At the end of last year, Active Explorers in Invercargill earned the Rito Tohu Manawa Ora/Healthy Heart Award from the Heart Foundation in recognition of their champion efforts towards creating a heart-healthy environment.
Centre manager Sophie Pine said the team was incredibly proud to receive the award.
She said teamwork was key to achieving the recognition.
To achieve this award, the early learning service supported tamariki through providing a variety of learning experiences around nourishing kai, from creating imaginative dishes in their mud kitchen, to preparing vegetable soup or fruit kebabs and tasting new foods in their healthy menu, she said.
They also supported the children with a wide range of activities, including outdoor play with opportunities to challenge themselves, play together, wonder together and grow together while exploring nature.
Heart Foundation nutrition adviser Rosa Pask said it was a pleasure to support the early childhood centre through this process and very rewarding to see the progress made by Active Explorers.
"Incorporating produce from their gardens into their heart-healthy menu and food activities is imparting wonderful healthy habits to tamariki.
"The physical activity opportunities on offer, like their swimming programme and the Nui Explorers Nature Discovery Programme, where physical exercise and exploration through unstructured play in nature is encouraged, are building skills that will last a lifetime."
