habits. While designed for preschoolers, activities can be adjusted for other age groups, including toddlers and kindergartners.
In this article, we share ways that educators can adapt their own curricula to integrate health-focused topics into STEAM activities. We also share lesson ideas in a planning document designed to deepen both children’ s and families’ engagement and well-being.
Nurturing Healthy Behaviors Early
Early childhood educators are responsible for ensuring children’ s well-being. This includes teaching them about healthy habits, such as eating well and getting enough exercise. Because children learn in an integrated fashion, lessons about health can be threaded into other content areas and developmental domains.
Research shows that active, hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics( STEAM) activities boost children’ s creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. When educators introduce health concepts into STEAM activities, they create holistic learning environments that support children’ s cognitive development and physical well-being.
We( the authors) are trainers who work with the WannaBee Healthy curriculum. This program, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Partnerships to Promote Healthy Lifestyles for Children and Communities, is part of a Science Education Partnership Award designed to assist young children in developing healthy food and activity habits. The curriculum engages young children in playful activities that allow them to explore, express themselves, and think critically as they learn about healthy
The healthy habits children develop in the early years have lifelong benefits. Yet despite the importance of young children’ s health and well-being, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC) suggests that preschool children spend between 50 and 70 percent of the day sitting down. This increases their risk for developing serious health conditions, like metabolic disorders. The lack of physical activity coupled with poor nutrition has contributed to a rise in childhood obesity. According to a 2024 report by the CDC, 12.7 percent of children in the United States between the ages of 2 and 5 are considered obese.
Early childhood educators can intentionally plan lessons and activities that promote healthy routines and behaviors. Although health and STEAM are often thought of separately, they can be integrated easily. For example,
› Children learn about science and nutrition when they plant, care for, and grow food in a garden.
› They investigate technology when they use magnifying glasses to examine fruits and vegetables or when they engage in digital storytelling around a nutrition or exercise theme.
36 Educating Young Children
Summer 2026