YMCA Healthy Kids Day set April 21
The Sussex Family YMCA will hold Healthy Kids Day, a free community event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 21, to inspire kids to keep their minds and bodies active. Healthy Kids Day is the Y's national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. The event provides an opportunity to ignite children's imaginations about what they can accomplish this summer.
Celebrated throughout Delaware and at more than 1,500 Ys across the country by over 1.2 million participants, Healthy Kids Day works to get kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer compared to during the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days.
Deborah Bagatta-Bowles, YMCA of Delaware president and CEO, said, "When a child is healthy, happy, and supported they can make great things happen. We believe in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child's development is never on vacation, and Healthy Kids Day is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body throughout the summer."
The Y offers tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer that can have a lifetime effect:
High-five the fruits and veggies. Kids should have at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, the minimum number nutritionists recommend to maintain healthy childhood development. And to keep kids' taste buds evolving, have everyone in the family try at least one bite of a new fruit or vegetable at least once a month.
Read together. The summer is a great time to enjoy books with summer program participants, and 30 minutes a day goes a long way. Take trips to the local library or create a family reading challenge to see who can log the most minutes of reading. Encourage youth to create their own stories as well.
Get moving. Activities that require movement also help kids flex their mental muscles. Use materials in unique ways: ask youth to build models, manipulate tools or develop their own theatrical scenes.
Play together. Play may be the best way to prevent childhood obesity. By putting more play into the day, family members will find themselves getting the activity that will have them feeling energized and strong.
Make sleep a priority. Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5 to 12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining healthy immune systems, metabolism, mood, memory, learning and other vital functions.
The YMCA of Delaware's Healthy Kids Day is taking place at every Y branch throughout the State of Delaware. Events start as early as 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m.; for specific branch times go to www.ymcade.org/hkd.
Locally, Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Nemours, which will provide 5,000 backpacks at YMCAs throughout Delaware.
For more information, call 302-296-9622 or go to www.ymcade.org/sussex.
