At the Y, we're committed to children's healthy development and well-being. We want to make it easier for busy families to eat well and get plenty of physical activity, so it is with great excitement that we introduce our 5210 program.
5210 is a new program the Y is implementing this fall in all of our School-Age Child Care and Preschool Child Development programs. It is a program that helps children to: learn about healthy eating and exercise, redirect excessive "screen time" (TV, computer use, video games, etc.) and select healthier drinks.
5210 will educate children already participating in our programs about making healthy choices, and it will provide take-home educational materials so families can support healthy choices as well. The 5210 program is based on the most recent science and research available; we've added "the Y way" to make it fun and interactive for children.
5210 is built on four main pillars that help children live healthy everyday:
- 5 Five servings of fruits and vegetables each day
- 2 Two hours or less of screen time daily
- 1 One hour or more of physical activity each day
- 0 Zero sugary drinks
The 5210 program incorporates lessons and activities about healthy eating with physical activity. Together, they encourage healthy behaviors through active play, literacy and math-skill development, creative learning, and hands-on snack time activities. The program will be implemented in many other Y programs in 2013, such as: swim lessons, youth super sports, child watch, first tee, summer camp and others.
Teen Leaders' Club provides volunteer service to the community while developing leadership skills, volunteer services, academics, good health, and living by the YMCA Character Development values.