Healthy kids visit the YMCAs
In between crawling through an obstacle course and getting their faces painted Friday, children could also partake in educational activities hosted by organizations like the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Family Pathways all in the gymnasiums at YMCAs in Butler.
The Rose Schneider YMCA in Cranberry Township hosted its Kids Day on Saturday.
The YMCA hosts its annual Healthy Kids Day to commemorate the national Every Kid Healthy Week. Multiple organizations offered free activities to children and their parents at the YMCA, but the officials manning the booths also provided information about the services they provide.
“It’s for kids and parents to connect with resources that can benefit them,” said the YMCA’s healthy living director Heidi Nicholls Bowser.
Aside from the food bank and the therapy service Family Pathways, other organizations at the Butler YMCA on Friday included Adagio Health Butler, Benko Orthodontics, Center for Community Resources, Special Olympics,Butler Bureau of Fire and the city police.
“It's just darling,” Nicholls Bowser said. “There are 15 vendors, the city police and fire coming with the K9. Then we've got Pittsburgh Food Bank and the Butler (County) Humane Society.”
Several representatives of the YMCA’s in-house programs also had booths set up, which Nicholls Bowser said were there to introduce people to resources offered right in downtown Butler.
Hosting Healthy Kids Day in the second floor gymnasium areas made sure the program was accessible to the people who could get the most out of it, Nicholls Bowser said.
“This makes sure our childcare kids can come do it,” she said. “We’ll easily have more than 100 kids here today.”
Jessica Burr, clinical director of the Reach & Rise program, had a crossword puzzle set up on the floor that challenged children to unscramble words related to mental health. The Reach & Rise program is offered for free to children, and Burr said she wanted to relay to parents its methods in empowering youth to overcome personal issues involving mental health.
“Mental health is so important,” Burr said. “A lot of kids are dealing with anxiety and we work to help them find coping skills.”
Keidan McCommons, an elementary school student from Butler, completed the crossword. He said he enjoyed the activities offered throughout the gyms Friday.
The Reach & Rise representatives at the booth tried to get conversations started with children who tried the puzzle about the meaning of the words, which included “disabilities” and “wellness.” Burr said the emphasis on communication with the children was intentional.
“We have summer sessions soon and we’re focusing on social skills for the kids joining,” Burr said.
The Cranberry Township branch of the YMCA conducted its a Healthy Kids Day program Saturday.
Nicholls Bowser encouraged people to look at the YMCA’s health resources for children, because all of its programs have a health-conscious focus.
“You might connect to resources that you don’t know you needed.”
