YMCA has Healthy Kids Day at two sites

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Davis Family Y in Boardman, 45 McClurg Road, and the Youngstown Central Y, 17 N. Champion St., downtown Youngstown, are hosting free community events from noon to 3 p.m. April 25 to inspire more children 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 games, arts and crafts, swimming, class demonstrations, healthy snacks and much more to motivate and teach families how to develop a healthy routine at home.

This event, celebrated at nearly 1,300 Y affiliates across the United States, aims to get more children moving and learning so they can keep up the habit all summer long, a critical out-of-school time for kids’ health.

When children are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential, related to hunger, water safety, learning, safe spaces to play, and health, according to a YMCA news release.

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers these 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 the family’s day.

Foster a passion for reading: Read to and with your children. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.

Make sleep a priority: Doctors recommend 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5 to 12 and 7 to 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.

For information about the program, call 330-744-8411 or visit the website at youngstownymca.org.