Saturday, April 23, 2016

YMCA Healthy Kids Day April 30th

On Saturday, April 30, the Lockport Family YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. This year marks the 25th annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families.  The day-long event features activities such as games, fitness screenings,  demonstrations, arts and crafts to motivate and teach families how to develop healthy routines at home.


YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at over 1,300 Ys across the country by over 1.2 million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long, which is a critical time for kids’ health. 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 physical and 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 hopes to focus on wowing them with their potential and make this their best summer ever by staying active and learning.

“The Y believes in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find the Wow! factor inside 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,” said Laurie Ferris, Youth Director of the Lockport Family YMCA.

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. 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.

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

·         Team Up for Athletic Events – Set a family goal of great health by teaming up for community or charity events like races, walks, fun runs, bike rides, etc.

·         Volunteer Together – Find a cause that matters to the kids. Open their eyes to a world beyond themselves and the rich rewards that come from making a difference.

·         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 Lockport Family YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day takes place at 19 East Avenue, Lockport with free numerous activities throughout the day.  The schedule is below:

8:00 AM – 2:30 PM – Free Family Fitness Classes in our Aerobic Room & Pool

10:30 AM – 1:30 PM - Niagara County Sheriff Dept. Child Safety Seat Inspection

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

  • Fitness Screening – height, weight, BMI, strength & flexibility measured for 6 year olds plus. 
  • Sports Challenge – test your sports and game skills, while you learn a few new skills for the 12 year old and under crowd.
  • Health & Youth Fair – local community agencies will share their youth & health tips!
  • Youth Obstacle Course  – Lockport City Firefighters will test your fire fighting abilities in our gym!
  • Preschool Fun - exercise with our Preschool staff and take home a YMCA craft project!
  • Healthy Snacks – learn more about nutrition and make your own healthy snack with help from our School Age Child Care Staff!      
  • Youth Fitness Center Orientation – tour the fitness center & learn the YMCA Fitness Policies for teens.
  • Outdoor Education & Nature Activities – get ready for summer with Camp Kenan staff. 
  • Lobby Games – share family time by playing lobby games like pool, fooseball & ping-pong. 
  • Basket Raffle (All Day Long) – to benefit our Annual Support Campaign 
1:00 – 4:00 PM - Family Open Swim – enjoy free time for the whole family in the Y pool.

1:00 – 4:00 PM - Family Open Gym – spend some quality family time shooting hoops!

Join the Y Healthy Kids Day and we will waive the joiner fee a $25 - $75 savings.  There will also be raffles, giveaways, prizes, family fun and more!  For more information, contact the Y at 434-8887 or visit www.LockportYMCA.com.