Atmore children are in for a treat on Saturday, April 16 when the Atmore Area YMCA hosts its annual Healthy Kids Day in the field located next to the YMCA.

Healthy Kids Day is an event that encourages parents and their children to come out and add some fun to their day with some activities geared towards a healthier lifestyle.

“We want to encourage everyone to come out and learn how to make more health-conscious choices,” said Atmore Area YMCA childcare director Loretta Berry. “This is a great way to take part in fun activities and get everyone up off of the couch.”

This year’s Healthy Kids Day will include a variety of events including a dunking booth, live music, an obstacle course and a snack shack.

The snack shack is a newer aspect of Healthy Kids Day that Berry brought in during last year’s event.

“We are going to have another snack shack” Berry said. “Last year’s was a big hit. The kids will be able to make different snacks with granola and fruits. We will also have edible play dough, which the children really enjoyed last year.”

One reason Berry and the staff at the Y are encouraging people especially children to come to Healthy Kids Day is the rising rates of obesity and diabetes.

Berry said these rates continue to rise and that people need to learn how to live life healthier.

“The obesity rates and diabetes in children continues to grow larger” she said. “It keeps getting worse and people just need help learning how be healtier.”

Healthy Kids Day in Atmore continues to be one of the Y’s more successful events.

Berry said when compared to other Y’s in the area, Atmore continues to shine.

“The last few years there were in between 40 and 50 people present for Healthy Kids Day,” she said. “Last year, we had more than 100 people came out for the event. Our event continues to be the most successful when compared to the other YMCA facilities in our area.”

Healthy Kids day will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at the field located next to the Atmore Area YMCA.

For more information or to volunteer for the event contact the YMCA staff at 368-9622.