Category: youth development

Find Your Fun, Find Your Y at Healthy Kids Day!

Posted on Updated on by Rosalyn Whickum

YMCA Storer Camps, and the Eastern Community and West Toledo YMCAs will each host an event in honor of the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day®.  The West Toledo YMCA will kick off Healthy Kids Day® on April 29 at 10 am, and YMCA Storer Camps’ event to follow at 1 pm. The Eastern Community Y’s event will be held on May 3 at 5:30 pm.  These free events will feature various family-friendly activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families, and a healthy start to the summer season.

In celebration of this annual kick-off to summer, we are sharing a list of five activities we encourage you to share with your kids. The goal is to have them try something new at the Y by promoting a variety of opportunities to get involved in the active play – hopefully, this will inspire a lifetime love of physical and mental activity! Share these opportunities with your children and inspire them to “find their fun” by discovering an activity they love!

Find Your Swimming Skills with Y Swim Lessons

Each year the Y teaches hundreds of children to swim. This helps them find their CONFIDENCE, teaches a lifelong skill, and introduces them to lifelong fun. Visit this link to learn more about Y swim lessons.

Find Your Adventure with Y Summer Camp

Summer is a time for kids to explore new things and expand the limits of their imagination. At the YMCA of Geater Toledo, every day is a new adventure! Whether experiencing the wonder of YMCA Storer summer overnight camp or having a blast with new friends at summer day camp, many children and teens find their ADVENTURE with the Y. Visit our summer webpage to learn more about Y summer camp.

Find Your Passion with Y Sports

Youth sports are just the start of something bigger– besides teaching healthy living principles, they also teach the value of teamwork, help fuel determination, and build character. At the YMCA of Greater Toledo, we have several sports programs to help keep children active while igniting their PASSION for something greater. Visit the youth sports and programs webpage to learn more. 

Find Your Voice with Y Teen Programs

We believe young people have the power to change the world. Our teen and young adult programs are designed to help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to lead positive change in the community and beyond. Visit the Y Achiever’s webpage to learn more about Y teen programs.

For more information on Healthy Kids Day, visit ymca.org 

Nine Healthy Eating Tips for the Entire Family!

Posted on Updated on by Rosalyn Whickum

By Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN in partnership with Eggland’s Best

Make nutrition fun when you involve the entire family. Here are 9 tips that can help keep your family happy and healthy. 

1. Post a snack list on the fridge

Have a list posted on the fridge of available and healthy snacks so it’s more likely everyone will choose those nourishing options when hunger hits. Snacks that have protein + produce are great options such as an Eggland’s Best hard-cooked egg + cucumbers, nut butter + celery, cheese stick + apple, edamame + orange slices, or yogurt + berries.

2. Play “Try It Tuesday”

Trying new foods is such a great way to get a wide variety of nutrition and create more adventurous eaters. Make Tuesday the day each week to open everyone’s mind & palate to try a new snack, a new side dish, a new recipe, or even just take a bite of a new fruit or veggie.

3. Team up in the kitchen

Cooking together makes it feel more fun and when kids play a role in prepping, they are more likely to enjoy the meal. Teaching kids how to cook is a valuable life skill that you can start teaching at any age, it’s never too early or late. And bonus, the better kids get in the kitchen, the less work it ends up being for parents!

4. Count the color on your plate

One of the best ways to eat better is by adding more colorful fruits & veggies to meals and snacks. So have kids count the colors on their plate and the more colors the better. Take it to the next level and create a family chart to track the colors eaten through the week or month!

5. Learn the superpowers of each food group

Each food group does powerful things in your body. And when kids (and adults) focus on the superpower benefits of food, it becomes more meaningful and fun to choose nourishing options. For example:

· Protein foods like Eggland’s Best eggs, chicken, and beans help grow and repair muscles.

· Fruits & veggies give us vitamins & minerals to protect our cells.

· Whole grains like whole wheat, oats, and brown rice give us energy.

· Fats like nuts, avocados, and olive oil support our organs.


6. Create a water station

Staying hydrated helps keep us healthy and energized. Keep a pitcher of water that’s easy to see on the counter or in the fridge. And nearby have cups/water bottles and some slices of cucumbers, lemons, limes, oranges, mint, and/or berries so kids can create their own special flavor combos. Keeping water available and fun encourages the whole family to drink more of it.

7. Give everyone their own day of the week

To help make dinner a peaceful, complaint-free zone, give each family member a day of the week when they pick what’s for dinner. It makes planning easier and kids love having a say in what they are eating. Pro-tip: Even when kids ask for mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, or pizza, you can make those classics healthier by rounding out the meal with plenty of veggies.

8. Make dinner a digital detox

Enjoy mealtime without phones, games, or TV. It creates more mindful meals and more connection and conversation. Need help coming up with what to talk about, read the next tip!

9. Create a bowl of conversation starters

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with things to talk about at the dinner table, so write questions on pieces of paper, put them in a bowl, and each night grab one or two to help get the conversation flowing. Questions like “What was the best part of your day, What was the funniest thing you heard/saw today, If you got one wish from a genie what would yours be?”