Celebrate World Heart Day

September 22, 2009

The World Heart Federation has named Sunday, September 27 its tenth annual World Heart Day, giving you the opportunity to promote heart health with a party.

Put together goodie bags for your family filled with gummy vitamins and a pedometer. Make magnets or key chains with the food pyramid on them and stick each one in the individualized bags to serve as a constant healthy eating reminder.

Host a heart decorating contest. Give everyone a blank heart cut from construction paper and supply paint, glitter, markers and stamps see who can come up with the most creative design. Instruct each competitor to list three ways they can take care of their heart each day and use their creation as artful reminders to decorate the house.

Get everyone moving by setting up heart-healthy activity stations in the yard. Hold double-dutch or free throw contests. Before the games begin, teach everyone to calculate their heart rates. Put these skills to the test mid-action to make sure everyone's getting the workout they need.

Bring everyone back inside for a healthy snack, such as heart-shaped fruit and nut bars and grape juice. While they're munching, quiz everyone on their food pyramids and have them decide where each of the parts of the snack should go in the diagram.