As the calendar flips to June, we know that The Kids FREE Wellness Day is right around the corner as it has been for numerous years. For the eighth year on June 3rd, the front lawn of The Wellness Center will be filled with all sorts of activities and games for kids to experience hands-on invitations to health and wellness in a fun and FREE way!
History and data have proven that healthier kids become healthier adults and the CDC (Center for Decides and Prevention Center) now stands behind the statement that, “healthier kids are better learners” too! (https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/
While no one wants to label one child as healthier than another, we can all agree that our kids deserve the best health and access to health and wellness no matter what. We know that kids who are loved, nurtured, fed well, engaged, move their bodies, and have social and emotional support, start to push past the kids who don’t have those things. Many times, this is because of the lack of access to resources such as food. There is a food access problem in our area, and on top of that, if your kids aren’t getting enough food, we can imagine that they also aren’t likely getting enough “healthy” food either, like fresh fruits or vegetables. Many of our kids have barriers to transportation which means they have less access to being in clubs, or on teams which are a tremendous gift to a child’s health and wellness.
While Kids FREE Wellness Day certainly can’t solve all our problems, it is one day, that if our kids can get here, they can have some fun, and experience everything together. There’s no cost to anything. Everyone gets to tie-dye shirts, everyone gets a free healthy snack, everyone gets to try the obstacle course, and gets free gifts. With this, our kids get to build their knowledge, their self-esteem, and their connections to the community too, which helps them to feel more engaged, and valued and in turn makes kids better students, more active participants, and healthier kids, which is what we want!
Why? Because it’s important to remind our kids and ourselves that health and wellness can be fun, and it should be for everyone! We want our kids to be as healthy and as independent as possible. If our kids can learn healthy brushing habits in a fun way at Kids’ Day, maybe when they take their free toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss home, they’ll try it, and maybe they will keep trying it and just maybe, at Kids FREE Wellness Day they started a new healthy habit that will last a lifetime.
Therefore, ALL KIDS, local, or not. Rich or poor. You name it. This Saturday is for you! We have activities for all kids to come and just have some fun as we learn and play in a safe and healthy way, and hopefully plant some seeds for a healthier future for our kids and our communities! This Saturday: June 3rd,9:30 am – Noon, at The Wellness Center (1734 Crawford Farm Rd. Newport, 05855). There’s no registration needed, and it’s rain or shine!
We will have a variety of fun and educational activities including tie-dying station, face painting, obstacle course, license plate making, lawn games, healthy handwashing with our fun glow-in-the-dark machine, the smoothie bike with free smoothies, outdoor safety, and tick information, a supply of giveaways to include backpacks, sunscreen, toothbrushes, jump ropes and more! Our Kid’s Wellness Day is all about learning different ways to reach our youth and share in healthy habits that can last a lifetime. The hope of Kids Day is to present healthy lifestyle choices in a universal language every child understands — fun!
Here at The Wellness Center, we believe that investing in our children is an investment in the wellness of our future. We also believe that wellness is for every BODY which is why we have been the meeting place for fun, health, and fitness in the community for over 41 years! So, grab the kids and meet us at The Wellness Center (1734 Crawford Farm Road, Newport VT, 334-5566) this 8th Annual Kids Free Wellness Day!
Mary Hoadley
Director of The Wellness Center