Growing Up Healthy: Needs, Food, Exercise and Keeping Clean

A puppy and a grown dog are the same kind of animal. The puppy is young. With food, water and time, it grows into an adult. An adult has grown up and can have young of its own. The young of an animal are its offspring. People are animals too, and human babies grow into human adults.

Match the young to the adult

Each animal has young of its own kind. Here are some names to learn.

A foal already has a horse's body shape. Its legs get longer and its body gets bigger. A kitten looks like a small cat, even when its fur has different colors.

Some young change shape

A tadpole looks very different from a frog. It hatches from an egg in water. As it grows, back legs appear, followed by front legs. Its tail gets shorter until it is gone.

A butterfly also changes a lot. A caterpillar hatches from an egg. It eats and grows, then becomes a pupa. A butterfly's pupa is called a chrysalis. The animal changes inside its hard outer covering. An adult butterfly comes out. The caterpillar and butterfly are one animal at different times in its life.

Follow a life cycle

A life cycle shows how an animal grows and has young. Follow a chicken's life cycle in order.

1. A hen lays an egg that can grow into a chick.
2. The chick hatches after about 21 days.
3. It eats, drinks, grows bigger and grows feathers.
4. After a few months, it is an adult chicken.
5. An adult hen can lay eggs, starting a new life cycle.

The circle continues through new young. The adult chicken does not turn back into an egg.

Born or hatched?

Puppies, calves and human babies are born from their mother's body. Chicks, ducklings and caterpillars hatch from eggs.

Many parents help their young survive. A mother cat gives her kittens milk and keeps them warm. Human grown-ups feed and care for babies too. Some young start life on their own. Baby sea turtles hatch on a beach and crawl toward the sea.

Look at a photo of yourself as a baby. Your face may look familiar, but your body has changed. You have grown bigger and learned new things. Growth happens over time, so changes are easier to notice in old pictures.

Stages of a person's life

People grow through these stages in this order:

Baby → toddler → child → teenager → adult → older adult

A toddler is about 1 to 3 years old and is learning to walk and talk. Teenagers are 13 to 19 years old. Growing up takes many years.

A newborn baby needs someone to feed and carry it. Later, babies begin learning to move and feed themselves. As a child, you learn skills such as dressing, reading and playing games. Different people learn skills at different times and may use different kinds of help.

Your hands and feet grow too. You may need bigger shoes. Baby teeth get loose, and adult teeth grow in. Most people stop growing taller by their late teens. Their bodies still change. Older adults may have gray hair or wrinkles.

Measure how much you grow

A grown-up can help you measure your height against a wall.

1. Take off your shoes and stand straight.
2. Have the grown-up mark the top of your head.
3. Measure from the floor to the mark.
4. Write the height and date beside it.
5. Repeat later, standing in the same way.

At age 6, Sam's height is 45 inches. At age 7, it is 47 inches. Subtract the earlier height from the later height.

Sam grew 2 inches in one year. The 47 inches is his new height; the 2 inches is how much it changed.

Growing at your own speed

Two 7-year-olds can have different heights. The taller child is not always older. To find someone's age, ask about their birthday instead of guessing from their height.

Healthy growth needs care. Food and water help your body work and grow. Sleep gives your body time to rest and repair. Exercise builds strength, and keeping clean helps you stay well. Love, care and safe people matter too. Your family, friends and teachers can help you when something is hard.

A pet rabbit needs care every day. It needs water and food, and it must be able to breathe. It also needs a safe place with conditions that suit its body. People share these basic needs with other animals.

Air and water

You breathe air through your nose and mouth, even while asleep. Your body uses oxygen, a gas in the air. Fish need oxygen too. Their gills take oxygen that is dissolved in water. Most fish cannot breathe on land.

Every animal needs water. Many drink it. Animals also get water from food. Some desert animals, such as kangaroo rats, get nearly all their water that way. You need water every day. Drinks, soup and juicy foods such as oranges all give you water.

Food and shelter

Food gives animals energy to move and keep warm. It also gives their bodies what they need to grow. Different animals eat different foods. Grass feeds a cow. A cat needs meat-based food. People eat a mix of foods.

A shelter is a place that protects an animal. It can keep out rain, cold, strong heat or danger. A rabbit can hide in a burrow. A bear may rest in a den. A nest protects a bird's eggs and young. People live in homes and wear clothes to help stay warm or cool.

A need or a want?

A need helps keep you alive and healthy. A want is something you enjoy but can live without.

You need food, but you do not need every kind of food. Candy is a want. Other foods can meet your body's needs.

Care for a pet

Imagine checking a hamster's home. There is food in the bowl, but its water bottle is empty. A toy wheel does not solve the problem. The hamster needs fresh water, so ask the grown-up who cares for it to refill the bottle. It also needs a clean home and a place to hide and sleep. Pets depend on people to meet their needs.

Think of all the things your body does before lunch. You walk, talk, think and play. Your heart keeps beating too. Food gives your body energy to do these jobs. Energy also helps keep you warm.

Food helps build your body

You are growing bones and muscles. Your body also repairs itself when you get a small cut or scrape. Food supplies materials for all that work.

No single food gives your body everything it needs. An apple gives different things from an egg or a bowl of oatmeal. Eating a mix lets these foods help your body in different ways.

Your diet means the foods and drinks you usually have. A healthy diet is a good mix. Growing children need enough food; the word does not mean eating less.

Everyday foods

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein foods and dairy or suitable alternatives help meet your needs. Fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables can all be part of your meals.

Candy, chips, cookies and soda give energy too. But they provide fewer of the other things your growing body needs. Filling up on these can leave less room for a useful mix of foods.

Food does not have to taste plain to help you. Sweet berries, crunchy corn and creamy yogurt can all taste good. A food's taste alone does not tell you what it gives your body.

Improve a snack

Leo eats crackers all afternoon. The crackers give him energy, but his snack has little variety. Here is how he changes it.

1. He keeps some crackers for energy.
2. He adds cheese, which helps build strong bones and teeth.
3. He adds apple slices and carrot sticks for vitamins and fiber.

Now the foods do several jobs. He has not replaced his snack with only vegetables. He has made a better mix.

Eat through the day

Breakfast, lunch and dinner spread food across your day. Breakfast gives you energy after the long night. A snack can help between meals when you feel hungry.

If you have not eaten for a long time, you may feel weak, tired or grumpy. Tell a grown-up if you need food. Eating at regular times helps you have energy for learning and play.

A meal can hold many kinds of food. To check the mix, look for food groups. A food group brings together foods that give your body similar useful things.

Learn the groups

Whole grains keep all the main parts of the grain seed. Oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread are examples. They give you more fiber than grains with some parts removed.

Make room for a mix

Vegetables and fruits should take up a big part of what you eat. Many food guides show them on about half a plate. Include grains and protein foods too. Water is an everyday drink, and plain milk can go with meals.

Food guides look different around the world. Some show a plate; others show a circle or pyramid. You do not need to make every meal look exactly alike. A good mix over the day matters.

Check Ava's lunch

Ava opens her lunchbox. Check one food at a time.

1. Whole wheat bread belongs to grains.
2. Turkey in her sandwich is a protein food.
3. Carrot sticks are vegetables.
4. An apple is fruit.
5. Milk is dairy.

Her lunch includes every group in this list.

Ben has plain spaghetti with cheese. The pasta gives grains, and the cheese gives dairy. He could add salad, meatballs or beans, and a pear. These add vegetables, protein and fruit.

Mixed foods count too

A pizza is not a food group by itself. Look at what makes it. The crust is grains. Cheese is dairy. Tomato sauce and peppers add vegetables. A bean can count as a vegetable or protein food in many food guides.

The groups do not all need the same space at each meal. Putting equal piles of everything on a plate is not the rule. Look for variety, with plenty of vegetables and fruits across your day.

Your body loses water when you sweat and when you pee. Drinking replaces that water. After active play or on a hot day, you need more water than usual.

Your everyday drink

Water is the best everyday drink. It helps your body work and has no sugar. Plain milk can be a good drink with meals.

Soda, sweet tea, sports drinks and fruit drinks often have lots of sugar. These are sometimes drinks. The sugar can help cause holes in teeth. Water is the best drink for children's everyday active play too.

A whole orange has fiber that helps fill you up. Orange juice has the fruit's sugar but much less fiber. Choose whole fruit more often than juice.

Snacks that help you

A snack can give energy until your next meal. Try foods such as a banana, vegetable sticks with dip, yogurt, or cheese with whole-grain crackers. Nuts can be a snack for someone who is not allergic to them.

Candy, cake, cookies, chips and ice cream are sometimes foods. A piece of cake at a birthday party can fit into a healthy diet. Problems come when these foods often take the place of the mix your body needs.

After soccer, Ava feels hot, thirsty and hungry. She chooses water and a banana. The water replaces water lost in sweat. The banana gives energy, vitamins and fiber.

Listen to your body

Your body sends clues about what it needs.

• Hungry: Your tummy may rumble or feel empty. You may feel tired or grumpy.
• Thirsty: Your mouth may feel dry. Dark yellow pee can be another clue.
• Full: Your tummy feels comfortable, and food seems less interesting.

Eat slowly. This gives your body time to notice fullness. You do not need to keep eating just because food remains on the plate. Tell a grown-up when you feel hungry or thirsty.

Run, jump, dance or swim, and your body works harder. Moving this way is exercise. You may notice faster breathing, a quicker heartbeat and warmer skin. These changes help your body keep moving.

Why your heart speeds up

Your muscles need more energy and oxygen when they work harder. Oxygen is a gas in the air you breathe. Your heart is a muscle about the size of your fist. It pumps blood around your body. Blood carries oxygen and fuel from food to your muscles.

During exercise, your heart pumps faster. You breathe faster and deeper to take in more air. After you stop and rest, your heartbeat and breathing slow down again.

How sweat helps

Your face may turn red, and your skin may feel damp. Sweat is water that comes out through your skin. As it dries, it helps cool your body. Sweating during active play is normal. It is one reason to drink water.

Try a heartbeat test

A grown-up can help with timing. Put your hand on your chest to feel your heartbeat. You can also gently feel your pulse with two fingers on the inside of your wrist.

Mia wants to see what exercise does to her heartbeat.

1. She sits quietly. She counts 22 beats in 15 seconds.
2. She does jumping jacks for 1 minute.
3. She counts for 15 seconds again. Now she feels 34 beats.
4. She rests for 5 minutes. She then counts 23 beats in 15 seconds.

Find the change from sitting to just after exercise.

Her heart beat 12 more times during the same counting time. After rest, 23 is close to her starting count of 22.

Keep the test fair

Mia counts for 15 seconds each time, using the same timer. If she counted for longer after exercise, she could get more beats just because she watched for longer. Keeping the counting time the same lets her compare the results.

A faster heartbeat after exercise is normal. If you feel dizzy or sick, or your chest hurts, stop and tell a grown-up.

You can be active without joining a team. A chasing game, a bike ride or a dance can make your body work. Choose different kinds of movement you enjoy.

Move every day

Children need 60 minutes or more of active play each day. That is at least 1 hour. Pick movement that makes you breathe harder and feel warm.

You can build that hour in smaller parts. Recess, a lively walk and play after school can all contribute. Jumping, hopping and climbing help build strong bones and muscles. Include these kinds of movement on at least 3 days each week.

Being active strengthens your heart, lungs, muscles and bones. It can also help you sleep, feel calmer and pay attention at school. Movement helps both your body and your feelings.

Add up a day's movement

Jay wants to check his active time.

• He walks briskly to school for 15 minutes.
• He plays tag at recess for 20 minutes.
• He plays soccer for 30 minutes.

First add the walk and tag.

Then add soccer.

Jay has 65 active minutes. That is more than 60, so he has moved for more than an hour. He did not have to do it all at once.

Find times to move

Make a simple plan with a grown-up. You might dance before dinner or play at the park after school. Raking leaves can count when you move enough to breathe harder. Choose safe activities that work for your body.

Watching a soccer game on a screen does not give your body the same movement as playing. When you have been sitting a long time, get up for a movement break.

Play safely

Start gently so your body warms up. Drink water, use safe places, and follow the rules grown-ups give you. Wear a helmet when you ride a bike or scooter. Friends can help by leaving room for one another and following game rules.

Your body is busy even when you sleep. It grows and repairs itself. Your brain sorts and saves things you learned during the day. Sleep helps you feel ready to learn and play again.

How much sleep?

Children aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night. If waking is hard, or you feel tired and grumpy, you may need more sleep. Too little sleep can also make paying attention harder.

Nora sleeps from 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Count across midnight in two parts.

1. From 8:00 p.m. to midnight is 4 hours.
2. From midnight to 7:00 a.m. is 7 hours.
3. Add the two parts.

Eleven hours is between 9 and 12 hours.

Ben sleeps from 10:00 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. He has 2 hours before midnight and 6½ hours after it. That makes 8½ hours, which is less than 9. An earlier bedtime would give him more sleep.

Make bedtime calm

A routine is a set of actions you follow regularly. A calm bedtime routine helps your body get ready to sleep.

• Go to bed and get up at steady times.
• Wash up and brush your teeth.
• Turn off screens a while before bed.
• Read or listen to a quiet story.
• Keep the room dark and quiet.

Bright screens and exciting shows can make falling asleep harder. A quiet story gives you a calmer ending to your day.

Rest while awake

Rest is a quiet break while you are awake. You may sit after a busy game or lie down when you feel sick. Rest helps your body recover, but it does not take the place of a full night's sleep.

A toy can look clean and still carry germs. Germs are tiny things that can make you sick. Bacteria and viruses are two kinds. They are too small for your eyes to see. Scientists use microscopes to study them.

Follow a germ's path

Hands touch toys, tables, doorknobs and food. Germs can move between these things and your hands. They can enter your body through your mouth, nose or eyes. Cuts in skin can let germs in too.

Germs also spread in tiny drops from coughs and sneezes. Sharing a cup, straw or spoon can pass germs between people. Food can pick up germs when unwashed hands touch it.

A person can spread germs before feeling sick. You cannot decide who carries germs just by looking at faces.

See a pretend trail

Glitter can help you picture germs traveling. It is a model: the glitter stands for germs.

1. A teacher puts glitter on Lucas's hands.
2. Lucas shakes Zoe's hand. Some glitter moves to Zoe.
3. Lucas picks up a ball. Some glitter stays on the ball.
4. Zoe touches her cheek. Glitter moves to her face.

Lucas did not have to touch Zoe's face himself. The glitter traveled on her hand. Germs can follow that kind of path too, though you cannot see the trail.

Some illnesses are catching

A contagious illness can spread from one person to another. Colds, flu, chickenpox, measles, mumps and some stomach bugs spread through germs. People sometimes call these illnesses catching.

Not every health problem spreads this way. You cannot catch asthma or allergies from someone. Learning how germs travel helps explain why washing hands and covering coughs protect others.

Tiny does not always mean harmful

Many bacteria are helpful. Some help your body, and others help make foods such as yogurt and cheese. When we talk about germs, we usually mean the tiny things that cause illness. We do not mean that every tiny living thing is dangerous.

Before you pick up a snack, think about what your hands have touched. You may have held a toy, stroked a pet or used the toilet. A proper handwash helps remove germs before they reach your mouth.

Five steps for clean hands

Use clean running water and soap. Warm or cold water works.

1. Wet. Wet your hands, turn off the faucet and add soap.
2. Lather. Rub your hands together to make bubbles. Reach the backs, between fingers and under nails.
3. Scrub. Keep rubbing for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse. Wash the soap away under clean running water.
5. Dry. Use a clean towel or an air dryer.

Humming “Happy Birthday” twice takes about 20 seconds. A grown-up can also time you while you learn the pace.

Soap helps lift dirt and germs from your skin. Rubbing helps loosen them. Rinsing carries them away. A quick splash without soap leaves many more germs behind.

Know when to wash

Wash before eating or helping make food. Wash after using the toilet, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Wash after touching animals, pet food or trash. Wash after playing outside and whenever your hands look dirty.

Your hands can look clean while still carrying germs. The timing matters even when there is no mud to see.

When a sink is not nearby

Hand sanitizer can help when there is no soap and water. Use one with at least 60% alcohol, with a grown-up's help. Rub until your hands are dry. Dirty or greasy hands need soap and water because sanitizer does not clean them well.

A sneeze can send tiny drops into the air. The drops can carry germs. Covering your sneeze helps keep those drops from reaching people and things nearby.

Aim for a tissue or elbow

Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw it in the trash, then wash your hands. Without a tissue, aim into your bent elbow.

Your hands touch food, toys and people all day. Coughing into them puts germs where they can easily travel. Your elbow touches fewer of those things.

Sam sneezes into his hands just before snack time. He reaches for the class snack bowl, then stops. He needs to wash his hands first. This helps keep his germs off the shared food. Next time, a tissue or elbow will catch the sneeze.

Keep your body and clothes clean

Baths and showers wash away sweat, dirt and germs. Wash with soap and wash your hair regularly too. You need washing even when you do not see dirt.

Put on clean clothes. Change underwear and socks every day. Keep nails short and clean, since dirt and germs can collect underneath them.

Keep mouth things to yourself

Use your own cup, water bottle, straw, spoon and toothbrush. These touch your mouth and can carry germs. Sharing a drink is different from taking turns with a toy that can be cleaned.

Keep hairbrushes and hats to yourself too. Sharing them can pass head lice, tiny insects that live in hair.

Care for a scrape

Tell a grown-up if you scrape or cut your skin. They can help wash it with clean water and cover it with a bandage. Skin usually helps keep germs out. A bandage protects the open place while it heals.

Your teeth help you chew and speak. Your first set is called baby teeth, or milk teeth. Children have 20 baby teeth. Around age 6, some get loose and fall out. Adult teeth begin growing in.

New teeth need care

A complete adult set has 32 teeth, including the back teeth called wisdom teeth. That is 12 more than a baby set. Adult teeth are permanent: another natural tooth does not grow back if one is lost.

Baby teeth matter too. They help you eat and speak, and keep space for adult teeth. A hole in a baby tooth can hurt even though the tooth will later fall out.

Brush twice a day

Brush in the morning and before bed, for 2 minutes each time. Use a soft toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Spit out the toothpaste. Fluoride helps make teeth stronger.

Use gentle, short strokes. Brush the front, back and chewing tops of your teeth. Clean along the gums, and gently brush your tongue. A grown-up can help you reach every place.

Split your mouth into top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right. Spend about 30 seconds on each part. Four lots of 30 seconds make 120 seconds, or 2 minutes. Check every side in each part.

Clean between teeth

A toothbrush cannot reach every space between teeth. Floss cleans there. Use it once a day with a grown-up's help. It removes bits of food and the sticky germs between teeth.

Why sugar can cause holes

A sticky layer called plaque can build up on teeth. Germs in plaque use sugar from food and drinks to make acid. The acid damages teeth and can make holes called cavities.

Sipping sugary drinks or nibbling sugary snacks often keeps giving those germs sugar. Water is a helpful everyday drink. Brushing removes plaque; rinsing with water alone cannot do that job.

Check your routine

You brush for 2 minutes each morning and 2 minutes before bed.

That is 4 minutes of brushing each day, split into two times. One long brush at night does not take the place of both times. Go to the dentist for regular checkups so problems can be found early.

You know how your body usually feels. When something changes, tell a grown-up you trust. A parent, caregiver, teacher or school nurse can help you. Say where it hurts and how you feel.

Signs of illness

You might have a cough, runny nose or sore throat. Other signs include a headache, tummy ache, throwing up, a rash or feeling very tired. You may not feel hungry. These signs help a grown-up understand what is happening.

A fever means your body temperature is higher than usual. You may feel hot or cold and shivery. A grown-up checks with a thermometer. Usual body temperature is around 98.6 °F (37 °C). A temperature of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher is a fever.

Feeling warm after running is not the same as checking a fever. Tell the grown-up what you feel and let them help.

What helps you recover

Your body fights germs and repairs itself. Many illnesses get better with time. A cold often lasts about 7 to 10 days, though some signs can last longer.

Rest, extra sleep and drinks help your body. Have light food when hungry, and stay warm and comfortable. A grown-up decides whether you need medicine or a visit to a doctor or nurse. If breathing is hard or pain is strong, tell the grown-up right away.

Stay home and protect others

With a fever or throwing up, you need to stay home and rest. This also helps keep classmates from catching your germs. Wash your hands and cover coughs at home too. A grown-up helps decide when you are ready for school.

Contagious means an illness can spread to other people. Colds, flu and chickenpox are examples. Asthma and allergies are health problems that do not spread between people.

Follow Maya's morning

Maya wakes with a sore throat and runny nose. She feels hot and tells her dad. He checks her temperature: 101 °F. That is higher than 100.4 °F, so she has a fever.

Maya stays home. Her dad helps her rest and drink water and soup. She washes her hands after blowing her nose. He checks how she is doing and helps her get care if she gets worse.

Anyone can get sick. Getting sick does not mean you did something wrong.

Medicines and vaccines help your body in different ways. A medicine can treat illness, ease pain or help you feel better. A vaccine helps prepare your body to fight a certain germ.

A grown-up handles medicine

Medicine can be a liquid, pill, cream, drop, spray or inhaler. The label tells a grown-up what it is for, how much to give and how often. The grown-up reads and follows the label.

Take medicine only when a trusted grown-up gives it to you. A parent, caregiver, doctor or nurse can help. Someone else's medicine may be wrong for your body, even when you feel sick in a similar way. Too much medicine can make you very sick.

Bright pills and chewy vitamin tablets can look like candy. If you find them, leave them alone and tell a grown-up. Vitamin pills follow the same safety rules as other medicine. Grown-ups store medicines out of children's reach, with child-resistant caps.

Make a safe choice

Tom sees orange tablets on a table. He does not know what they are. He leaves them there and tells a grown-up. He does not need to taste one to find out.

At school, a friend offers Lily medicine from a backpack. Lily says, “No, thank you,” and tells her teacher. The friend is trying to help, but medicine needs a grown-up's care.

What medicine can do

There is no medicine that cures the common cold. Some medicines can ease certain symptoms, but your body clears the cold germs. A grown-up decides whether a medicine is right for you. Rest and drinks still help your body recover.

Vaccines help before an illness

A vaccine teaches your body to recognize and fight a certain germ. If you meet it later, your body is better prepared. You are much less likely to get sick or become very ill.

A doctor or nurse gives vaccines, often as a shot. Some go in the mouth or nose. Your arm may feel sore afterward, or you may feel tired for a day or two.

Vaccines protect against illnesses such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, flu and polio. There is no vaccine for the common cold. When many people have protection, many of these germs spread less. That can help protect babies and others who cannot have certain vaccines.