A good level of physical development, coupled with eating a healthy balanced diet, is essential for children to be able to grow and develop in all areas.

Eating a healthy balanced diet contributes to children’s overall well-being. If children have a limited diet, it can lead to a lack of energy, poor sleep quality and dental health issues. Children, like the rest of us, are encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, as well as a wide variety of other food, to help them gain the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.

Poor nutrition can lead to a wealth of oral health issues. A lack of oral hygiene combined with a diet high in sugary foods can cause dental decay. In the UK, having decayed teeth removed is the single biggest reason why children aged 5-9 years are admitted to hospital (Dental Health Foundation, 2024).

Physical development impacts on so many aspects of a child’s life; from being able to feed themselves, to having fun and playing with their friends. At the moment, however, only around 10% of children achieve the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for physical activity. Children who are able to walk unaided should have at least 180 minutes of physical activity per day. For the majority of children, this simply is not happening.

Children who can identify healthy food swaps to make good food and drink choices for current and future nutritional benefits will set up life-long healthy eating habits. Those who brush their teeth regularly and have regular access to a dentist are more likely to experience better oral health, while being physically active from an early age will help to build their core strength, which means they are more likely to have better balance and coordination skills as they grow up.

What can you do to help?

With this in mind, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) believes that every setting needs a Physical Activity and Nutrition Coordinator (PANCo) to take responsibility for championing the health and well-being of the children, staff and families within the setting.

As a PANCo, you will gain a robust knowledge of the physical activity and nutrition guidelines for children, which you can then use to educate children, families and staff about the importance of keeping active, eating healthily and developing positive habits for good oral health. You will ensure that the health and well-being of everyone is strongly embedded in the curriculum.

As part of having a PANCo, the setting will be awarded with the Start Life Well Gold Award, which demonstrates a commitment to improving the health and well-being of the nursery community. The Start Life Well framework is used to identify strengths as well as areas for development in order to improve the physical activity and nutritional well-being of children, staff and families within the setting, with the opportunity to implement an immediate intervention to improve well-being for everyone.

Teaching children about the benefits of moving more and eating a healthy diet from an early age can have a lasting impact on their attitudes and behaviours concerning physical activity and nutrition. For example, engaging children in the process of planting, growing, harvesting, cooking and then eating food is a brilliant way to involve them in the whole process and teach them where food comes from. When children participate in the process, they are more likely to try new foods and widen their food repertoire. Why not visit the NDNA annual Healthy Body Happy Me campaign for more activities and ideas?

Ella, NDNA PANCo Pioneer, said: “I am proud to have been able to complete this course for my setting and for my own personal development. I want to provide the best early years care possible and for all children to thrive at the setting. It has given me more understanding of the impact of physical activity and nutrition and how to improve things.”

By fostering these habits early on, we can help children build a strong foundation for a healthy, active and fulfilling life.

Want to find out more?

Enrol on this free Get Up To Speed with PANCo course to sample some of the materials and get an insight into the impact a PANCo can have in your setting.

Find out more about becoming an NDNA PANCo Pioneer by visiting the physical activity and nutrition page.