Healthy Out of School Time ( HOST)

When COVID-19 sent kids home from school, the Muskegon YMCA went into action. Healthy Living Tips were shared daily and can still be found here. Each day, these helpful hints were given to families about activities, homework, eating healthy and quality time.

As the weather began to warm and all things ‘normal’ struggled to return, our Healthy Out of School Time staff developed a plan to keep kids safe, healthy and active.

Childhood obesity is a challenge for which prevention is particularly relevant. 

Children who have obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity, and disease risk factors in adulthood are likely to be more severe because of prior obesity complications. Obese children also have poorer academic outcomes than their normal weight peers.

Working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Coordinated Approach To Childhood Health (CATCH), and the Michigan Model of Health (MMH), children who participate in the YMCA programs receive quality activity minutes and are having so much fun, they don’t even realize how healthy they are getting.

From dinosaur tail tag, to learning about all the different varieties of apples, to running with open cups of water on a hot day (everyone needs to play Drip, Drip, Drop), area students increase their heart rate and active minutes through play.Andrea Switzer (Andi), the Muskegon YMCA Director of Youth and Aquatics spent a few hours every Wednesday this summer at Reeths-Puffer High School and Fruitport Middle School helping kids get healthy through play. The Muskegon YMCA also partnered with the Safe and Healthy Summer Task Force (@safeandhealthysummertaskforce) to hold safe, healthy and fun play a few times this summer. Andi continues focusing on healthy kids after school in the Reeths Puffer school district.