Little D's Nutrition Expedition: Send Home 'Fuel Up' and 'Get Up and Play' Summer Reminders

Research shows that children gain weight twice as fast during the summer as during the school year.1 The researchers note that it is the lack of structure in the summer that's part of the problem. Kids have more opportunities to eat, play video games and watch television than during a typical school day. In other words, summer does not necessarily square with the common vision of kids playing outside all day and eating healthy foods. Use Little D's Nutrition Expedition® to send kids off to the summer break with a reminder to fuel up with healthy foods and get up and play every day, including a variety of moderate and vigorous intensity activities, like biking, running, jumping and climbing. Here is how:

1 Create 'Five Ways We Like to Move and Fuel' Mini Posters! Talk about ways students like to be active in the summer, and then:

  • Photocopy and distribute a blank Little D, the Five- Food- Group Dragon worksheet from Activity 10 to each student and then have them draw five pictures of themselves doing a physical activity they enjoy, one drawing in each of the large, blank spaces on Little D's tummy.
  • Have them draw their favorite Five Food Group foods all around the page to create a border for Little D.
  • Have students take the worksheet home and post it as a reminder to eat healthy and play every day!

2 Connect with Home — Download and send home Little D's Smart Snacking handout that has a list of 26 nutrient-rich snack ideas and National Dairy Council®'s June Fun Facts newsletter. The newsletter features additional snack ideas and a note about the summer weight gain study mentioned above.

2 Be a Role Model — Talk about ways you like to be active in the summer and your favorite foods from each food group. Teachers are among students' most important role models. Sharing your favorite Five Food Group foods and ways you stay active during the summer can serve as a motivator for kids.

Teachers Talk






"Thank you for the great tips! Keep them coming."


"I would recommend this program to anyone!"

"The dragon display has remained up most of the year. Students often refer to it at snack time."
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1Source: von Hippel, PT, et al. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 696-702, 2007.

Developed by NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL®, Little D's Nutrition Expedition® and Arianna's Nutrition Expedition™ are Five-Food-Group-based, teacher-tested programs that support the USDA's MyPyramid food guidance system. See all NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL® nutrition education resources at
www.NutritionExplorations.org.