Welcome to Refresh @ Home
The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has changed the daily lives and routines of people living and working on the Central Coast.
To help you during this time, our Refresh – Kids & Families page has become Refresh @ Home. Here you’ll find a collection of our resources, as well as information and advice on a number of topics, from exercising at home, to cooking healthy meals, mental health support, activities and games.
Please continue to check this page for further updates. New updates are marked *NEW* so you can quickly spot them. You can also subscribe to our new Refresh newsletter to stay updated on new resources and programs from the Central Coast Health Promotion team.
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Last updated: 17 September 2021
Activities and Games
Exercise
Healthy Eating
Older Adults
Alcohol Reduction
Activities and Games
Looking for games and activities to keep the kids occupied? Fear not, we’ve got you covered with a number of resources and programs to help keep you and your family both active and entertained.
- *NEW* Following the success of our animated storytelling of the Magic Lunchbox, we’ve brought another one of our popular children’s books to life. Written by Central Coast author Angela Barrett, Jack’s FUNtastic Day is a story about a boy named Jack who leaves his screen behind for a day to embark on an adventure. Watch the animated reading of the story below. You can also visit our website to download a copy of the book and other resources such as activity cards and teaching materials for early childhood and primary school educators to promote active play to children aged 3–6 years old.
- *NEW* COVID has unfortunately meant organisers have been forced to cancel this year’s 5 Lands Walk. However, there will be a virtual celebration on Saturday 25 September 2021. The 5 Lands Virtual Experience will feature contributions from the artists and musicians of the 5 Lands Walk – its Aboriginal community. It will also feature the film Stories of Place, a special project featuring 12 stories that celebrate our spectacular coastline by older members of the community, illustrated by 12 school-aged children. More details about the virtual event will be announced over the coming weeks – keep an eye on the 5 Lands Walk Facebook page and website.
- Looking for a sport or activity on the Central Coast to help you get active? Then check out the newly-launched Sports Hub. It’s a comprehensive local online directory that enables you to search for sports and recreation activities by location and interest, and filter by categories such as age group suitability, activities that are accessible and inclusive and providers that accept Active Kids Vouchers. The Hub has been developed in partnership by Sport Central Coast, the Office of Sport and Central Coast Council as part of their Activate Central Coast initiative to encourage community participation in sport and active recreation. The directory already features more than 100 local sports and active recreation providers covering a wide range of activities, so check it out and find an activity for you.
- We’ve created a series of videos of our Family ACTIVation games. Family ACTIVation is a fun-packed resource to help parents and carers of 5–12-year-olds get active with their children. It’s full of quick and easy games to play at home, in the park, or wherever. Games that reinforce the fundamental movement skills like throwing, catching, hopping and skipping… the same movement skills being learnt at school. Watch the video to play Tricky Catches below – it’s a game of coordination. You can also download the Family ACTIVation resource pack and watch the full set of videos here.
- Kids Health has compiled a helpful page with a number of play ideas for children, including indoor and outdoor games and educational and sensory activities.
- Reducing screen time can be a challenge. Watch this video full of handy tips to help your family sit less and move more. Check out NSW Health’s screen time page for more guidance and tips.
Exercise
Exercise is important for both our physical health and mental health. Here are some great ways to exercise, covering all ages and abilities, to ensure we continue to give our body and mind the work out it needs.
- *NEW* Residents of San Remo, Blue Haven and Budgewoi, we want to hear from you! Tell us what you think of the shared pathway and new park at John Pete Howard Reserve and go into a draw to win one of five $50 food hampers or petrol vouchers. Click on the image below to complete this quick survey and help us find ways to improve future opportunities for the San Remo and surrounding communities to be more physically active. Photo by Lauren Tierney.
- If you’ve been inspired by our Aussie Olympians and Paralympians this past month, or simply have a spring in your step (see what we did there?) now that the warmer months are upon us, then why not take on your own physical activity challenge in September? STEPtember challenges you to walk, run, swim, ride, wheel or spin your way to 10,000 steps per day during the month of September. Getting our steps in is a great way to improve both our physical and mental health. You can take part as an individual, challenge friends or get involved with colleagues by signing up as an organisation. The month is all about raising money to support people living with cerebral palsy, so step to it – click on the image below to sign up and improve your wellbeing, along with the lives of children and adults who live with cerebral palsy.
- NEW! Exercise Right has a number of home workout videos organised by strength and fitness, stretching and mobility, active ageing, pregnancy and kids.
- NSW Health’s new Healthy Eating Active Living website has some simple exercises to do from home or outdoors. You can view and download a range of workouts, from beginner, low-intensity and high-intensity workouts.
- The NSW Institute of Sport has put together a High Performance at Home page containing a selection of videos by some of Australia’s top athletes to help us exercise at home, including improving your running technique and full body 30-minute workouts. Check out its 15-minute full body workout for beginners or daily flexibility routine for working from home.
- *NEW* The Department of Education School Sport Unit and The Arts Unit have produced a range of videos called [email protected] to teach kids a range of fundamental and sport-specific skills using items found at home in their living rooms, in a fun and engaging way. Watch the video on overarm throwing, aimed at children ages 3–6, and check out the rest of the episodes here.
- NSW Health’s Get Healthy at Work program has developed a 10 Tips to Work Well from Home guide and Being Healthy While Working From Home guide with lots of information – from physical activity, to healthy eating and mental health advice.
- On the subject of mental health, NSW Government has produced a factsheet with advice on how to look after your mental health during COVID-19.
Healthy Eating
Spending more time at home is a great opportunity to cook fresh and healthy meals every day. Avoid the temptation to snack and starting experimenting in the kitchen. And if you’re not sure what to prepare, don’t worry, we’ve listed a number of resources with helpful recipes and advice to ensure you eat healthily at home.
- *NEW* It’s National Nutrition Week from 10–16 October, so we’ve got a challenge to make sure you and your kids eat plenty of fruit and veg. Take part in our Vege Adventure and try and eat a rainbow of different fruit and vegetables over the week. Designed to promote fruit and vegetables as part of the Crunch&Sip® break at primary school, you can download fillable Vege Adventure cards to track your progress. The aim is to encourage everyone to try different fresh fruit and vegetables by eating a variety of colours over the week. Click on the image below to visit the Vege Adventure page on our website and see if your family can eat the rainbow!
- Changing your routine and getting the whole family on board can seem like a challenge. But there are small steps you can take that will have a big impact on you and your family’s health and wellbeing. NSW Health’s new Healthy Eating Active Living website is full of great resources, tips and helpful information on how you can live a healthy lifestyle. Check out its ‘Getting started’ page for some simple changes that could become part of your day-to-day routine. And if you’ve ever wondered just how healthy your lifestyle is, you can also take the healthy habits quiz. The quiz will identify where you might be able to make changes to lead a healthier lifestyle, as well as signpost you to any further help and support that’s out there. Click the image below to take the quiz.
- *NEW* Patch to Plate is a recipe book boasting a collection of tasty and healthy recipes from primary schools on the Central Coast, curated by our Central Coast School Garden Interest Group. Now, not only can you download the recipe book, but you can also watch a series of videos showing how to prepare and cook the meals. Check out the video below demonstrating how to make beetroot hummus.
- *NEW* Looking to brush up on your cooking skills during lockdown? Check out the video below of one of our Quick Meals for Kooris recipes that will having you whipping up a delicious mince for all the family in no time. And if that’s got you in the mood for more, check out the rest of our video series, or select your own recipe from our Quick Meals for Kooris home cookbook. Quick Meals for Kooris is a program that supports Aboriginal people to prepare easy, low-cost family meals using available ingredients. But the recipes can be made and enjoyed by anyone! Visit our website to learn more about it and check out additional recipes.
- The latest video in our Make Their Meals Count series demonstrates how to cook a tasty pumpkin, pea and mushroom frittata – check out the short video below. Make Their Meals Count helps parents and carers prepare healthy meals for children aged 4–8 years. The recipes are basic everyday meals that are easy to make, with ingredients that are inexpensive and readily available. You can also download the original pictorial resource and check out the full set of recipes and videos here.
- We’ve launched a new Thirsty? Choose Water! website that has loads of great resources and tips to help you and your family drink more water. Download factsheets, check out mythbusters, use our sugary drink calculator and download our awesome new Aqua Sprint game, available for free on the App and Google Play stores. Click on the image below, which features our new Thirsty character, to visit the new site, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.
- Want to help improve your diet and stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic? NSW Health’s Get Healthy program is a free telephone-based information and coaching service that sets personalised healthy lifestyle goals on health eating, becoming more activity, achieving a healthy weight, reducing alcohol intake and achieving healthy weight gain in pregnancy. Watch the video below for more information.
- NSW Health’s guide to healthy eating while working from home contains recipes, advice on grocery shopping and other tips ans tricks to eat healthier.
- Nutrition and dietetics experts at the University of Newcastle have launched the website No Money No Time. It aims to improve the eating habits of young Australians and includes quick, cheap, easy and healthy recipes. You can even take its Healthy Eating Quiz and get a personalised report on your eating habits along with recipe suggestions and ideas based on the information you provide.
Older Adults
There are a number of tailored resources for older adults that can help them stay active, healthy, connected and safe at home.
Active and Healthy
- If you’re 60 or older, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 45 or over, you can get Healthy and Active for Life thanks to a FREE new 10-week online program from NSW Health. You will receive weekly online exercise videos to do at your own pace, healthy eating and lifestyle tips, as well as telephone support from a trained coach at a time that suits you. And all from the comfort of your own home. The next program starts on Monday 4 October 2021, although places are limited – so book now to avoid missing out. To register or for more information, visit the website or call Health Promotion on 4320 9700.
- NSW Government has produced factsheets to support seniors in staying healthy and staying connected at home that include some handy and practical tips.
- Over 70? Do the 7! Click the thumbnail below to download and print a poster with advice on how to stay COVID safe.
- Our nutrition booklet for older adults and their carers, Eating Well, includes heaps of advice from nutritionists to help you eat the foods you need to maintain weight, muscle strength, bone strength and independence.
- NSW Health’s Active and Healthy at Home booklet includes practical tips and information for older adults to stay active, healthy, and connected at home, and includes available services for the elderly. You may also wish to download and print this Active and Healthy at Home flyer, which has some handy tips you can keep close by.
- Developed by physiotherapists across Australia, Safe Exercise at Home is a simple-to-navigate website with helpful information and exercises.
- The Exercise at Home section on NSW Health’s Active and Healthy website has heaps of simple exercises to improve balance and strength, along with images and videos to demonstrate.
Falls Prevention
While we spend much more time at home than usual, home safety awareness, such as avoiding fall risks and hazards, becomes even more important. The following resources contain advice and information on how you can stay safe in the home, along with some fun games too.
- *NEW* Read our new Falls are Preventable brochure to see what steps you can take to avoid falls.
- Read our Falls Are Preventable factsheets:
- Download our Falls prevention checklist to help reduce your risk of falling.
- Download our Home safety checklist which includes suggestions on how to make your home environment safer.
- Play our Falls are preventable wordsearch. Can you find all the words?
- Play Spot the Falls Risk. Can you spot all 21 hazards?
- Take a look at out our informative poster on What to do if you fall at home. Feel free to print and keep around the house as a reference.
- The Clinical Excellence Commission has a number of helpful factsheets, available in different languages, as part of the NSW Falls Prevention Program, such as:
- Foot care and foot wear to ensure you’re more steady on your feet. This is also available in Italian, Greek, Arabic and other languages.
- Medications advice. This is also available in Italian, Greek, Arabic and other languages.
- Home exercises to improve balance and strength. This is also available in Italian, Tagalog, Greek, Korean, Arabic and other languages.
Alcohol Reduction
As we all come to terms with the challenges presented by COVID-19, it’s important we avoid potentially harmful coping strategies such as excess alcohol consumption.
There are a number of health impacts caused by drinking too much alcohol, which you can read more about in the Alcohol section of this website.
There are some helpful resources out there to support you if you’re struggling during the COVID-19 situation.
- Want to drink less? Changing your drinking habits is easier with someone in your corner. Did you know you can get support over the phone from your own FREE health coach through NSW Health’s Get Healthy Service? Coaches are friendly and trained to help you change your drinking habits. They will give you practical tools and support you, without judgement, helping you to set achievable goals, make a plan (starting with small steps), and overcome barriers that stand in your way. They will work as a team with you and celebrate your successes with you. To sign up, call 1300 806 258 or click on the image below and complete the simple online form. And if you want to find out more about the dedicated service for pregnant women, click here.
- Want to know more about how alcohol impacts your health? Check out Get Healthy at Work’s Alcohol and your Health factsheet. It includes tips on low-risk drinking, information for women pregnant or breastfeeding, advice for men, as well as a number of support and treatment services.
- NSW Health has produced a handy document with tips to reduce your alcohol consumption while working from home. There’s also a version for employers too.
- Check out this page on Your Room – a joint initiative by NSW Health and St Vincent’s Alcohol and Drug Information Service – which has information, advice, a risk assessment tool and helplines to support you.
- The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has a Coping with Coronavirus page that contains a range of helpful links with advice on a number of topics, from relapse and withdrawal, to resources and support services.
- The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has created an online resource with tips, strategies and information on how to limit alcohol use, and groups you can turn to if you need support.
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