We're All Winners

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We're All Winners - Fitness, Fun & Health 4 Life

"We're All Winners" is an educational fitness activity designed to let young children have fun, learn a bit about being safe in the sun and then participate in a non-racing, solo running activity.

The main goal of the event is to create an environment in which each child gets to feel special, like a winner and goes home feeling and believing for at least one day that "I'm a Winner!" This is the message that we want them to internalize and to believe.

This educational activity an idea that I developed while my young daughters were in pre-school. We staged for five years in the pre-school or kindergarten setting and last year also put on a modified version for my older daughter's first grade setting. 

Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image. 

We're All Winners!! - The Original Idea 

Promoting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

The idea for developing a running activity for children came after we participate in a run as a family. At the time, the girls were young enough to be in a bike stroller, but they asked when they could do their own run. So the seed of an idea was planted.

Picking a Month
Health and Fitness were themes at the preschool for the month. I found out that May is National Physical Fitness and Sports month and the month of May also has National Running and Fitness Week. May ended up being our chosen month.

We're All Winners - The Focus 

A Day to Build Self Esteem, Promote Healthy Eating and Physicial Activity

On Winner Day children participate in a variety of activities that help build their self-esteem, improve learning skills, encourage good sportsmanship, patience, fitness, teach sun safety and promote healthy eating and physical activity.

The focus of "Winners" is on educating children, parents and teachers about:
  1. Benefits of increased physical activity - to reduce health risks and help with weight management.
  2. Nutrition education - to help young children become more aware of good nutrition and healthy eating habits.
  3. Fun in the Sun, Outdoor Sun Safety Tips - to remind parents about sun care during the summer months.

 

National Health Observance Calendar 

Resources for Finding a Health Observance to go along with your event.
National Health Observances - healthfinder.gov
The National Health Information Center at Healthfinder.gov has developed a planning guide that lists the national health observances, along with the sponsoring organizations and information about supporting materials that will be available.
2007 National Health Observances
The National Health Information Center provides information on Health observances are days, weeks, or months devoted to promoting particular health concerns. This is the current information available for 2007.
Alphabetized List of all Health Observances by Month
Annual calendar of health observance dates of interest to medical and healthcare professionals.
Health Observances Calendar and Healthcare Recognition Dates for May
This Health Observance Calendar is used by health professionals, teachers, hospitals, and community groups for sponsoring health promotion events, stimulating awareness of health risks or for disease prevention.
PCPFS May Month Toolkit
Information from The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) for celebrating active living. Since National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, May is suggested as an ideal time to celebrating.

The most important part of "We're All Winners" is for the Children feel that

"I'm a Winner!!!"

We're All Winners - Experiencing the Elation of Winning 

Feeling the Joy of Participation

We planned the non-race fitness and fun day event so that each child has the chance to experience the joy of participation and the elation of running for the fun of it and the excitement of being a winner.

Each child gets to run a designated course alone and break the ribbon at the finish line to experience "winning" without any competition.

Each child also receives a winner medal and a winners bag of healthy prizes that encourage sun safety, healthy nutrition and outdoor activities.

Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

We're All Winners - The Basics 

Planning an Event Where Everyone is a Winner

In planning We're All Winners, we had the following ideas be part of the activity.
  • Each child has the opportunity to run the course solo by him or herself (Children are staggered at the start so as not to allow them to catch each other).
  • Each child is started with a "Ready-Set-Go" and a whistle at the starting line.
  • Each child gets to cross the finish line/break the ribbon alone.
  • Each child is presented with a #1 Winner medal by teacher as part of the Winners ceremony.
  • Each child is presented with a Winner bag filled with healthy prizes and nutritious fruit and/or nuts.

We're All Winners - PrePlanning 

Posters, Projects to be done Prior to the Even

Over the years of planning and running the "We're All Winners" event, we have come up with a variety of different items that can be purchased prior to the event to include in making things more festive and exciting for the children.

We have also come up with several projects that can be created by parents, or by the children themselves, either before or on the day of the running activity to get them involved.
  • Design a logo. Use the logo to create
    * T-shirts (iron on decals)
    * Magnets
    * Pendant
  • Children can decorate
    * Hats or visors
    * Posters - individual or group
    * Pendants to wave during race
    * T-shirts
  • Adults can create
    * Motivational Posters to hang on race course
    * Banner - by adults or by children
  • Items to order or purchase for race
    * Pencils personalized with "We're All Winners!"
    * Visors, bucket hats
    * Shirts and/or iron on decal
    * Medals
    * Sunscreen samples
    * Lip Balm
    * Water Bottle
    * Balloons
    * Streamers

We're All Winners - The Course 

Setting Up an Motivational Running Course

After picking a running course, we decorated the course on the day of the race, so that the children would be motivated while running along the course and feel a sense of excitement about participating.
  1. Designate a Starting Line. Decorate with balloons and streamers. Have one person assigned to start the children.
  2. Line the Course with Motivational Words on large posters. Some of the words we used for the kids to see along the way.

    * Way to Go!
    * What a Star!
    * Fantastic
    * Super star!
    * Winner
    * Super kid!
    * Great Job!
    * What a Winner!
    * You're Terrific!
    * Out standing!

    These were the phrases that children, parents and grandparents were encouraged to cheer as the children ran around the course.
  3. Designate a Finish Line. Decorate with balloons and streamers. Have two people assigned to hold the finish ribbon for each child to break.
  4. Have someone assigned to take photographs of the children as they cross the finish line.
  5. Create a large "We're All Winners!!" Banner to display at the event.

We're All Winners - Winner's Bags 

Filling a Winner's Bag


What goes into the winner's bags depends on what you can find, what you can get donated and your budget.

Each Child is presented with a Winner's bag filled with:
  1. I'm a Winner Pencil
  2. Winner Stickers (The last year we found stickers from the teacher's section that had "I'm a Winner!")
  3. Sun screen
  4. Lip Balm
  5. Health Food Snacks - fruit leather, nuts, raisins, prunes
  6. Assorted Kid Toys
  7. Other health promotion items - visors, sunglasses etc.

We're All Winners - The Impact on the Parents 

Outcome for Parents Watching Your Child Feel Like a Winner

Above all else, We're All Winners was created as an event to build self-esteem.

Year after year parents really enjoy watching their children enthusiastically run the course. Many are amazed at the number of times their 'not active' child will come back and run around the course...again and again.

The children get into the spirit of the event and really enjoy the experience of participating in a running race-type activity, without the competition. After running the course by themselves, the children would come back and want to run around and share the experience with a friend, or a sibling in the spirit of cooperation, not competition.

Many prior winners have been seen at the preschool proudly wearing their medals. I have even heard from some of the parents that their child would wear their winner medals to bed or keep their medal in a very special place.

Perhaps best of all everyone--children and parents alike--get to go home feeling like a winner. This is the message that I hope they continue to internalize as the go forward from the event...to know that:
    I'm a Winner!!


Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Squidoo Lens Promoting Health 4 Life 

Focusing on Food, Fitness, Family & Friends and Most of All Fun

An updated, more refined version of the some of the concepts originally incorporated into "We're All Winners!!"'
featured lens Raising Healthy Children for Life

Health 4 Life helps put the focus on raising healthy kids by providing education and resources for schools and families to encourage healthy choices, good nutrition and daily physically activity in a fun and enjoyable manner. Health 4 Life is a simpl...

Children Running on Flickr 

Healthy Children Running From Around the World

Children's Run (1k) by Photocapy

curated content from Flickr

Theme for 2003: Get Fit for the Fun of It! 

Healthy kids - Healthy families



The first year the event was held, we promoted lifelong physical activity and encouraged children and adults to "Get Fit for the Fun of It!"

Physical activity builds a great foundation for a healthy life. It's a win/win event for parents and children.

Physical activity can:
  1. Increase self-esteem and capacity for learning.
  2. Help kids handle stress.
  3. Build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
  4. Help manage weight.

Theme for 2004: Health - Fitness - Family - Fun 

Getting Everyone Involved


HEALTH * FITNESS * FAMILY * FUN

These were the goals we had in mind when developing the idea for the fun activity day.
  • HEALTH - Healthy Lifestyles, Sun Safety Education, Healthy Snacks
  • FITNESS - Get Fit for Life, Encourage activity & movement
  • FAMILY - Invite parents, grandparents, cousins and other family members
  • FUN - Organize activities and games that encourage running, movement, Winner's Bag of healthy prizes.

Modification for First Graders 

Fun - Sun - Run


In late Spring 2007 I put on a modified version for my older daughter's first grade class. The idea was to stress the non-race, running activity and also teach the first graders a bit about being safe in the sun.

We had less time for the activity than with the preschool so I shifted the focus to having fun running and being active and the sun safety awareness (since it was the beginning of summer)

I came with something that would be easy for to remember after the activity. The focus for the first graders was on FUN - SUN - RUN
  • Fun
    * Making I'm a Winner Poster
    * Reading Course Location Map
    * Participating in Running Activity
    * Cheering for/Encouraging Classmates
    * Running/Walking Run Course
  • Sun
    * Education about Sun Safety Awareness - Brochure
    * Three main Points
    * Suncreen
    * Hats, Sunglasses and Protective Clothing
    * Seek Shade when outside between 10:00 - 4:00
    * Winner's Bags - Sunscreen samples, coupons and spf lipbalm
    * Running in Shade where possible
  • Run - Running Activity/Solo Race: I'm a Winner
    * Running Activity
    * Short running course set up
    * Map designed for students to read about course
    * Activity designed to encourage running for the fun of it.
    * Activity created to promote self esteem.

Websites for Ordering Products for We're All Winners 

Smile Makers for Teachers
SmileMakers was started with one simple idea - to be the absolute best supplier of fun, consumable products used to incent, reward, and entertain children, young adults and older even adults. Their quality products bring smiles to both the young and the young at heart.
Oriental Trading for Teachers
Oriental Trading Company carries an irresistible assortment of fun, value-priced products for every occasion. Find value-priced party supplies novelties, toys, favors, crafts, decorations, treats, and gifts for every season and occasion.

Squidoo Lens on Raising a Healthier Generation 

Alliance for a Healthier Generation

featured lens The Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The mission of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is to eliminate childhood obesity and to inspire all young people in the United States to develop lifelong, healthy habits. The goals of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are two-fold 1...

A Squidoo Lens Looking at a Related Topic 

What Happened to Recess? takes a look at the issue of recess being shortened to make way for teaching the three "R's."
featured lens What happened to RECESS?

Do you remember the games you played during recess as a child? Think about all the physical activity that involved and what you learned from those recess games. Did you know that more and more recess is being replaced by testing and homework? While...

Copyright Information 

Creative Commons



Creative Commons License © 1997-2007 Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT. Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Other Educational Institutions are encouraged to use information in these pages to create a "Winners" program for their students. Please acknowledge various copyrights used or cited.

The material in this article may be copied and reproduced on websites or in newsletters, ezines provided that the Author's Biography information is included with any article.

Longer excerpts from this online article may not be copied, duplicated or reproduced for use in a for-profit setting without prior written permission by the author. Contact the Author at the Contact Me link above.

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by Comfortdoc

Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is the mother of two very inquisitive and energetic young daughters, who were her inspiration for creating the Winner's conc...

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