This Saturday, all branches of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA will celebrate Healthy Kids Day with free community open houses and health and wellness expos. In honor of Healthy Kids Day, the Y has put together an easy-to-follow list to help families develop healthy habits.

High Five the Fruits and Veggies: Make sure kids get at least five servings a day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend to maintain healthy childhood development.

Foster an Early and Ongoing Passion for Books: Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.

Team Up for Athletic Events: Set a family goal of great health by teaming up for community or charity events like races, walks, bike rides and fun runs.

Volunteer Together: Find a cause that matters to the kids. Open their eyes to a world beyond themselves and the rich rewards that come from making a difference.

Lead By Example: Be a good role model—kids can be influenced by seeing how hard their parents work at home or on the job, and how rewarding that experience is.

What is Healthy Kids Day?

Healthy kids day is a YMCA initiative that’s designed to raise awareness about the importance of establishing healthy habits in kids at a young age. The goal is encourage more kids to stay moving and learning, so they can stay active all summer long—which is critical during out-of-school time.

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

As the prevalence of obesity among young children in the United States continues to rise, experts agree that children who develop healthy eating and exercise habits early in life will carry those lessons with them into adulthood. The Y’s Healthy Kids Day is designed to help parents begin thinking early about what their kids need to embrace a healthy lifestyle all summer long.

What Kind of Fun Things Happen on Healthy Kids Day?