Health Promotion

Central Coast Local Health District NSW

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Go4Fun

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Welcome to the Central Coast Go4Fun Programs

Go4Fun is a FREE and fun program to assist your children and family with healthy eating tips and increasing overall physical activity and fitness.

All programs are run once a week for ten weeks each school term.

Each child receives a Go4Fun welcome pack, and at the end of the program you’ll receive a report showing all the great changes your child has made to their health.

Register here today to see the benefits for your child and family.

Find out more about Go4fun here.

Call 1800 780 900 to register for a program today.

Go4Fun Locations 

– Term 2

 

School Term Dates 

2022

 
     1.     28 January – 8 April 
     2.     26 April – 1 July 
     3.    18 July – 23 September 
     4.    10 October – 20 December 
  

There are now three versions of the program:

  • Standard Go4Fun®
  • Aboriginal Go4Fun®
  • Go4Fun Online

 

Go4Fun Online

Go4Fun Online is a free 10 week program for families with a child/children between 7-13 years old who are above a healthy weight. Parents and children view weekly online sessions (at a time convenient to the family), receive weekly phone support from a Go4Fun coach and participate in lots of fun activities.

Program resources are also mailed to families throughout the program including some great freebies for the kids to encourage active play.

Register here for Go4Fun online today.

Aboriginal Go4Fun

Aboriginal Go4Fun is a culturally adapted version for Aboriginal families. The program was developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities and delivered by local Aboriginal organisations together with NSW Health. The program encourages the whole community to join in.

It’s important that a parent or carer comes to every session, so your family can make the most of the program. If parents or carers can’t attend, grandparents, aunties, uncles and adult siblings are also welcome.

Register here for Aboriginal Go4Fun today.

 

Family ACTIVation

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Family ACTIVation is a fun-packed resource to help parents and carers of 5 to 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.

Family ACTIVation game cards  DOWNLOAD

Tell us what you think of these videos here!

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At Central Coast Local Health District, the Health Promotion team is always on the look out for GREAT games to get families active.

If you have a game, we would love to hear about it so we can share it with families across the Central Coast.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY GAME

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

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What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)?

FASD is a diagnostic term for severe neurodevelopmental impairments (you may see these as difficulties with physical activities, language, memory, learning and behaviour) that result from brain damage caused by alcohol exposure before birth.

FASD facts

  • The effects may not be seen at birth.
  • All people with FASD will have damage to different parts of the brain which can cause structural (e.g. small head) and functional impairments which can be physical, cognitive and behavioural.
  • Some people with FASD will have other birth defects such as heart and eye problems.
  • Although the use of ‘fetal’ may imply that it only relates to babies, FASD has lifelong consequences and can be diagnosed in children, young people and adults.
  • People with FASD will have strengths and difficulties.
  • Some people with FASD will have distinctive facial features, but most do not.
  • FASD occurs in all parts of Australian society where alcohol is consumed.
  • FASD is a social issue not just a medical condition.
  • No level of maternal alcohol consumption at any time during pregnancy can be guaranteed to be completely ‘safe’ or ‘no risk’ for the developing fetus.
  • Some women are at higher risk of drinking and need support from partners, friends, family, health professionals and drug and alcohol workers to stop drinking alcohol when they are pregnant.

It is important to get an early diagnosis so that early interventions and support can be provided. With the right support and early interventions, good outcomes across a range of life goals are more likely to be achieved. A circle of collaboration between health professionals, the family, school and service providers ensures the best opportunities for people with FASD.

Read some of the common myths about alcohol use and pregnancy here.

Every Moment Matters

With funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, FARE (the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education) has launched Every Moment Matters, a campaign about the importance of alcohol-free pregnancy and breastfeeding to help prevent the risks of FASD.  Every Moment Matters supports and empowers Australians to stop drinking alcohol through all the moments of pregnancy, right from the moment they start trying to get pregnant. Visit the campaign website for information and resources.

Find more about FASD

 

Make Their Meals Count

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Make their meals count - ;lmMake Their Meals Count is a pictorial resource for families of children aged 4–8 years.

Using photos of meals and snacks, it shows how to feed a child over the day using healthy foods. The photographs are a guide to the type of food you can serve and how much. The food and meals can be eaten by the whole family.

Meals and snacks were planned by Central Coast Local Health District dietitians to meet the nutrient needs of a 4–8-year-old child, based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Sample meals over four days have been provided.

Click on the picture to download an A3 poster or here for A4 print version.

Top tips to make their meals count

  • When you’re preparing these meals at home, remember, it’s good to involve children – whether it’s washing veggies, chopping where age appropriate, or setting the table.
  • Try to eat meals together as a family at the table, not in front of the TV or other screens.
  • If you don’t have or like some vegetables, no worries, you can swap them for ones you do.
  • Choose reduced salt or no added salt varieties of things like tomato paste, BBQ sauce and canned vegetables, where possible.
  • Choose reduced fat varieties of dairy products (milks, cheeses and yoghurts) for children over two years of age.
  • Choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of breads, rice and pasta, where possible.
  • Tap water and reduced fat milk are the recommended drinks for children to accompany the meals.

*NEW* Make Their Meals Count recipe videos

We’ve developed a series of recipe videos based on Make Their Meals Count to further support you in feeding your child.

The recipes are basic healthy everyday meals suitable for children aged 4–8 years, and are easy to make with ingredients that are inexpensive and readily available.

Watch the videos below and download the recipes and methods.

Tell us what you think of these videos here!

Recipes

Honey soy chickenFish cakesHomemade pizzaSalmon pastaSpaghettiFrittata

The Magic Lunchbox

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Mango and Sprint are preparing for ‘big school’.
Grandma comes to visit and gives them a lunchbox… but it’s no ordinary lunchbox!

 

The Magic Lunchbox is a captivating, fun story about packing a healthy lunchbox, especially for children in their transition to ‘big’ school.

Central Coast author Angela Barrett and illustrator David Walsh have created a delightful storybook to inspire and delight children in the 4 to 6-year age group. In the story, Grandma enlists the help of a magic lunchbox to show Mango and Sprint which foods to pack for school. It supports children of this age group to understand everyday healthy food choices and “the magic made, when you put good food inside.”

You can read the storybook at home or in the classroom. You can now also watch the new video above that brings this book to life through a magical, animated storytelling! 

Download the storybook and lunchbox poster by clicking the pictures below.

The Magic Lunchbox storybook
The Magic Lunchbox poster

Additionally, resources have been developed to support primary school teachers and early childhood educators as part of the Live Life Well @ School and Munch & Move programs respectively. These free resources were developed with the support of Central Coast primary schools and early childhood education and care services, as well as the Families NSW Transition to School Projects Coordinator, Central Coast.

You can access these resources below:

More healthy lunchbox information

Nutrition Australia: Healthy Lunchbox Week

Cancer Council NSW interactive healthy lunchbox builder

Healthy Deadly Lunchboxes

Additional Health Promotion recipes and videos

Make their Meals Count

Patch to Plate

Lunchbox Connection

Aboriginal Lunchbox Connection

Click here to give us your feedback on The Magic Lunchbox video!