Building Healthy Kids in South Brunswick

With a focus on building strong kids, strong families and strong communities, the  will highlight all it has to offer with this Saturday's annual Healthy Kids Day. The event showcases the Y's commitment to strengthen communities by addressing gaps in health and education.

Healthy Kids Day also encourages kids and parents to keep their body and mind active this summer. 

"This is a day we focus on mental and physical health with a theme of 'Take on the Summer.' We try to equip the community with the best possible place for summertime learning and fitness," said YMCA Senior Program Director Joe Marciszyn. 

Over 20 vendors will be on hand at the Y at Healthy Kids Day, which is free and open to the public. The event will feature free youth fitness demonstrations, a Wii Fitness Challenge, goodie bags, and contests all day long.

Magic 98.3 FM will provide music, and numerous groups and businesses will have displays. The township health department, local banks, local houses of worship, the South Brunswick Public Library and South Brunswick Patch will have tables at the event.

In addition, Healthy Kids Day will have healthy snack samples, face painting, fitness games, races and games for kids and parents, child development information, dance demonstrations, food vendors, scouting activities and information, Food Fear Factor, obstacle courses, a reading of Dr. Seuss stories, and much more.

"We really hope people will come out and enjoy themselves on Healthy Kids Day,” Marciszyn said. "In this day and age, the world is so busy, so for people to stop and take a breath, and to come out and participate in this community event while having fun with their family is important. As much as this is Healthy Kids Day, it's really Healthy Family and Healthy Community Day too."

People can also get information about the Y's summer programming with 2012 day and specialty camps .

Healthy Kids Day will be held on Saturday (April 28) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the , located at 329 Culver Road in Monmouth Junction.

"We're really looking forward to having the community come out to take a look at the hundreds of things we have going on,” Marciszyn said. "We want people to see what the Y has to offer, but this event is really just focused on the health and wellbeing of the community."