Bright Futures Resources for Children and Teens

Understanding their own health care needs and issues can help children of all ages lead healthful and happy lives. The resources below may be useful for children looking for information on staying healthy. ​

• KidsHealth, from the Nemours Foundation, provides information on children's health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years. KidsHealth gives families and children information that is easy to understand and free of "doctor speak" and includes articles, animations, games, and videos designed just for children.
• TeensHealth, also from the Nemours Foundation, gives teens the information they need on health issues such as maintaining healthful weight, managing stress, and staying motivated. Information on TeensHealth is reviewed by a team of doctors and experts.
• Healthy Foster Care America provides information on enrolling in Medicaid health insurance coverage for teens who have left foster care at 18 but are younger than 26.
• Let's Move! is dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that every child born today grows up healthy. The site offers a downloadable action plan that includes five activities to do every day to improve health.
• GirlsHealth.gov​ offers girls ages 10 to 16 information on hundreds of health-related topics, including bullying, getting fit, and body image.
• BAM! Body and Mind is produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and offers young people ages 9 to 13 information on diseases, food and nutrition, physical activity, and other topics related to healthful living in a colorful and kid-friendly way.
• Kids' Quest, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers entertaining ways of exploring disabilities such as ADHD, autism, and Tourette's syndrome.
• ChooseMyPlate.gov, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has health and nutrition information for children. For children older than 5, there is the interactive "Blast Off" game, coloring pages, activity sheets, and healthful eating tips for both kids and parents.
• StopBullying.gov provides anti-bullying information for both teens and kids, including interactive videos and articles on cyberbullying, the first day of school, and standing up for others.
• Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers, by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is for teens who are ready to take charge of their own health-related decisions. The guide is divided into sections that describe things like how the body works, how to eat healthy, and how to be physically active in fun ways. The Guide is also available in Spanish.
• NIMH ​Teen Depression Brochure, helps teens understand depression and how it differs from regular sadness. It describes symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping. This newly revised publication from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is available online and in print.​​
• Read the Label Youth Outreach Campaign, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, gives information on how to read the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages. The Campaign provides activities and tip sheets that cover topics like serving size, calories, and nutrients, and even offers a "Dishin' the Nutrition" rap song!
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