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Community Corner

"Fit Kids" Offered Again this Summer

A fitness program started by Medfield Girl Scouts last year, returned this summer due to popular demand.

Last summer, Medfield Cadette Girl Scouts Katie Lyons, Kira Wirsig and Julia Steeger created a summer program called “Fit Kids” to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award.

This year, the program returned with the help of Cadette Scout Hannah Frawley.

The purpose of the program – aimed at boys and girls in grades K to 3 – was to teach kids to enjoy physical activity at a young age without the stress of playing competitive team sports.

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“We showed the kids that you don’t need a team to have fun when you exercise,” said Lyons.

Teaching the kids to make and eat healthy snacks was also a key part of the program.

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Even if kids exercise, Wirsig said, “eating junk food can undo it.”

During the five-day program, the Scouts taught kids how to stay healthy and fit through activities involving cardiovascular exercise, hand-eye coordination, and flexibility as well as good eating habits.

Activities included hikes at Rocky Woods, games like water balloon toss and double Dutch jump roping, and Kung Fu and yoga lessons from guest experts.

The kids attending the program were thrilled, saying they “loved the counselors,” and enjoyed the hikes, walks and obstacle courses they did.

One youngster especially liked “being with the kids and teachers and making new friends.”

Fit Kids also received praise from the professionals.

Erin O’Donnell, a preschool teacher and guest speaker at Fit Kids, said she was impressed that young teens “understood the importance of learning to enjoy fitness at a young age” and were willing to work with young kids to instill good habits.

To promote good habits at home, the Scouts had the kids each make their own book with all the goods tips and recipes they had learned for staying fit and eating healthy.

“We wanted the kids to remember that there are many important parts to being healthy and fit,” said Steeger.

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