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During the inaugural Kidfit in the Heights last year, youngsters – and oldersters – took part in a wide range of exercise activities, including Double Dutch jump rope and line dancing. Kidfit returns Sat., April 30 to the P.S./I.S. 187 school yard.
by Nancy Bruning, MPH
What do soccer, basketball, hockey, races, classes in jazz, salsa, hip-hop, belly dance, Capoeira, line dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, and pilates, plus hula hoops, Double Dutch jump rope divas, and boot camp have in common?
They are all part of the second annual Kidfit in the Heights – a fun and interactive community fitness and nutrition fair, coming to the P.S./I.S. 187 schoolyard on Cabrini Boulevard near W. 187th Street on Sat., April 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to all these activities, you’ll have a chance to get loads of information about healthy meal planning, watch healthy cooking demos and meet nutrition specialists and local health care practitioners.
It may sound a bit over the top, but judging by last year’s successful fair, the mixture will be just right. And so is the price: Kidfit is free and open to the community.
This energetic event is organized by the Wellness Committee of the P.S./I.S. 187 Parents Association. According to Susan Saar, the event organizer, Kidfit’s goal is to “help to raise awareness about childhood obesity prevention, while encouraging kids and their families to experience how being active and eating healthy can be fun.”
The fair is sponsored by CHALK (Choosing Healthy and Active Lifestyles for Kids) and the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood.
In addition to the sponsors’ support and the activities donated by local providers, local businesses and organizations have donated a wide variety of raffle prizes, including gift certificates from Hilltop Pharmacy, Fairway, Zabar’s, and Wiggles & Giggles; a kid’s bike and helmet from Tread Bike Shop; t-shirts and pedometers from CHALK; a one-hour massage gift certificate from Sandy Horowitz; half-price birthday party and a free classes from the YM & YWHA; and an autographed copy of “The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book,” by yours truly. Plus: bright orange shirts from Kidfit.
So, if you’re trying to cut down on screen time for your kids—or for yourself—come on out and play. Don’t miss Kidfit in the Heights, right in your own backyard.
And since PS/IS 187 is part of the PlaNYC Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative, which makes schoolyards accessible to the community to use in the evenings and on the weekends, you can stop by during non-school hours to enjoy a little asphalt recreation. According to Saar, “The P.S./I.S. 187 school yard is well-used on the off-hours by teens playing basketball and many families.” So, if you can’t make it to Kidfit, be sure to visit the schoolyard another time, and don’t forget your basketball, baseball, or Frisbee.
The rain date is the next day, May 1, same hours.
For more information: visit http://ps187pa.com/kidfit.html or the Kidfit facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=175#!/event.php?eid=162243060496041 or contact Susan Saar at
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Nancy Bruning has a master’s degree in public health, is a certified personal trainer, and is the author or co-author of over 25 books on health and fitness. She also is the Chair of the Friends Committee of the Fort Tryon Part Trust and leads outdoor fitness experiences and weight loss workshops. Visit Nancy’s web site at www.NancyBruning.net, hear her at www.blogtalkradio.com/Nancercize, or email her at
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