Healthy Kids Day

press release: This Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to Noon, the YMCA of Dane County hosts Healthy Kids Day®, a free community event designed to inspire kids to keep their minds and bodies active all summer long. Attended by over 1.2 million participants across the country, the annual celebration is part of the Y’s national initiative to improve health and wellbeing for kids and families. We’ll have fun games, healthy activities, arts & crafts, visits from local sports team mascots & Madison College athletes and giveaways from community partners. A random drawing will be held for a brand new kids bike, courtesy of Pacific Cycle!  Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically, and summer learning loss is more pronounced among students from low-income families. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day plants the seed to “charge” kids up with enthusiasm for a fun, active, healthy and

engaging summer.

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:

• High Five the Fruits and Veggies Make sure kids get at least five servings a day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend to maintain healthy childhood development. 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.

• Foster an Early and Ongoing Passion for Books Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of development.

• Team Up for Athletic Events Set a family goal of great health by teaming up for community or charity events like building & cleaning projects, walks, fun runs and bike rides.

• Volunteer Together Find a cause that matters to kids, and open their eyes to a world beyond themselves and to the rewards that come from making a difference.

• Make Sleep a Priority Doctors recommend 10−12 hours of sleep a day for children aged 5−12 and 7−8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning capacity and other vital functions.

Healthy Kids Day is free and open to all in the community (YMCA membership not required), and all three YMCA of Dane County facilities will be bursting with fun, excitement and activity during the event from 10 a.m. to Noon:

• Lussier Family East YMCA, 711 Cottage Grove Rd. in Madison

• Northeast YMCA, 1470 Don Simon Dr. in Sun Prairie

• Lussier Family West YMCA, 5515 Medical Circle in Madison