Healthy Kids Day Teaches Families How to Improve Health and Well-being

Healthy Kids Day 2011 at the Portage YMCA this past weekend was a great success. 85 families showed up for the event, where they were encouraged to make healthy changes in their routines to improve health and well-being. To view more photos from the event, check them out on Facebook!

Key Messages:

• Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of families across the country. On this day, Ys hold events and encourage parents to make play dates with their kids every day as a simple way to become a healthier, more active and connected family.
  
• The Y knows that many parents struggle to find the time and resources to incorporate physical activity and healthy habits into their kids’ daily routine. As a leading nonprofit for healthy living, the Y created Healthy Kids Day to celebrate and teach good health for kids, encourage active play and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity.
• By making time for active play every day, families can work together, have fun and achieve greater health and well-being for their spirit, mind and body.

Tips for Families to Make a Play Date

Including more physical activity into your family’s day doesn’t have to require extra money or resources. It’s as simple as making a play date, with two key requirements – be active and have fun! Here are five things families can do to incorporate more active play in their day:

1. Schedule a Game Night: Play games with the kids that incorporate physical activity, such as Charades.
   
2. Dance, Dance: Turn on your favorite party music and dance! Make this activity more fun with a dance contest.
3. Go Riding: Find a new bike path or park for a fun afternoon outdoors; grab your helmets and go rollerblading or bike riding.
   
4. Channel Your Inner Youth: Remember playing hopscotch, jump rope, Simon Says or freeze tag as a kid? Teach your favorite childhood game to your kid(s) and play them together.
   
5. Play Outside: Visit your neighborhood park or camp out in your backyard for some outdoor fun. Get everyone moving with fun sports like soccer, basketball or baseball.

About the Y:

• As a leading nonprofit for strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y helps families build healthier lifestyles and create stronger bonds through active play, fun activities and shared experiences.
  
• At the Y, we believe that kids and families should have the opportunity to make healthy choices and have access to resources that help them achieve greater health and well-being for their spirit, mind and body. Healthy Kids Day brings parents and children together to have fun, be active and create lasting, healthy habits for the entire family.
  
• The Y provides the education, activities and experiences that teach good health, bring families together and foster connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests.

Photos:

1. Robert Villegas tries out the balance beam
2. McKenzie Poer and Westin Chitwood jump on the tumble track