About the Play Every Day Campaign

For more than a decade, the Play Every Day campaign has supported Alaska children to grow up healthy and strong.

Play Every Day is run through the Alaska Physical Activity and Nutrition program. Its long-term goal is to support more children to grow up at a healthy weight. Play Every Day messages and related efforts focus on encouraging two actions that help children grow up healthy:

• getting daily physical activity that improves the health of the body and mind
• serving healthy drinks like water or plain milk instead of sugary drinks
  
  

About 1 out of 3 Alaska children is growing up at an unhealthy weight.

Play Every Day messages reach families of young children. That’s when parents are making many choices for their families and kids are building habits. Starting healthy habits early can help kids maintain healthy behaviors throughout their lives.

Children who grow up at an unhealthy weight often become adults who have unhealthy weights. Today, about 2 out of 3 Alaska adults have overweight or obesity. This is concerning because having an unhealthy weight increases the chances of developing serious chronic diseases — including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer. These are no longer just diseases that start in adulthood. Children growing up at an unhealthy weight are developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol at young ages.

Play Every Day is reaching families statewide and making a difference.

Play Every Day reaches families wherever they are. The campaign shares messages about physical activity and healthy drinks in schools, preschools, child care centers, doctors and dentists offices, health fairs, and more. Parents also see and hear the messages on TV, online, through social media, and on posters and handouts.

The campaign’s ultimate goal is for Play Every Day messages to inspire positive changes for families, and that’s what repeated evaluations have shown: Alaska parents are changing drinks they serve after seeing Play Every Day messages.

Campaign staff also work with the nonprofit Healthy Futures program to run a free, school-based physical activity challenge for Alaska children. Thousands of kids across the state have the opportunity to track their physical activity and win prizes each year through the free Healthy Futures Challenge.

So, please join us in encouraging Alaska’s kids to grow up healthy and strong.

Get out and play, every day.

And serve healthy drinks like water or plain milk instead of sugary drinks.

For more information, contact:

Ann Potempa, Play Every Day Coordinator
(907) 744-0474
ann.potempa@alaska.gov

Katie Reilly, Physical Activity and Nutrition Program Manager
(907) 269-3457
katie.reilly@alaska.gov