February 2014…Did you know the heart pumps about 100 gallons of blood an hour, according to the Texas Heart Institute? Or that The Franklin Institute says the average child’s blood vessels, if laid in one line, would be about 60,000 miles long?

These are just some of the fun facts you can have your students track down in observance of American Heart Month during February. It’s a good time to help students understand that healthy eating and physical activity can help prevent heart disease.

See the “Healthy-heart activities” section of our teacher’s guide for more ideas and activities. Look for more stories and activities in your school’s health newspaper this year as part of our Healthy-Heart Program.