The Gleason Family YMCA, along with YMCAs all across the country, will celebrate Healthy Kids Day on April 25, a national initiative to get kids healthy and active.

The free community event kicks off at 11 a.m. and will feature games, healthy cooking demonstration from Pampered Chef, a visit from the Plymouth County Sherriff’s Department K-9 unit and Fingerprinting Unit, Cape Cod Children’s Museum, the Girl Scouts and more.

The initiative is designed to promote physical activity and teach families how to develop a healthy routine at home.

“The Y is so much more than sports, swimming, gymnastics and a place for kids to hang out. We support families in their efforts to instill healthy habits at home,” said Debbie Fringuelli, executive director at the Gleason Family YMCA. “We know that it can sometimes feel like a challenge. So at Healthy Kids Day, we’ll encourage kids to stay physically and intellectually active all summer long, and give families tips they can easily replicate at home. It’s free and open to the community.”

The goal of the initiative is to kick-start physical activity to last throughout the summer, a critical out-of-school time for kids, according to the YMCA.

Healthy Kids Day takes place at the Gleason Family YMCA, 33 Charge Pond Road, from 11-2 p.m. For more information, contact the YMCA at (508) 295-9622 or visit ymcasouthcoast.org or ymca.net.

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:

Try, try, repeat: There are many fruits and vegetables that many kids have never heard of, let alone tried. Grab a new fruit or vegetable and encourage everyone in the family to try at least a bite.

Play around town: Challenge the family to play on a different playground every week. Identify playgrounds at a variety of parks; expand definitions of playgrounds to include nature trails, a nearby stream, and a bike path.

Families at play for an hour a day: From walking to gardening, swimming to shooting hoops, make playful movement a part of your family’s day. To get 60 minutes of moderate activity throughout your day just add 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there.

Foster a passion for reading: Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.

Make sleep a priority: Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning, and other vital functions.