Kent YMCA to offer Healthy Kids Day Saturday, April 27

The new Kent YMCA, scheduled to open this fall, will host its first Healthy Kids Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Morrill Meadows Park, 10828 SE 248 St., next to where the facility is under construction.

More than 1,500 Ys across the county will host the free event to inspire more kids and families to keep their minds and bodies healthy, according to a YMCA press release. Families can enter to win a free year of membership at the new Kent Y or a free week of summer camp. Learn more by visiting seattleymca.org/healthykidsday.

Activities include games, arts and crafts, free snacks and healthy living demonstrations, prize drawings, free bike helmets to the first 200 kids, free T-shirts to the first 100 kids and coupons for Y memberships.

The goal is to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they can continue all summer long. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential, according to the release. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer months than during the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days.

“When a child is healthy, happy, and supported they can make great things happen,” says Wendy Bart, chief membership and health officer for the YMCA of Greater Seattle. “We believe in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child’s development is never on vacation, and Healthy Kids Day is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body throughout the summer.”

Kaiser Permanente and the Physio Foundation are local sponsors of Healthy Kids Day in the Greater Seattle Area. Kaiser Permanente will provide free bike helmets to the first 200 kids at each of the 11 participating locations. Thanks to a generous contribution by the Physio Foundation, Y instructors will hold free compression only CPR training as well.

The new Kent facility will offer community gathering spaces and an aquatic center with lap lanes and swim areas as well as gym, group fitness and cardio spaces. The indoor facilities are complimented by outdoor recreation in the expanded Morrill Meadows Park. The Y will bring a significant expansion of school, child care and enrichment programs for youth. Anyone can sign-up as a charter member and qualify for the charter member gift pack by visiting seattleymca.org/locations/kent-ymca.