Healthy Kids Day set for May 11th at Dunmore YMCA

Posted on April 30, 2024 by The Dunmorean

The Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely St., Dummore, is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. This free, annual event features a variety of family-friendly activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families and a healthy start to the summer season.

Sponsored nationally by Peanuts, Healthy Kids Day’s mission is to turn fun and play into lifelong memories. Some featured activities include a Kids Fun Run, vendor fair, bounce houses, face painting, entertainment, refreshments and more. The event is open to the community and registration is not required.

“It is so important for kids to stay active over the summer, both physically and mentally,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “At the Y, we believe in providing resources for families to create healthy habits, no matter the time of year. Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community wide event that encourages families to take advantage of all the great summer activities the Y has to offer.”

Locally, Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Community Bank, Rainey & Rainey, NET Credit Union, Topp Business Solutions, Matrix, Cal Mal Vending Services and Brucelli Advertising.

Kids Fun Run schedule (free and registration is not required!): 10:30-10:40 a.m. – Ages 3-5;
10:45-10:55 a.m. – Ages 6-9, and 11-11:10 a.m. – Ages 10-14. *Located outside in the back of the facility.

For more information about Healthy Kids Day, including reserving a table at the vendor fair or for sponsorship opportunities, contact Brandon Whipple, Senior Program Director, at (570) 828-3116 or bwhipple@gsymca.org.

YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day set for May 6th

Posted on May 2, 2023 by The Dunmorean

The Greater Scranton YMCA is hosting the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, May 6, at 10 a.m. This free annual event features a variety of family-friendly activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families and a healthy start to the summer season.

“It is so important for kids to stay active over the summer, both physically and mentally,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “At the Y, we believe in providing resources to families to ensure that their children have access to what they need to reach their full potential, no matter the time of year. Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community-wide event that encourages families to take advantage of all the great summer resources that the Y has to offer.”

Sponsored by Eggland’s Best, Healthy Kids Day’s mission is to turn fun and play into lifelong memories. Some featured activities include a Kids Fun Run that kicks-off at 10:30 a.m., vendor fair, petting zoo, rides, bounce houses, entertainment and more.

As part of Healthy Kids Day and in conjunction with the Y’s Wellbeing Initiative, two renowned youth speakers – Taes Leavitt and Kelley Perotti – will offer motivational words to children and families in attendance. Taes Levitt will speak at 11:30 a.m. in Gym B and Kelly Perotti will speak at 12:15 p.m. in Gym B.

“At Eggland’s Best, we strive to help families fulfill their health and wellness goals by supplying them with the only egg that provides superior taste, nutrition, versatility and freshness compared to ordinary eggs,” said Kurt Misialek, President and CEO of Eggland’s Best. “We’re thrilled to be an Official Sponsor of Healthy Kids Day to make nutrition fun and encourage families to choose better-for-you foods.”

Locally, Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Community Bank, Matrix Fitness, TOPP Business Solutions, Cal Mal Vending Services, Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates, NET Credit Union and Rainey & Rainey CPAs.

For more information, contact Brandon Whipple at (570) 828-3116 or bwhipple@gsymca.org or visit the Y online at https://www.greaterscrantonymca.org/special-events/.

Healthy Kids Day the YMCA

Posted on May 4, 2022 by The Dunmorean

The Greater Scranton YMCA is hosting the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, May 21, encouraging families to take a moment to help kids be kids and set them up for a summer of success. Sponsored by Howard Johnson by Wyndham, the day-long event will feature activities such as a petting zoo, rides, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, a kid’s fun run and more to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home.

The event will take place at the Y’s facility, located at 706 N. Blakely Street, Dunmore, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. The Kids Fun Run (pre- registration not required) will begin with the 3-5-year-old race from 10:30-10:40 a.m. followed by ages 6-9 from 10:45-10:55 a.m. and the 10-14-year-old race from 11- 11:10 a.m. Additional features of the day include a petting zoo, rides, vendor fair, face painting, healthy cooking demonstrations and more.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. 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.

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 learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than during the school year. With all that’s going on in the world right now, Healthy Kids Day is a reminder to families that we can help ensure all children have access to what they need to reach their full potential, even during out-of-school time.

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer that can have a lifetime effect:

High Five the Fruits and Veggies – Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend for 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.

Read Together – The summer is a great time to enjoy books with summer program participants—and 30 minutes a day goes a long way! Take trips to the local library or create a family reading challenge to see who can log the most minutes of reading. Encourage youth to create their own stories as well.

Get Moving! – Activities that require movement also help kids flex their mental muscle. Use materials in unique ways: ask youth to build models, manipulate tools or develop their own theatrical scenes.

Play Together – Play may be the best way to prevent childhood obesity. By putting more play into your family’s day, you will soon find yourself getting the activity that will have your family feeling energized and strong.

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, and learning.
Locally, Healthy Kids Day is sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Community Bank, Johnson, Matrix Fitness, Rainey & Rainey CPA, Topp Business Solutions, Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates, Brucelli Advertising and NET Credit Union.
For more information, contact Brandon Whipple, Wellness Director, at bwhipple@greaterscrantonymca.org or call (570) 828-3116 or visit the Y online at http://www.greaterscrantonymca.org.