The Champions for Healthy Kids Coalition is hosting the Family Fit Festival on Thursday, June 25 at Mayor's Riverfront Park in Kalamazoo, featuring activities such as: 1K fun run, youth games, mini farmers’ market, obstacle course, tower gardening, family yoga, and more!

Fitness girls
Photo: ThinkStock; katkov
loading...

“We support families in their efforts to instill healthy habits at home,” said Sean Fletcher, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Kalamazoo. “We know that it can sometimes feel like a challenge. At the Family Fit Festival, we’ll encourage kids to stay physically active all summer long, and give families tips they can easily replicate at home. It’s free and open to the community.”

The Family Fit Festival takes place at Mayors’ Riverfront Park from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Immediately following the festival, the Kalamazoo Growlers baseball team has a home game against the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

In celebration of the Family Fit Festival, the Champions for Healthy Kids Coalition offers 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 every 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 our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning, and other vital functions.

More From WKMI