Tampa YMCA Healthy Kids Day Helps Kids Exercise Minds, Bodies

The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA is celebrating YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day with a free community event that encourages kids and families in the Tampa Bay area to get moving and learning.

The Healthy Kids Day takes place at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N. Ashley Dr., D, from downtown Tampa, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27.

The free event features fun, active play and educational activities, such as bounce houses, fitness demonstrations, arts and crafts, water safety tips, healthy snacks and sports giveaways.

Back by popular demand is the Y’s annual local mascot challenge, where well-known mascots compete in an entertaining dance-off. Local mascots competing this year include: The Tampa Bay Rays’ Raymond, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Thunderbug, Tampa Yankees’ Blue, Clearwater Threshers’ Phinley, Plato the Publix dinosaur, Chuck E. Cheese, Sparky the Fire Dog, Y Guy and Y Gal, plus many others. Attendees can also expect special appearances by professional athletes.

Healthy Kids Day, the Y’s national initiative to improve families’ health and well-being, takes place at 1,900 Ys, and kick-starts healthier behaviors now and throughout the summer, a critical out-of-school time for children’s health.

A lot of U.S. children don't receive the daily recommended hours of physical activity and reading and daily amounts of healthy foods. According to the latest findings of the YMCA’s Family Health Snapshot – a survey of parents that gauges their children’s activity levels during the school year – only 19 percent of children get 60 minutes of physical activity, only 17 percent read books for fun and only 12 percent eat at least eight fruits and vegetables daily.

Research shows without access to out-of-school physical and learning activities, kids fall behind academically and gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year.

The YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day will help parents begin thinking early about what their kids need to grow and achieve all summer long.

YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day is supported by local media partner Publix, which is committed to encouraging kids to lead a healthy lifestyle.

“At the Tampa Y, we know parents struggle to keep their kids physically and intellectually active every day. We want to help ensure fewer kids are at risk of childhood obesity and more kids excel in school,” said Lalita Llerena, communications director for the Tampa Y. “YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day will get kids moving and learning while also helping families get a jump on creating a healthier summer, and ultimately a healthier future.”