August Healthy Summer Challenge

Published: August 1, 2023

Each month this summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living has been focusing on ways to stay healthy while school is out. In June, we shared nutritious challenges and healthy food substitutions for a balanced diet. In July, we challenged you to incorporate more physical activity into your day. For the month of August, we’re focusing on promoting good sleep habits and taking care of your mind and body with our Healthy Summer Challenge calendar. This is the perfect month to build healthy habits before the school year begins, and taking care of yourself is essential!

Several of our challenges this month focus on getting a full night’s rest and reducing the amount of time spent in front of a screen. If you are looking for more tips and best-practices, visit our Child Screen Time Toolkit, where we have ample resources for parents, schools and the community.

In the meantime, see how many of our 28 challenges you can complete this month. Some of our favorites:

• DIY spa night: Take an evening to relax with the family. Massages, face masks and comfy loungewear is a great way to end the week and get yourself ready for the school year. 
• Practice meditation: Meditation is used to rest the mind, body and spirit. Several studies in school settings show that kids who practice mediation have improved attention and behavior. There are also physical benefits as it calms the nervous system and decreases stress hormones.
• Spend the morning volunteering: A study, led by Kevin Lanza, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, human genetics, and environmental sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, found that children and teenagers who volunteer tend to flourish mentally and physically. Give back to your community by spending a couple of hours at your local animal shelter or food bank.

Big changes come one step at a time. Join our challenge by downloading and printing our pdf calendar below and hanging it up somewhere you and your kids can see. After completing each challenge, cross it off or put a sticker on it, and see how many you can do this month! We’d love to hear how you’re staying healthy this summer, so follow and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Download August Summer Challenge PDF