Longer days, warmer temperatures, antsy kiddos...these tell-tale signs remind us summer vacation is just around the corner. While there are lots of ways summer affects kids' eating habits, their diets don't need to take a vacation from good nutrition. Here are ways to teach students to make nutritious choices and take nutrition learning home for the summer, using Arianna's Nutrition Expedition.™:

Milk 'n Summer — During the school year, kids are more likely to drink milk with lunch, while during the summer they tend to gravitate to other beverages. Teach kids that when school is out, milk is still in. Have them take our new, online poll that compares the servings they get to servings they need and provides feedback about their results. Use Marcus's Big City Adventure, Activity 4 as a springboard for talking about healthy food choices away from home and encouraging students to order milk instead of soda when they eat out. Many quick-service and other restaurants now serve milk in cool, plastic bottles that kids love. In fact, more and more schools are serving the New Look of School Milk, ice-cold milk in plastic bottles and lots of flavors. Milk's new look increases milk consumption and school meal participation, which boosts kids' overall nutrition and wellness.

Smart Snacks — Snacks contribute close to 20 percent of kids' daily nutrient intake, so choosing healthful snacks is as important in the summer as during the school year. Introduce Combination Foods as smart snack choices during Activity 6, Arianna and the Combination Cookbook . Add a snack theme to the 'Combination Two-Square' and 'Write Combination Recipes' Going Further activities. Send home the Smart Snacks parent handout in the Home Connections section of your kit that has 26 great-tasting snack suggestions. Beforehand, have students circle two snacks on the list they want to try.

Summer Reading — Have students bind Arianna's and Marcus's mysteries into a booklet that students can take home and re-read during the summer. Have students write an ending to the story. Use the questions in Activity 7, The Riddle of the Playground Cave - Step 7 for a pre-writing brainstorm. For booklet covers, use the 'Classifying Foods' miniposters that students create in Step 6 of Marcus's Big City Adventure.

Online Connection — Tell parents about Arianna's nutrition games available online at NutritionExplorations.org/Kids. Encourage students to play them for a rainy day break in the summer.

Spread the Word — Have you wanted to tell another teacher about Arianna's Nutrition Expedition, but you didn't have the information handy? Now's your chance. Use our E-Mail a Friend feature that includes a link to our free and easy-to-use enrollment page.