Online resource helps students learn about physical and mental health

LAYTON, Utah — Teaching kids how to keep their bodies healthy is important, a program through SelectHealth now offers a fun way to learn about physical and mental health inside the classroom.

The program is called B3 Kids, brain-body boost. It’s a free, school-based physical activity program integrated with Utah’s Health Education Core Curriculum.

“It’s there to help teachers introduce really important health education into the classroom,” Dawn Wright, Director of Community and Public Relations at SelectHealth said.

B3 Kids provides health lesson plans for 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade teachers.

“Each one comes with multiple different games or puzzles to reinforce those concepts and the majority of it is up and moving around,” Jennifer Brawn said. She’s a 5th and 6th-grade special education teacher at King Elementary.

Brawn has been a part of the B3 program since it launched three years ago.

“It simplifies my teaching for me, and then the reward that I am actually earning as I do it, it’s an extra benefit for me,” Brawn said.

The program encourages students to be active.

By being active at school and at home, students can enter the number of minutes they have been active and earn points to buy classroom essentials and even games.

“We have sets of basketballs and footballs that we have purchased through the program that I didn’t have to use my own personal money for and the kids are excited that the points are valuable,” Brawn said.

Her students said B3 Kids has made learning fun.

“Things I have learned is just getting my brain super-duper smart,” 6th-grade student Lorenzo Gonzales said.

“I have learned it helps us make better choices,” 6th-grader Mason Preece said.

Brawn said she has encouraged other teachers to utilize this program.

“I think it’s hugely valuable, I hope other teachers tap into this resource,” she said.

Teachers can sign up for B3 Kids at any time during the school year, by visiting their website b3kids.com.