The Gateway Family YMCA Hosts Healthy Kids Day® for Families

Free event features activities to encourage healthy kids, families, and summer kickoff

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:34am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of children playing outdoors, with soft pools of warm, natural light and color creating a blurred, dreamlike scene.The Gateway Family YMCA's annual Healthy Kids Day celebration brings families together for a fun, free kickoff to an active summer season.Rahway Today

The Gateway Family YMCA is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day® on April 18th at YMCA branches in Elizabeth, Rahway, and Union, New Jersey. The free, family-friendly event will feature activities like Family Yoga, Swimming, Basketball, and a Summer Day Camp Parent Information Session to promote healthy habits and a fun start to the summer season.

Why it matters

Healthy Kids Day is a long-standing YMCA tradition that reflects the organization's mission of strengthening communities and helping youth reach their full potential. As the YMCA celebrates its 175th anniversary nationwide, this event is an opportunity to engage local families and kickstart healthy summer activities.

The details

The Gateway Family YMCA is offering a one-day Membership Sale with a special code for Healthy Kids Day participants. The event will take place at four YMCA locations across Elizabeth, Rahway, and Union. In addition to the Healthy Kids Day festivities, the YMCA's regular youth programs like Child Care, School Age Before/After School Care, Swimming Lessons, STEAM, and Youth Sports will also be celebrating Healthy Kids Day activities throughout the week.

  • Healthy Kids Day will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • The one-day Membership Sale will be available on April 18, 2026.

The players

The Gateway Family YMCA

A 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization serving the Elizabeth, Rahway, and Union communities in New Jersey. The YMCA has been operating locally for 126 years.

Melynda A. Disla

President and CEO of The Gateway Family YMCA.

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What they’re saying

“It is very important for kids to stay active over the summer, both physically and mentally. At the Y, we believe in providing resources for families to create healthy habits, no matter the time of year. Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community-wide event that encourages families to take advantage of all the great summer activities the Y has to offer.”

— Melynda A. Disla, President/CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA

What’s next

The Gateway Family YMCA will be offering a one-day Membership Sale on April 18th with a special code for Healthy Kids Day participants.

The takeaway

The Gateway Family YMCA's Healthy Kids Day event is an opportunity for local families to kick off a healthy, active summer with free activities and resources provided by the long-standing community organization.