PRYMCA, SeDoMoCha join for Healthy Kids Day

Staff report

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the arrival of spring, the Piscataquis Regional YMCA and SeDoMoCha School Wellness Team worked together to put on Healthy Kids Day May 2. The free event featured activities designed to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active, such as a kilometer fun run, swimming in the pool and a number of exhibits.

Observer Photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    HEALTHY KIDS DAY — Participants in a kilometer fun run take off on Park Street by the Piscataquis Regional YMCA in Dover-Foxcroft during Healthy Kids Day on May 2. Healthy Kids Day was hosted by the PRYMCA and SeDoMoCha School Wellness Team and featured a number of free events to help keep children active.

    Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at nearly 1,300 YMCAs across the U.S., aims to get more kids moving and learning, so they can keep up the habit all summer long – a critical time for childrens’ health. When the pupils are out of school, they can face hurdles preventing them from reaching their full potential, related to hunger, water safety, learning, safe spaces to play and health. Each year, YMCAs help over 9 million youth nationwide “hop the gap” and achieve more, providing a safe to place to learn, stay healthy and build friendships.
    “The Y is so much more than sports, swimming, gymnastics and a place for kids to hang out, we support families in their efforts to instill healthy habits at home,” said PRYMCA Interim Director Nancy Seavey “We know that it can sometimes feel like a challenge.” She said Healthy Kids Day encourages children to stay physically and intellectually active all summer long.
    In celebration of the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, PRYMCA officials offer the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:
    Try, try, repeat. There are many great tasting fruits and vegetables that many 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 your 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 your kids. Help children read at every age and stage of their development.
    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 a healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning and other vital functions.