Rally for Recess -- Why Physical Activity Helps Kids in School

Schools nationwide are cutting recess time due to limited resources, which can impede on your children’s physical development. i  In the past twenty years, children have lost an average of 8 hours of recess a week and some schools no longer provide play time for students. ii   According to the American Academy of Pediatricians, the lack of playtime is a national crisis leading to a growing epidemic; childhood obesity. iii

Some studies also suggest that physical activity may have an impact on academic success as well. This study from the University of Central Florida found a positive relationship between increased physical activity and academic performance. This study also supports that theory. And yet another study by Active Living Research suggests the same.

With so much at stake, it's more important than ever to support and encourage our schools' recess activities. Government and public health agencies recommend children engage in at 60 minutes of mild to strenuous activity each day. iv That's why I'm excited about Rally for Recess. To help rally moms and kids around this cause, Dannon® Danimals®, nutritious on-the-go dairy drinks and low-fat yogurts containing calcium for kids, is launching a national initiative called “Rally for Recess.”

“Rally for Recess” is designed to create healthy competition, pitting school against school! Five schools have the opportunity to win new playground equipment and an all-day recess celebration. Danimals is committed to childhood health and wellness, which starts with good nutrition and an active lifestyle. Through February 8, 2012 purchasers can find codes on Danimals packaging to enter and register. The top five schools in each of the categories with the most codes registered wins!

For more information, visit: RallyforRecess.com

As a part the Rally for Recess, Dannon has graciously offered to giveaway a Danimals Branded Drawstring Backpack and a Danimals Branded Soccer Ball. I can tell you my sons are jealous and wish they could win! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway today! 

This giveaway is sponsored by Dannon, but I did not receive any compensation for the post or the giveaway.

Product Review: Prefense Hand Sanitizer, A Teacher's Perspective

There are two places where hand sanitizer is tested the hardest: the hospital and the classroom. As a teacher with 150 students, I dread cold and flu season and all those germy hands. We have hand sanitizer at our school, but I've found there are several problems with it:

1. It's goopy, so when a student squirts it onto their hand, it drips all over. It can also become a distraction when kids play with it, or put it where it doesn't belong.
2. It stings when it gets in cuts (something kids often have).
3. It dries out your hands. If you're like me, you use hand sanitizer after every restroom break. At school, I use it every time I enter my classroom. My hands become dry quickly, and I have to keep reapplying lotion to keep my hands from cracking--a pain!
4. Sadly, some of my pre-teens like to "sniff" or "huff" the hand sanitizer the school provides. It has alcohol in it, so it can produce a small "buzz" if sniffed.

For all of these reasons, I have a love/hate relationship with hand sanitizer. But, in a school, it's a necessary evil unless you want to spend all winter sick as a dog!

That's why I was excited to review Prefense. Prefense is a different kind of hand sanitizer as it is silica-based, not alcohol-based. I've found there are several advantages of Prefense compared to other hand sanitizers and once you try it, I’m sure you’ll agree with me:

1. Prefense contains no alcohol and is made of all-natural ingredients. It’s non toxic and won’t harm you if swallowed, so it’s safe for kids! No concerns about "huffing" either!
2. The formula will provide continual protection against 99% of germs for up to 24 hours or through 10 hand washings. You can get your hands wet and Prefense will still work to kill germs upon contact! In a school, this made my day--no more repeated applications of hand sanitizer.
3. It contains soothing organic botanicals that moisturize your hands, instead of drying out your skin like other sanitizers. My hands felt softer after use, rather than dry, cracked and "exposed" as they sometimes felt with traditional sanitizer.
4. It protects against staph, strep, E.coli, MRSA, and more!
5. It’s cheaper than other hand sanitizers because at “one spray lasts all day” the 1.5 oz Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer offers 120 applications, costing only $0.08 per day, compared to the average $1.20 per day with other hand sanitizers.
6. It's a foam sanitizer, so no goopy mess, and less chance of my students causing a problem with it!
7. It has a pleasant scent, too!

I put this hand sanitizer in my classroom along side the alcohol-based one to see which one got used more often. After a week, my students used Prefense much more often than the alcohol-based sanitizer. Several of my students also commented on the pleasant scent, too.

Hands down, I loved Prefense and I'll be getting some to keep in my classroom and in my home!

Where to Buy

Prefense can be purchased directly from their site, at a great price. You can also buy Prefense from Amazon and if you take advantage of Super Saver Shipping or Amazon Prime, you can also get a really great deal on this hand sanitizer.

Giveaway

I will also be hosting a great giveaway for this product, and a couple of others to prepare you for this coming fall and winter seasons.

When the giveaway is live, I will be editing this post to link to the giveaway.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.