About the program
Munch & Move is a fun play-based program that supports the healthy development of children. It is for children attending Early Childhood and Education and Care (ECEC) services and Family Day Care (FDC) services across NSW. The program promotes children’s healthy eating and physical activity, and limit small screen recreation.
Munch & Move aligns with the early childhood National Quality Framework (NQF). The program can help services meet National Quality Standards (NQS) and Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) outcomes.
Click on the video below to find out more about the program
Why do we need Munch & Move?
Early childhood is the best time for children to create healthy food and activity habits. These habits will give them the best chance of having a healthy lifestyle as they grow older.
Many children spend a lot of time in early childhood services. It is important that these services provide an environment that encourages healthy eating and physical activity.
Research has shown:
Munch & Move Key Messages
Munch & Move aims to encourage positive healthy eating, physical activity and screen time habits in young children in early childhood services.
The program contains the following 6 key messages:
A Whole of Service Approach
Management, educators and families can come together to promote healthy living at your service.
A ‘whole of service’ approach means taking action across all 4 areas of Munch & Move - Munch, Move, Monitor and Making It Happen.
Program Adoption Indicators (Practices)
Your service can put in place 16 Munch & Move practices.
Munch
|
| 1 |
Service encourages and supports breastfeeding |
| 2 |
Service communicates with families when children’s lunchboxes are not consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines |
| 3 |
Service menu has been assessed against the Caring for Children guidelines |
| 4 |
Service provides intentional learning experiences about healthy eating at least 2 times per week |
| 5 |
Staff create a positive healthy eating environment for children |
Move
|
| 6 |
Service provides daily opportunities for fundamental movement skills for children 3-5 years of age |
| 7 |
Service provides opportunities for physical activity for 1-5 year olds at least 30% of the daily opening hours
|
| 8 |
Service provides a supportive physical activity environment
|
Monitor
|
| 9 |
Service use of small screen recreation for all children is appropriate |
Making it Happen
|
| 10 |
Service has a written nutrition policy
|
| 11 |
Service has a written policy, procedure or guideline encouraging physical activity |
| 12 |
Service has a written policy, procedure or guideline restricting small screen recreation
|
| 13 |
Service has provided health information to families within the past 12 months |
| 14 |
Service has at least 50% of primary contact educators that have accessed professional development in nutrition and at least 50% that have accessed professional development in physical activity |
| 15 |
Service cook has completed training in providing nutritious meals and snacks for children (only for services who provide meals) |
| 16 |
Service monitors and reports on healthy eating and physical activity objectives annually as part of their continuous quality improvement process |
Not yet a Munch & Move service but interested in getting started?
Get in contact with the local Munch & Move team.
CONTACT US
References:
Population Health Information Management System
New South Wales Child Health Survey 2009-2010
Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence. What NSW children eat and drink. Report of the Chief Health Officer 2017, Population and Public Health Division. Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health, 2017
NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) 2015
Australian National Infant Feeding Survey 2010-2011