VENTURA, CA. - On Saturday, April 16, the Ventura Family YMCA is encouraging all kids and parents in Ventura County to come to the Y for a play date and commit to being active every day. It’s all part of the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day™ – the nation’s largest health day for families. The free event will take place at the Ventura Family YMCA from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. where families can enjoy a free lunch, meet local vendors and explore a real fire truck.

As a leading nonprofit strengthening community through healthy living, the Y holds Healthy Kids Day to teach healthy habits to kids and inspire a lifetime love of physical activity. At a time when one in three children in the United States are overweight or obese (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), developing healthier habits that include increased physical activity is more important than ever.

“At the Ventura Family YMCA, we know that parents struggle to find the time to incorporate more active play and healthier habits into their kids’ daily routine,” says Jacob Munyon, Child Care Director at the Ventura Family YMCA.“Doing so doesn’t have to require extra money or resources. It’s as simple as making a play date with your kids, with two key requirements – be active and have fun!”

As part of Healthy Kids Day, the Y encourages families to make play dates everyday as a simple way to become healthier, more active and connected. The Ventura Family YMCA recommends five simple activities families can do to play together:

1. Schedule a Game Night: Play games with the kids that incorporate physical activity, such as Charades.
2. Dance, Dance: Turn on your favorite party music and dance! Make this activity more fun with a dance contest.
3. Go Riding: Find a new bike path or park for a fun afternoon outdoors; grab your helmets and go rollerblading or bike riding.
4. Channel Your Inner Youth: Remember playing hopscotch, jump rope, Simon Says or freeze tag as a kid? Teach your favorite childhood game to your kid(s) and play them together.
5. Play Outside: Visit your neighborhood park or camp out in your backyard for some outdoor fun. Get everyone moving with fun sports like soccer, basketball or baseball.

Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated at nearly 1,600 Ys across the country, with more than 700,000 families expected to attend this year.

Healthy Kids Day is supported by Child Health & Disability, Farmers Insurance, Goofytoofy, Oxnard Children’s Dental Group, Healthy Families, Santa Paula Medical West Clinic/Youth Wellness Clinic, Ventura Fire Department, and Vitality Chiropractic. Oxnard Children’s Dental will be doing an activity on oral hygiene at 10 a.m. as well.

Families can even be part of a live audience for the YMCA After The Bell Program’s filming of the Catie and Katie Show. Filming will start at 10 a.m. and will be running in 15 minute segments so people can participate in different parts of the show.

Nationally, Healthy Kids Day is supported by the Dodge brand, PepsiCo and Sam’s Club.

For more information, contact Jacob Munyon at 805 642 2131 or visit ciymca.org/ventura.

About the Ventura Family Y
The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs throughout Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Saticoy. Through the Open Doors program the YMCA ensures that no one is ever turned away due to their inability to pay and facility memberships without contracts or join fees makes the Ventura Family YMCA accessible to everyone. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003. log on to ciymca.org/ventura.