To motivate families to have a healthy summer, YMCAs across the state are hosting a Healthy Kids Day, a free community event offering fun, creative and educational activities for kids. Healthy Kids Day nationally will be celebrated April 30.
The YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties, located at 59 Centerton Road in
Mt Laurel, will also be participating in this event.
From cities to suburbs, more than 10,000 children and families in New Jersey are expected to visit their local Ys on Healthy Kids Day to play games, exercise, dabble in arts and crafts, sample healthy snacks and discover that fun and fitness go together. Summer day camp tours and a preview of camp activities, sports classes, and swim programs are featured at many YMCA’s.
Healthy Kids Day is held annually to improve the health and well-being of families through fun and educational activities. The fun includes free giveaways at Mount Laurel YMCA.
In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families form healthy habits:
 Try, try, repeat — there are many great tasting fruits and vegetables that 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 a family’s day. To get 60 minutes of moderate activity throughout your day just add 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there.
 Foster a passion for reading — read to and with kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.
 Make sleep a priority — doctors recommend 10–12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5–12 and seven to eight hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining healthy immune systems, metabolism, mood, memory, learning, and other vital functions.
