Valentine's Day Heart Healthy Relay

What You Do:

1. To prepare for the family relay, go over a few things about heart health with your child. The heart is an important organ that pumps blood through a person's body to ensure that the rest of the organs function. To keep your heart healthy, it is important to eat foods low in fat (like fruits and veggies), exercise, avoid tobacco and alcohol products, and maintain a healthy weight.
2. Before starting the relay, divide friends and family into two teams. If the number of players is unequal, someone from the team with fewer players will need to participate in each event twice.
3. Set-up and explain the relay to each team. Suggested events are as follows:

• Jump rope for one minute.
• Toss an orange among team members for 20 throws. (Oranges make a great heart-healthy snack.)
• Explore the kitchen and find five heart-healthy foods.
• Have each team lie on the ground and rearrange themselves in a heart-shape.

4. After you decide on the events and rules, start the timer and begin the relay. The team that finishes in the least amount of time wins. Perhaps suggest that the losing team is in charge of cooking a nutritious meal for dinner!