Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch

Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Toolkit

A Toolkit for Reaching and Impacting Youth

The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition guide is designed to help public health programs use a Policy, Systems, and Environmental change approach to increasing physical activity and consumption of healthy food among children and youth, from birth to age 18. It provides guidance and tools to establish and enhance wellness policies at early care and education sites, strengthen or initiate school wellness policies, and prepare to facilitate youth-led participatory research projects.

A woman kneels and smiles while holding the hands of a toddler

Chapter 1: Early Childhood (0–4 Years)

Provides resources for helping early care and education sites and organizations to develop or enhance wellness policies.
0–4 Years: Wellness Policies for Early Care and Education (PDF)

A committee meets in a conference room. A woman stands at the front of the room and two men are seated at a table, looking at in

Chapter 2: Elementary School (5–10 Years)

Explains the processes for establishing or expanding, then implementing and measuring, wellness policies in K–5 schools and districts.
5–10 Years: Expanding K–5 School Wellness Policies (PDF)

Chapter 3: Middle and High School (11–18 Years)

Provides resources for understanding and preparing to conduct nutrition– and physical activity–focused Youth-led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) projects with older children.
11–18 Years: Youth-led Participatory Action Research (PDF)

Policy Packet

The Policy Packet outlines effective policies that promote healthy eating and drinking. It highlights the key features and settings for early care and education and school wellness policies, among others. It also lists recommended model policies.

Policy Packet (PDF, 2.7MB)

Project Tools

Plain Language Nutrition Policy

An editable document with sample nutrition policies for early care and education sites. The document has simple, nontechnical language and is based on policies from the California Department of Public Health. Public health practitioners and ECE providers can use it as a starting point for customized nutrition policies.

Plain Language Nutrition Policy (.docx)

Plain Language Physical Activity Policy

An editable document with sample physical policies for early care and education sites. The document has simple, nontechnical language and is based on policies from the California Department of Public Health. Public health practitioners and ECE providers can use it as a starting point for customized nutrition policies.

Plain Language Physical Activity Policy (.docx)

Action Plan for Communicating LSWP Progress & Success Stories

An Excel spreadsheet containing a fillable table. It can be used to list wellness achievements, and plan how to publicize them to the school community, and track progress toward completion.

Action Plan for Communicating LSWP Progress & Success Stories (.xlsx)