Growing Healthy Bodies

The Sandbox Project Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group commends Toronto Public Health on not sending ‘Fat Letters’; warns of negative repercussions of weighing kids

The Sandbox Project's Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group writes letter to Toronto Public Health to identify key issues to consider in its BMI study

To Whom It May Concern,

On behalf of The Sandbox Project charity and our Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group, we would first like to commend you on initiating the Body Mass Index (BMI) Study, to be held in schools next year. As a national child and youth health charity, we are encouraged that you have made this a priority to invest in the health of children as they truly are our future. While this study is a valuable resource that identified one measurement of the status of Toronto children’s health, there are some issues that have been identified by our Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group experts that we would like to bring to your attention.

National Post: New concept of physical literacy has parents wondering if they need to teach their kids how to play now, too

National Post's Sarah Boesveld writes about parents and physical literacy

Sara Smeaton used to write notes to excuse herself from gym class — and she got her mother to write them too. A dancer, gymnast and swimmer as a kid, she ditched the pool at age 10 after she was put in a lonely synchronized swimming class.

“You can’t synchronize swim by yourself without feeling like a huge loser,” says the Toronto mother of two. That was the “turning point” — the moment she decided she was just not “sporty.” A sedentary adolescence took hold.

The Sandbox Project’s Letter to Honourable Deb Matthews

The Sandbox Project's Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group responds to the No Time to Wait: The Healthy Kids Strategy

Dear Honorable Minister, 

On behalf of The Sandbox Project, we would first like to commend you on forming the Ontario Healthy Kids Panel to address a very important issue to all Canadians including Ontario: kid’s health. As a national child and youth health charity we are encouraged that you have made this a priority to invest in the health of children as they truly are our future. While this report is a valuable resource that identified the status of Ontario children’s health, there are some issues that have been identified by our Growing Healthy Bodies Working Group experts that we would like to bring to your attention.

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The Globe and Mail: Canada is a laggard on children’s health. We need to do better – The Sandbox Project

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The Globe and Mail's André Picard writes about Canada's ranking when it comes to kids' health and The Sandbox Project

With the desk-banging, heckling and mock outrage that passes for debate in Question Period, the ham-fisted attempts to steal from the cookie jar that is the public treasury and the almost laughable denials of the obvious, the antics of Parliamentarians can, at times, seem childish.

So it is nice to see that someone has thought it fit to set up a big sandbox near Parliament Hill – complete with pails and shovels – and invite MPs and Senators alike to come play.

The “world’s biggest sandbox” (as it is billed) is not designed to mock the foibles of elected officials but rather to engage them, to remind them that, when it comes to kids’ health, Canada can do a lot better.

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The Sandbox Project Spring 2013 Update

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The Sandbox Project Spring 2013 News and Updates

Read more for the latest on The Sandbox Project's recent activities and information on partner organizations.