On Saturday, April 25, The Community YMCA is hosting a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. Healthy Kids Day, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families, will feature physical games, arts & crafts, healthy snacks and more to motivate and teach families how to develop a healthy routine at home.
Celebrated at nearly 1,300 Y facilities across the country — including the CYMCA’s Family Health and Wellness Center at 166 Maple Avenue — Healthy Kids Day aims to get more kids moving and learning, so they can keep up the habit all summer long; a critical out-of-school time for kids’ health and achievement. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles, or gaps, related to learning, water safety, and safe places to play, that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Each year, the Y helps over 9 million youth nationwide “hop the gap” and achieve more, providing a safe to place to learn, stay healthy and build friendships.
In celebration of Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:
- Try, try, repeat – There are many great tasting fruits and vegetables that many kids have never heard of, let alone tried. Grab a new fruit or vegetable and encourage everyone in the family to try at least a bite.
- Play around town – Challenge the family to play on a different playground every week. Identify playgrounds at a variety of parks; expand definitions of playgrounds to include nature trails, a nearby stream, and a bike path.
- Families at play for an hour a day – From walking to gardening, or swimming to shooting hoops, make playful movement a part of your family’s day. To get 60 minutes of moderate activity throughout your day just add 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there.
- Foster a passion for reading – Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.
- Make sleep a priority – Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning, and other vital functions.
For more information on programs in Red Bank (as well as the CYMCA camps in Marlboro and Wall Township), call (732)671-5505 or visit TheCommunityYMCA.org.
