The Butte Cluster's Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences Advisor and the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program partnered with the Fit Quest Family Camp and the Fit Quest Specialists to provide families with a fun filled day of nutrition and physical activity. Fit Quest Family Camp is at 3 day, 2 night family camp which is offered for FREE to eligible families who are selected through an application process. This school year, families from 36 Yuba and Sutter County Schools, 2 schools from Colusa County, and several schools in Placer and Sacramento Counties were invited to apply for Fit Quest Family Camp. To learn more about Fit Quest Family Camp CLICK HERE. 

Fit Quest Family Camp is hosted at the Shady Creek Outdoor School and Conference Center which is a 132 acre property located in the Sierra Nevada Foothills just outside of Nevada City in California's Gold Country. To learn more about the Shady Creek Outdoor School and Conference, CLICK HERE. 

On the second day of Fit Quest Family Camp, families rotated through a series of workshops which were focused on nutrition, gardening, physical activity and mental wellness.

Garden Workshop

The workshop that was hosted in the Shady Creek Learning Garden began by having the families gather in the circular sitting area of the garden were we used tree stumps as seats. Families discussed the six different parts of a plant (roots, stems, leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers) and then had each person introduce themselves and their favorite vegetable, and then together as a group we decided what part of the plant each vegetable was. They then went on the play Six of One, ½ Dozen of the Other, which is very similar to a scavenger hunt. Six of One, ½ Dozen of the Other is a great activity for students and their families. Participants use their senses to identify and classify objects in the garden and to make observations. To learn more about this activity, CLICK HERE.

After participating in Six of One, ½ Dozen of the Other, participants made a recipe and were provided with a food tasting. Many of the youth participants were very excited to help with the cooking demonstration. We used a recipe called Delicious Dunking Dip which was obtained from the Center for Nutrition in Schools at UC Davis Website. To view the recipe, CLICK HERE.

Many individuals tried tomatillos and other vegetables for the very first time during this food tasting and almost all of them appeared to enjoy the foods that they tasted. Ingredients in the Delicious Dunking Dip included; cannellini beans, garlic, spinach, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar, and salt. The dunkers that we used to dip into the Delicious Dunking dip included; red bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini, and tomatillos.

Nutrition Workshop

The nutrition workshop started with an icebreaker. All of the participants gathered in a large circle outside and each person shared their name and their favorite healthy snack. After the icebreaker, the participants engaged in a game called “The 12 Days of Fitness”. The purpose of this game was to engage participants in physical activity. 

The 12 Days of Fitness

On the 12th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 12 jumping jacks.

On the 11th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 11 arm circles.

On the 10th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 10 squats.

On the 9th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 9 marches in places.

On the 8th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 8 jump ropes (with an invisible jump rope).

On the 7th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 7 lunges.

On the 6th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 6 side stretches.

On the 5th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 5 toe touches.

On the 4th Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 4 shoulder presses.

On the 3rd Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 3 crisscrosses.

On the 2nd Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 2 front kicks.

On the 1st Day of Fitness, my trainer gave to me: 1 stork standing.

After the 12 Days of Fitness, families were counted off into four teams of 5 and then they participated in a MyPlate Relay where they were expected to sort food cards into their respective food groups on MyPlate. Each team lined up behind a stack of food cards and a MyPlate poster was placed on a table 20 yards in front of them. The first team member was instructed to pick up a card and walk/run to the MyPlate poster, determine which food group the card belongs in, place it on the poster and then walk/run back to their team and high five the next person in line so that they would know it was their turn. Once all teams completed the relay, we reviewed the set of food cards with the group to confirm whether or not they had been categorized into the correct food groups. 

Families were then provided with MyPlate folders which included several health recipes for them to make as a family, the new nutrition facts label, a MyPlate poster for their home, and a goal setting worksheet.

The workshop concluded with having participants set goals as a family and some families voluntarily chose to share their goals with the group. 

Goals that were shared included:

1) Drink less soda. - Family from Butte Vista in Yuba City (Sutter County)

2) Do more physical activity as a family. -Family from Central Gaither in Yuba City (Sutter County)

3) Prepare healthier meals for the family. Family from Barry Elementary in Yuba City (Sutter County)

It was an all-around great weekend! Fit Quest Family Camp provides such a fun and positive atmosphere and the families that attend Family Camp truly enjoy their time there and they walk away with so much more knowledge and confidence.