as they all vied to be their favorite puppet: the grinning Stomach!
Learn more about creating your own OPT Stomach Puppet with your kids HERE!
So, Savor the Flavor by eating right and very well. Start today! Make a magnificent meal and an even better memories! Through the month of March and then onto a lifetime...
Illustration from The Organic Puppet Theatre. Photo by Linda Sorenson
Linda Sorenson helps people, projects, and causes make a positive impact. As a writer, editor, and consultant, she draws on her unique global experiences at pivotal moments in time to make a joyful difference through all she creates. Puppets, songs, and active fun of her Organic Puppet Theatre: Health Activities Book workshops, shows, camps, etc. have helped 20,000+ young children value their bodies and get healthier and more active around the world Learn more at her new website and then connect with her. Take flight together today!
