From the South Mountain YMCA:
Families are invited to Memorial Park on Saturday, April 30 to celebrate the South Mountain YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, a free, fun-packed event to thwart the summer slide.
From noon to 3 p.m., children can enjoy a giant challenge inflatable, a 50-foot climbing tower, a Spider-Man healthy lifestyle assembly, and camp games in the Camp Zone. Families can try a fitness obstacle course, watch healthy cooking demonstrations, check out a Maplewood fire truck and St. Barnabas Medical Center burn truck, and enjoy health snacks.
“This free family event shines a spotlight on the importance of staying active in mind and body during the long summer break from the school-year routine,’’ South Mountain YMCA Executive Director James Goodger said.
Research shows that idleness causes children to fall behind academically and gain weight twice as fast during the summer as compared to the school year. Childhood obesity remains a serious problem in the U.S.; affecting 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Y offers these tips to encourage healthy habits:
- Ensure kids get at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables.
- Read with and to your kids.
- Set family fitness goals; sign up for community/charity events.
- Volunteer together.
- Make sleep a priority. Children ages 5 to 12 need at least
Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Stop & Shop, and will take place at Memorial Park, 580 Valley St., Maplewood. For more information, visit https://www.smountainymca.org or call (973) 762-4145
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ABOUT THE Y
Established in 1885, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges is the largest association of YMCAs in New Jersey, serving more than 35,000 individuals and providing more than $1.2 million in direct financial assistance. Its six YMCAs, located in East Orange, Livingston, Maplewood, Hardyston, Stillwater and Wayne, are committed to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. They offer an array of programs that build spirit, mind and body for people of all ages and all circumstances.
