For more information contact:
Madison Area YMCA
Marketing & Communications Department
smcevoy@madisonymca.org

For Immediate Release

The Madison Area YMCA Wants to Awaken Summer Imagination
at Annual Healthy Kids Day^®

Event encourages kids to stay active and keep learning all summer long

(Madison, NJ)—April 5, 2019—On Saturday, May 18, the Madison Area YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active at the annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day^®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. The event takes place at 111 Kings Road from 1pm-3pm and features fun, active play and educational activities.

Healthy Kids Day is an opportunity to ignite children’s imaginations so that they can imagine what they’ll accomplish this summer. The event features activities such as Y Ninja Gym and Gymnastics demos, Ga Ga Pit games, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, Performing Arts Dance class demos, Family Fitness Zumba class and Cross Fit class demos to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home throughout the summer months.

Francisco Dos Ramos, 7, with his mom Marlene Carrasco of Madison, at last year’s Madison Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day. 

Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at more than 1,500 Ys across the country by over one million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days. Instead, the Y wants families to focus on helping children imagine what they can accomplish over the summer. 

“When a child is healthy, happy, and supported they can make great things happen,” says Madison Area YMCA Kids Central and Family Programming Manager Erin Holt. “We believe in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child’s development is never on vacation and Healthy Kids Day is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body throughout the summer.”

Keeping Kids Healthy All Summer Long 

In celebration of the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer that can have a lifetime effect:

• High Five the Fruits and Veggies– Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend for healthy childhood development. And 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. 
• Read Together – The summer is a great time to enjoy books with summer program participants—and 30 minutes a day goes a long way! Take trips to the local library or create a family reading challenge to see who can log the most minutes of reading. Encourage youth to create their own stories as well. 
• Get Moving! – Activities that require movement also help kids flex their mental muscle. Use materials in unique ways: ask youth to build models, manipulate tools or develop their own theatrical scenes. 
• Play Together – 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. 
• 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 and learning.

For more information, contact Erin Holt, Kids Central and Family Programming Manager at eholt@madisonymca.org or click here.

The Madison Area YMCA is a 501©3 cause-driven charitable organization dedicated to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. 

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