AgCenter uses games to teach health tips

Published 12:00 am Sunday, August 13, 2000

FERRIDAY, La. — Organizers of the first annual Children’s Health Fair believe learning can be fun. About 100 children and parents attended the fair held Saturday morning at the Concordia Parish Community Center.

Along with health and safety information, children of all ages were treated to crafts, face painting, chalk drawing and games.

Terri Crawford, Concordia Parish extension agent for the Louisiana State University AgCenter, which sponsored the event, said hands-on activity helps children understand and retain information.

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&uot;They’re going to learn more by doing something,&uot; she said.

Organizers and participants said they were pleased with the first fair’s turnout.

&uot;We have health fairs for adults,&uot; Crawford said. &uot;I’ve wanted to do one (for children) for a number of years.&uot;

Crawford pointed out that health issues are just as important for children as adults.

&uot;A lot of the problems adults wind up with started when they were kids,&uot; she said, mentioning such diseases as diabetes and obesity.

While the younger children played, parents circulated the room gathering brochures and information from the health fair’s participants, which included the LSU AgCenter, the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, The March of Dimes, Concordia Addictive Disorders Clinic, the Abstinence Committee, KidMed programs, Concordia Parish Library and Concordia Bank and Trust.

Debbie Randall, Concordia Bank and Trust, helped children understand financial health.

&uot;Most children think about gum and candy when they think about the bank,&uot; Randall said.

As part of an area program, the bank distributes colorful workbooks to sixth grade classrooms that explain savings and currency.

Patricia Anderson, Concordia Bank and Trust, said parents can learn from the booklet, too. &uot;There’s so many adults that don’t know about checking accounts,&uot; Anderson said.

Several parents agreed they had learned as much or more than their children from the fair.

&uot;We definitely need to cut back on the sugar,&uot; Hazel Reed of Vidalia said. Her three children range in age from 3 to 10.

Reed said she would like to see the fair be an annual event as &uot;something for the kids.&uot;

Angie Arnold and her three children took advantage of the free vision and hearing evaluations.

&uot;I’ve been wanting to get their eyes and ears checked,&uot; Arnold said. &uot;They don’t do it in school anymore.&uot;

Several of the booths featured information for back to school, such as how to choose healthy snacks and school bus safety.

One of the most popular booths dealt with safety. Vidalia Police Department Captain Wesley Brice made fingerprint cards for children.

Brice said fingerprints are vital information in missing people cases or accidents such as plane crashes, and the process only takes a few minutes.

&uot;It feels weird,&uot; 8-year-old Derek Arnold said of the ink on his fingers.