App Review: Cave Bro

CAVE BRO by Florida Virtual School is a fun interactive app focusing on healthy food choices.

Developed by the Florida Virtual School, this middle grades app uses a game environment to teach concepts related to choosing a healthy and balanced meal. Players work their way through 25 levels. Each level introduces new foods. In addition to game play, users also learn about specific foods and their nutritional value.

The colorful, attractive graphs and fast-paced games will be a hit with youth.

Librarians will find this to be a fun app to address health and nutrition standards. Collaborate with the health teacher to build activities that connect the app with the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and nonfiction books in the library collection.

Future versions of the program may include an exercise element.

To visit the nutritional facts website, go to http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/WebObj…/MZStore.woa/…/viewSoftware… .

Website Review: BAM! Body and Mind

BAM! BODY AND MIND from the Center for Disease Control provides information and activities aimed at helping young people make healthy lifestyle choices.

Designed for children 9 to 13 years old, the website contains six sections: Diseases, Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity, Your Safety, Your Life, and Your Body; all are packed with information and activities. For example, the Disease section includes the Disease Detectives and Immune Platoon activities and more. Information about Asthma is found within Disease Detectives and more details are added in Meeting the Challenge in the Physical Activity Section. Acne and its treatment are explained in the Under the Microscope section of Your Body.

In the Teachers Corner, educators can quickly view lessons and activities, handouts, and recommended related materials. Teachers can use BAM! to provide interactive, informative and fun activities in their classrooms; activities that are linked to the national standards for science and health.

Librarians can partner with teachers to plan and deliver a healthy food activity. Setup a blender with needed ingredients and have students try the recipes for drinks and smoothies found in the Food & Nutrition section. Lots of other recipes are provided in Cool Treats. Pair this activity with a cookbook display featuring healthy recipes.

Visit and learn more about BAM! at http://www.cdc.gov/bam/