Back to school brings new friendships, learning adventures, and of course, the inevitable sharing of… everything! While we can’t completely bubble-wrap our children, we can empower their incredible bodies with a healthy lifestyle to help them navigate the school year and feel their best. This comprehensive guide contains practical, research-backed tips and habits that support the immune system. Your child’s immune system is truly a superpower – discover how to best support it this school year. 

 

Parent’s Guide to Healthy Back-to-School 

    1. Supporting Nutrients 

    1. Play 

    1. Sleep 

    1. Mental Health 

    1. Parenting Insights  

     

    Supporting Kids with Nutrients: 

    School-Aged Kids Get Colds 

    With kids back in school, it’s likely they will be exposed to the common cold. The College of Family Physicians of Canada highlights that children, especially those in childcare or school settings, experience colds more often than adults. This is because their immune systems are still developing and encountering new viruses regularly.  

    Kids get 6 - 8 colds per year. 

    Colds are the cause of 30% of all time off school. 

    The Canadian Pediatric Society further explains that while colds are a normal part of childhood, certain lifestyle factors can influence how well a child’s body responds to these common challenges. As parents, you can’t eliminate every sniffle (that's practically impossible), but you can help your kids develop healthy lifestyle habits that give their natural defenses the best possible chance to shine.  

      

    Fuel the Fortress: Nutrition to Support Kids’ Immune Systems 

    A well-nourished body has the building blocks it needs to build the best fortress against invaders and put up a good defense against them. Providing your child with a variety of nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and nuts/seeds (if there are no allergies) helps fuel kids’ bodies. These foods contain a vast array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that act as crucial building blocks for immune cells and processes. In particular, vitamin C and zinc are helpful nutrients a kid’s immune system uses. 

      

    Zinc: The Gatekeeper 

    If the body is the fortress, then you can think of zinc as being like a gate keeper. Zinc helps maintain immune health. In a research article published in Nutrients, researchers emphasized zinc’s importance, stating that zinc deficiency can impair two aspects of the immune system’s response (innate and adaptive immunity), which can leave the body more susceptible to infections. Ensuring your child gets enough zinc may be a good addition to your healthy back-to-school routine. There are many foods that contain zinc, or zinc gummy vitamins – particularly helpful if you’ve got a picky eater. 

    Sources of Zinc: 

    • Meat and Poultry: Beef, chicken, and turkey. 

    • Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and beans. 

    • Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, cashews, and almonds. 

    • Dairy Products: Milk, cheese, and yogurt. 

    • Whole Grains: Oats, quinoa, and brown rice. 

     

    The Mighty Immune System: A Built-In Superhero 

    Imagine your child’s body as a magnificent fortress, constantly working to defend itself from invaders. This fortress is their immune system, an intricate network of cells, tissues, and organs that diligently patrol and protect. The moment they wake up and even after they drift off to sleep, a kids’ immune system is tirelessly on duty, identifying and neutralizing threats. It’s truly an amazing feat of nature, and sometimes, it could use a little nutritional support to be at its best.  

    Vitamin D: The Sunshine Guardian 

    Like a guardian to the fortress, vitamin D helps kids stand tall, helping them build strong bones. Vitamin D works with minerals like calcium and phosphorus to build and keep bones and teeth strong. It also supports a healthy immune system. Often called the "sunshine vitamin," vitamin D helps your child stay strong, healthy, and ready to take on the school day. In Canada, exposure to sunlight can be limited during certain seasons, increasing importance of finding sources of vitamin D. Milk is fortified with vitamin D, and there are some small amounts in foods, such as mushrooms. As we learn more about vitamin D and kids, it’s helpful to know there are easy, kid-friendly supplements available.  

    Vitamin C: The Antioxidant Ally 

    Vitamin C is another nutrient worth knowing about this school year. It’s an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that supports immune function. Vitamin C is necessary for various immune cells to function properly. Adequate Vitamin C intake is important to immune health. Luckily, there are many tasty ways to include vitamin C in your kid’s lunch box, including fruits and vegetables. Plus, there’s kids' gummy vitamin with vitamin C for when they need a supplement. 

    Delicious Sources of Vitamin C that Kids Love: 

    • Citrus Fruits: Oranges, grapefruits, mandarins. 

    • Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. 

    • Bell Peppers: Red and yellow varieties 

    • Green Veggies: Broccoli and spinach 

    • Kiwi 

     

    Supporting Kids with Nutrients with Nature's Bounty Kids Vitamin Collection 

    Even with the best intentions, a healthy diet and lifestyle can sometimes have gaps. Nature's Bounty Canada understands that parents want to give their children the best and designed the Kids Collection with precisely that in mind – to help kids’ amazing bodies thrive. 

    Nature's Bounty Kids offers parents a range of delicious gummy vitamins and minerals, made with carefully selected ingredients to support your child’s overall well-being and immune system. 

    • Nature's Bounty Kids Multivitamin Gummy: 12 key nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals that support immune function, eye health, and the development of strong teeth and bones. With delicious flavours, gummies make it easy to get in the key nutrients that support their amazing bodies.  

    A kid's gummy vitamin for immune support should be seen as a complement to a healthy lifestyle, not a replacement for it. Always consult with a healthcare professional to determine the best approach for your child's individual needs. 

     

    Hygiene Heros: How Kids Can Be Empowered to Fight Germs with Their Own Hands 

    As kids head back to school, they’ll be having fun, giving high-fives to their friends, and sharing everything! Since many common germs can be transferred by touch, teaching good handwashing habits is a great idea. The power to fight germs is literally in their own hands! This is perhaps one of the simplest lines of defense against common infections  Research studies in schools suggest that hand washing might be a good way to reduce the spread of some respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Empower your kids to include hygiene in their daily school habits - encourage frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use of hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available. 

     

    The Power of Play: Physical Activity and Kids Immunity 

    Schedule in time to play! There are incredible benefits of physical activity for kids. Wired to move, encouraging ample playtime, sports, and outdoor adventures is great for school-aged kids’ health, and can support their amazing immune systems, according to science. A scientific study, published in Pediatric Research, suggests that regular physical activity in young children can have positive effects on their immune system. This means that scheduling time for play will not only get those wiggles out, help build strong muscles and bones; it might also help their body be at its best when it has to fight off germs. 

    10 Fun Ways to Play 

    Ideas for busy parents that makes physical activity a fun addition to your healthy back to school routine: 

    • Outdoor Play
        • Head to the Play Park
        • Ride bikes to do an errand
        • Create dance routines in the backyard
    • Orangized Sports
        • Soccer
        • Swimming
        • Marital Arts
    • Active Games for Rainy Days:
        • The Floor is Lava
        • Hide-and-Seek
        • Create an obstacle course
    • Family Walks

        • Make it a daily ritual to explore your neighbourhood together after dinner

    Re-Charge Those Superpowers: The Importance of Sleep in Kids 

    An often-underestimated pillar of kids' immunity is adequate sleep. During sleep, the body can rest and repair. Healthy sleep contributes to good physical health, immune function, mental health, and academic performance. Over time, insufficient sleep can impact how a child feels. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine, ensuring a dark and quiet sleep environment, and aiming for the recommended 9-12 hours of sleep for school-aged children is crucial for their health. Set up a back-to-school routine that leaves enough time for your kids to get adequate sleep so their amazing little bodies can recharge and be at their best during the day. 

    In Canada, 1 in 5 children have difficulty staying awake during the school day.  

    Fun and Friends: Harnessing Good Times 

    Kids’ mental health matters, too. Kids can experience stress. Helping your kids learn mindfulness techniques, offering them creative outlets, or simply talking to them can help them manage stress. Research shows that stress can have negative impacts on the body’s immune function.  

    Strong social connections and positive relationships can contribute to a child’s overall well-being. When a child's social needs go unmet, it can lead to not only feelings of loneliness, isolation and self-doubt, but mental and physical illness, according to research. You can help your kids build connections with other children who share similar interests. It can be as simple as going to a drop-in class at your Community Center that matches your child’s interests – there's so many options from art workshops to trading card clubs. 

    Parenting Insights: Keeping School-Aged Kids Healthy 

    Parenting school-aged kids is a journey filled with incredible joys and, let's be honest, a few bumps along the way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when there seems to be an endless stream of runny noses in your school-aged kids. Remember – you’re doing great! 

    This back-to-school season you can help your kids’ amazing bodies be at their best with healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a nutrient-rich diet with key nutrients like zinc and vitamin C, plenty of physical activity, adequate sleep, and good hygiene. 

    Nature’s Bounty Canada is here to support you in this journey, offering trusted options like their Multivitamin Gummy and Immune with Zinc Gummy to complement your family's healthy lifestyle. 

     

    References: 

    Common cold. Can Fam Physician. 2007 Oct;53(10):1735-6. 

    Zinc as a gatekeeper of immune function. Nutrients. 2017 Nov 25;9(12):1286. 

    High physical activity in young children suggests positive effects by altering autoantigen-induced immune activity. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2016 Apr;26(4):441-50. 

    Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017 Nov 3;9(11):1211. 

    Normal Sleep in Children and Adolescence. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2021 Jan;30(1):1-14. 

    Effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions in reducing illness absence among children in educational settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Dis Child. 2016 Jan;101(1):42-50 

    Immunology of Stress: A Review Article. J Clin Med. 2024 Oct 25;13(21):6394. 

    School recess, social connectedness and health: a Canadian perspective. Health Promot Int. 2017 Apr 1;32(2):392-402. 

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