On Saturday, April 11, the Missoula Family YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families, features activities such as indoor and outdoor games, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, and summer activity planning to motivate and teach families how to develop a healthy routine at home.
YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at nearly 1,300 Ys across the country, 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. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles – or gaps – that prevent them from reaching their full potential, related to hunger, water safety, learning, safe spaces to play, and health. 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. Information about YMCA Summer Camps will also be available. For a complete list of summer camp options, check out the YMCA Summer Program Guide.
“The Y is so much more than sports, swimming, summer camp and a place for kids to hang out. We support families in their efforts to instill healthy habits at home,” said Keri McHugh, Senior Director of Member Service at the Y. “We know that it can sometimes feel like a challenge. So at Healthy Kids Day, we’ll encourage kids to stay physically and intellectually active all summer long, and give families tips they can easily replicate at home. It’s free and open to the community.”
In celebration of YMCA’s 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.
The Missoula Family YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day takes place at 3000 S. Russell St. from 9 am to noon, and features fun, active play and educational activities, such as pony rides with Dunrovin Ranch, gymnastics with MISMO, Eat Smart Be Smart Bingo with the Missoula County Health department, Water Safety with Search and Rescue, and so much more. Slash from the Missoula Maulers, and Ollie the Osprey will also be in attendance, and YMCA Summer Camp registration will be open with special discounts and prizes.
Healthy Kids Day is brought to you by your Missoula Family YMCA, and also supported by nationally by Humana.
For more information, contact Amber Johnson at 406-721-9622 or visit the YMCA’s new website.
In addition to the YMCA, other participating Healthy Kids Day buinesses and organizations include:
American Heart Association
Animal Wonders
Children’s Dentistry of the Rockies
Dueling Dragons Tae Kwon Do
Dunrovin Ranch
Free Cycles
Good Food Store
Graduation Matters
Great Harvest
Let’s Move Missoula
Mamalode Magazine
Medstar Helicopter!
Matz Family Chiropractic
Mismo Gymnastics
Missoula City Fire Department
Missoula County Search and Rescue
Missoula County Sherriff’s Office
Missoula Health Department / WIC
Missoula Maulers/SLASH
Missoula Osprey / Ollie
Missoula Parks & Rec
Missoula Robotics Team
Mountain Line
Mountain Mojo Photo
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Special Olympics MT
St Patrick Catch Program
Safe Kids Missoula
Super Skippers
UM Athletics/Monte
U of M Spectrum
YMCA – Oula /Zumba
YMCA – Basketball
YMCA – Soccer
YMCA – Fruit and Vegetable Painting
YMCA – After School and HEPA
YMCA – MYST
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The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 22 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.