According to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment Survey, “Reducing youth obesity through nutrition education and/or exercise” is ranked as Kenton County’s 7^th highest prioritized youth development need. Backing this is data from the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, which indicates that Kentucky’s obesity rate is 8.2% higher than the nation’s average.

To combat this, Kenton County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program partnered with the Kenton County Parks and Recreation’s Wild Wednesday program to host a physical fitness and nutrition centered post-program at Middleton Mills Park. Children were led through age-appropriate stretching exercises and taught the importance of stretching. Then, they learned the basics of the “My Plate” food groups and played a “My Plate” relay, which also provided exercise. In the relay, three teams competed to match the most food pictures to their corresponding food group on a game board in a limited time. Due to the age of the group, pictures and food groups were color coded to more effectively show which foods belonged in which group. At the end of the game, the total number of matches for each group was counted and a winner was announced. Each child was given a sticker that encouraged eating fruits and veggies. 

The target audience for this program were children age 3-7 who participated in the Wild Wednesday program. Of the approximate 250 children who attended Wild Wednesday, about 75 attended the post-program as well.

While participating, children learned some basic, every-day stretches and that it is important to keep their bodies moving, even when school is out. They also were introduced to My Plate, and made aware that different foods fall into different categories, and that it is important for their health to keep those categories balanced.

Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2021-2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data query. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Retrieved [mm/dd/yy] from [www.childhealthdata.org].

(2024). (rep.). University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment. Retrieved from https://extension.ca.uky.edu/community-assessment-0.