Toothpicks and lunchboxes full of fresh fruit and vegetables were in high demand today as children at one Tauranga early childhood centre got creative, making healthy heart edible art.

As part of the Heart Foundation's Heart Week annual appeal, which started this week and runs to February 15, early childhood education centre Friends on Fraser has been running a week-long programme of activities to drum up support.

Tama Matiu, 4, at Friends on Fraser Educare with his healthy food creation. Photo: Chris Callinan.

This morning 20 children, aged from one-to-four, took to making healthy edible art using fruit and vegetables from their lunchboxes and the centre's garden – part of today's 5+A Day Challenge.

Healthy Heart coordinator Rubie Holmes says there was a nice range of fresh produce on offer, including strawberries, grapes, oranges, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and celery, allowing the children's imaginations to run wild.

'We cut them into different shapes and some were whole and the kids went where their artistic flow took them,” says Rubie.

Among the creations was four-year-old Tama Matiu's apple with orange ears, joined by a pair of spiky oranges and cherry tomatoes. Rubie says some of the younger children's creations were also eye catching.

But with the creations not lasting until lunchtime, staff had to take photos as the artwork took shape before laminating the shots for parents to see as they picked up their children this afternoon.

Rubie says other activities this week have been skipping, wearing red and a bike day as the education centre also works towards gaining a Healthy Heart Award.

The award is a free programme that encourages Early Childhood Centres to promote healthy eating and active movement to under-fives and their families.

The programme provides staff with nutrition and active movement information, planning tools and curriculum guides to help them incorporate healthier food choices and active movement into their centres.

'They like their fruit and cucumber has become a bit of a favourite recently,” adds Rubie. 'We always offer the seasonal fruit.”

According to the Heart Foundation, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in New Zealand, accounting for more than 30 per cent of lives lost annually.

Money raised during appeal week will enable the Heart Foundation to continue funding research and help people make healthy living choices by running a wide range of programmes throughout the country.

Everyone who donates will be given a red felt heart so they can ‘Wear their Heart on their Sleeve' to help raise awareness of heart disease. To donate, text ‘donate' to: 2449, call: 0800 830 100 or click here.