To Celebrate Fitness, Reebok Is Hosting a Free Fitness Day for Kids
Elementary school children running photo via shutterstock
What started as a small group of children participating in a before-school physical activity program called BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success), has now grown into a Reebok-backed program with close to 1,000 schools around the world.
Founded by Kathleen Tullie, a Natick mom, who was so moved by the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, by Harvard associate professor of psychiatry, John Ratey, that she, along with the author and four other moms, created the program. It started slowly in some of Massachusetts’ elementary schools before spreading across the nation, and now, the world.
Spark looks at the effects of exercise on the brain, and concludes that physical activity is our best defense against attention deficit disorder, depression, and anxiety. It also highlights research validating that exercise, especially before school, can have an impact on classroom performance and behavior.
If you aren’t familiar with the program and are interested in finding out how you can have it in your school this coming fall, you’ll get a chance to learn all about it, Saturday, June 14, at Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, where BOKS is hosting its third annual Active Kids Day. It’s a free family event to celebrate the positive impact of physical activity and will feature a variety of activities to entertain kids and families, including:
- An appearance by Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman
- A live performance by recording artist and Disney actress Coco Jones, as well as other musicians and DJs
- A slam dunk show from Celtics’ mascot, Lucky
- Field games, a “fun run,” and more
Saturday, June 14; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Reebok World Headquarters, 1895 J W Foster Blvd., Canton; bokskids.org; to register, click here.
