Fun Kids Day of Play hosted by Park District and ALMH supports healthy lifestyle
Free Worldwide Day of Play Festivities at Lincoln Park District Saturday

[October 10, 2018]   LINCOLN - On Saturday, September 29th, area children and their parents were invited to participate in Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play. The Lincoln Park District and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Community Health Collaborative planned and hosted the special event.

For their 15th annual Worldwide Day of Play, Nickelodeon went off the air in their effort to promote all things play-related. The idea was to promote healthy, outdoor activity for children to participate in, instead of sitting inside all day.

The Park District was the site of the event that included a variety of stations to get everyone moving, both parents and children alike. Stations included an obstacle course, a family scavenger hunt, a bubble station, a slime pool, and a dance party.

Participants were advised to be prepared to get wet or slimy. All of the activities were free of charge, and the scavenger hunt provided an opportunity to win free prizes.

“The Lincoln Park District and the ALMH Community Health Collaborative promote healthy eating and activity as essential components to living a healthy lifestyle and reducing disease,” said Angela Stoltzenburg - director of the ALMH Community Health Collaborative, prior to the event.

Stoltzenburg said that the Community Health Collaborative has been working on identifying important issues impacting health while still making sure they address local needs. They found that for the area, a lot of the concerns surrounding children’s health involved dealing with obesity and mental health issues. Taking part in this nationwide initiative helps to address both of these issues, and it is important to teach children about such concerns at a young age.

Overall, Stoltzenburg said that there was a good turnout at the event, despite a slightly colder day than was expected. “It’s exciting to provide this event to local kids.”

[Derek Hurley]