The Christian County YMCA will be hosting the Y's annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday May 14th. This event encourages families to take a moment to help kids be kids and set them up for a summer of success. The event is sponsored by Howard Johnson by Wyndham and will feature activities such as various activities, program registration, and drawings to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home.
Healthy Kids Day is celebrating the 30th anniversary in 2022. The Y hopes to use the day to get more kids moving and learning, creating healthy habits they can continue while they're away from the classroom. With kids out of school, some hurdles can prevent them from healthy choices. Studies show that kids gain weight twice as fast during summer than during the school year. The Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer.
Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day. One suggestion that dietitians make is to try at least one bite of a new fruit or vegetable at least once a month. The summer is a good time to read with your children. Even 30 minutes a day can go a long way so the Y encourages everyone to go to local libraries and create a family reading challenge. Another tip is to get moving and play together. Playing can really help you get going and you can build models, tear apart old equipment and put it back together again or develop theater productions.
Sleep can be an important factor as well. and doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep can maintain your immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, and learning.
The Christian County YMCA's Healthy Kids Day will take place at 900 McAdam Dr. in Taylorville from 9-11 and features fun, active play, and educational activities and various businesses will be there with activities free swimming, and snacks. For more information, contact Christian County YMCA at 217-287-7271 or visit www.ccymca.org.
