Healthy Habits for Growing Minds & Bodies

At Bright Years Academy, nutrition and physical activity are essential parts of our early childhood education program. Across our Connecticut child care centers, children enjoy nutritious meals, active play, and daily movement that support healthy growth, development, and overall well-being.

From wholesome snacks that fuel busy days to engaging opportunities for indoor and outdoor play, every part of our program encourages children to build healthy habits from an early age. Through age-appropriate Learning Experience Plans, our Teachers help children understand the importance of nutrition, movement, health, and wellness while making learning active, fun, and meaningful.

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Food & Nutrition

Well-nourished children are prepared to learn, play, and thrive. Our mission is to foster healthy eating habits from an early age that support each child’s growth, development, and overall well-being. Bright Years Academy serves whole foods, whole grains, and nutritious snacks that help fuel active minds and bodies throughout the day.

Our Menu

Bright Years Academy works with our Nutrition Consultant, Dr. Jenn Krebs Rapkin, to create and assess our snack menus so they are both healthy and delicious.

Mealtime is also a valuable opportunity for children to connect with their friends, practice self-help skills, and make healthy choices. Our Teachers encourage conversation, model positive social interactions, and help children develop positive eating habits they’ll carry with them as they grow.

 

Menu Items Served:

  • WHOLE or 2% MILK – whole milk for children under 3, 2% for preschoolers
  • DAIRY PROTEINS – yogurt, cheese
  • FRESH FRUITS – bananas
  • FRUIT CUPS – in natural juice, no added sugar
  • WHOLE GRAINS – cereal, cereal bars, crackers
Explore Our Sample Menu

Daily Exercise

We get your child moving every day, rain or shine. From infants learning to reach, roll, crawl, and walk to preschoolers riding tricycles, dancing, and playing games, every stage of development includes opportunities for active play and movement. Our indoor and outdoor learning spaces are designed to encourage exploration while helping children build gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and confidence. Every activity is thoughtfully planned to support healthy physical development while making movement fun.

Outdoor Play Areas

Playing outside is an important part of every child’s day. At each of our Connecticut child care and preschool centers, children enjoy age-appropriate playgrounds designed for safe, active outdoor play while building physical strength, coordination, and confidence.

Whether they’re climbing, running, or playing with friends, children stay active while developing important gross motor skills in a fun, engaging environment.

Outdoor Classroom

Our outdoor classrooms are a natural extension of the learning experience, giving children opportunities to learn through play, hands-on exploration, and teacher-led activities.

Whether observing nature, exploring seasonal changes, or participating in group activities, children build curiosity, creativity, and important social skills while discovering the world around them.

Indoor Gym

Most Bright Years Academy locations feature an indoor gym, providing children with a safe space for physical activity when the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor play.

Our indoor gyms are designed for music and movement activities that keep children active year-round. With guidance from our Teachers, children use bean bags, hula hoops, silk parachutes, musical instruments, and age-appropriate music to build movement skills, coordination, physical confidence, and social skills while having fun.

Meet Our Nutrition Consultant

Dr. Jenn Krebs Rapkin – A licensed naturopathic physician in private practice for over a decade, Dr. Jenn Krebs Rapkin trained, and now teaches, at University of Bridgeport’s College of Naturopathic Medicine. She developed and currently practices her own specialized Narrative Body Therapy and is the founder of A Mind-Body Practice, the only naturopathic medical practice in Connecticut to specialize in holistic and integrative mental health. Dr. Rapkin writes regularly on the topics of health, wellness and mindfulness in her two blogs, The Mind-Body Blog and The Mommy Tune-up.

Dr. Rapkin is also the mom of two young children and is committed to promoting and establishing healthy nutritional habits early in life.

dr. jenn