Let's Move Initiative: National Parks Week: Moving Outside‏

APRIL  2011 Kids enjoy hiking and exploring nature, a fun way to get moving and stay healthy at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. THIS WEEK Greetings from Let’s Move! There are so many things happening at Let’s Move!. Remember when President Obama signed the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act with the First Lady at his side to reform the school lunch program? Well, one of the first reforms being implemented is to make sure kids have access to water and low fat or fat free milk. Read more about these changes consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Changes are not just happening in schools. Thanks to the National Parks Service’s new Healthy Foods Strategy, it will be easier than ever to enjoy healthy foods at America’s beautiful national parks. The National Park Service is looking at programs to get local and sustainably grown foods at the cafes, restaurants, and concession stands in the parks; read more here. And parks are not just places to eat healthy but to get moving. Did you know that this week is National Park Week? The theme of this year’s National Park Week is Healthy Parks, Healthy People. The 394 parks of the national park system provide easy and affordable places to have fun, get healthy, and spend time with your family. And during National Park Week, entrance fees are waived. So this week, take your family and get moving outside in a National Park. Find a park near you. And if you don’t live near a national park, find a state, county or city park and explore the great outdoors, walking, hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, the opportunities are endless. And remember Friday is Earth Day, another great occasion to celebrate the outdoors and get closer to nature. Until next week, Robin Schepper Executive Director, Let’s Move!, Office of the First Lady P.S. In an effort to help you find each other and work together in your communities, we are working with www.preventobesity.net, a social networking site launched by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. On this site, individuals can create profiles and connect with others in a community who are interested in getting involved in projects targeting childhood obesity. Consider encouraging community members to log on and connect with each other to join with you, or create new projects that reinforce the goals of your local Let’s Move! initiative.

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