On Sat., April 16, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee (the Y) is encouraging kids and parents to come to their local Y for a play date and commit to being active every day. It’s all part of the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day™ – the nation’s largest health day for families. This free event will take place at the Tri-County YMCA (Menomonee Falls), Southwest YMCA (Greenfield), Rite-Hite Family YMCA (Brown Deer) and Northside YMCA (Milwaukee) from 1-4 p.m. and feature activities such as: family fitness fun, water safety/ open swim, obstacle courses, sports challenges and much more.
As a leading nonprofit that strengthens communities through healthy living, the Y looks to Healthy Kids Day as an opportunity to teach healthy habits to kids and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity. At a time when one in three children in the United States are overweight or obese (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), developing healthier habits that include increased physical activity is more important than ever.
“We know that parents struggle to find the time to incorporate more active play and healthier habits into their kids’ daily routine,” says Janet McMahon, vice president of healthy living strategy at the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. “Doing so doesn’t have to require extra money or resources. It’s as simple as making a play date with your kids, with two key requirements – be active and have fun!”
As part of Healthy Kids Day, the Y encourages families to make play dates everyday as a simple way to become healthier, more active and connected. The Y recommends five simple activities families can do to play together:
- Eat healthy: The Y believes that small steps lead to big changes. With a balanced approach, even the busiest families can discover ways to eat healthier and feel better.
- Play every day: Play may be the best way to prevent childhood obesity. By putting more play into your family’s day, you will soon find yourself getting the activity that will have your family feeling energized and strong.
- Get together: Strong relationships are one of the cornerstones of health and well-being, and few relationships are as important as those between adults and children. The time and attention that you invest now will help your children learn, grow and thrive.
- Go outside: Good things happen when we unplug and go outside to play together. Kids and adults benefit from contact with nature as well as unstructured play and exploration.
- Sleep well: Sleep is an essential part of healthy living. So many good things happen when our minds and bodies are resting.
Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated at nearly 1,600 Ys across the country, with more than 700,000 families expected to attend this year.
Nationally, Healthy Kids Day is supported by the Dodge brand, PepsiCo and Sam’s Club.
For more information, visit www.ymcamke.org/HKD.
