How the challenge works
Health Heroes is a flexible programme that can be adapted however teachers and parents think best. Below is some general guidance on how to undertake the challenge.
The basic rules
The goal is to achieve the 5 challenges every day from Monday to Friday each week
The challenges are targeted at physical, emotional and social wellbeing:
Eat 5 fruit and vegetables a day
Exercise 30 minutes a day (ideally this excludes exercise done during school hours)
Sleep 9-12 hours a night (the recommended amount for primary school children)
Engage your brain (by reading, solving puzzles and the like)
Help others
Our program is flexible! Adapt it to your needs.
While we recommend that the challenge lasts five weeks, schools undertaking the challenge can vary how long the program lasts to suit their needs
Instead of starting off with all five challenges in the first week, you can start off with less and add more each week (e.g. Week 1: sleeping adequately and helping others; Week 2: Add exercise 30 mins and engage your brain; Week 3: All five challenges)
Younger children can undertake an adapted program where only one of the challenges is the focus of each week of the program
Teachers can adapt the program including what each Health Heroes character represents to suit your teaching curriculum
The points system
Each challenge is worth one point a day so the goal is 25 points each week.
Children can use weekends to catch up on missed points during the weekdays.
The end of the program
At the end of the program, teachers are encouraged hold an event to celebrate completion of the challenge where certificates can be handed out to students
Children who achieve 25 points every week of the challenge will be awarded a certificate of achievement while other students will receive a certificate of participation
Find resources to deliver the challenge in your classroom or family here, including a portfolio for children to record how each challenge has been achieved every day, and certificate templates for the end of the challenge
Families are encouraged to continue with these challenges beyond the end of the program to keep up healthy habits in their children
How to join
Parents & Caregivers
If you would like your child to be a part of the Health Heroes Challenge, please first approach your school and ask a teacher if they would like to run the program and/or put us in touch with them. Your child will be more motivated to undertake the challenge and build long term healthy habits if their peers are also doing it also. If your school is unwilling to join the program, your child can still take on the challenge using our resources on the For Parents & Caregivers and Program Materials pages.
Schools
Headteachers and principals should appoint a health heroes coordinator (e.g. teacher) who will oversee the challenge at the school. The coordinator will send parents and caregivers the information they need for the child to undertake the Health Heroes challenge. This challenge is also simple enough that it can be overseen by senior primary school students at a school (e.g. a school club formed of years 5 and 6 students supervised by a teacher).
Quick Links
Interested in having Health Heroes at your school?
Email us at healthheroesproject(at)gmail.com or find us on twitter @HealthHeroesPrj
