Family Day: power off and play

By Maryam Farag

Many activities took place throughout Windsor to help families celebrate Family Day.

Healthy Kids Community Challenge partnered with Windsor-Essex communities in motion and the City of Windsor to encourage people to power off and play and get off their screens.

The project focuses on minimizing children’s recreational and sedentary screen time, to create a balanced day.

Adventure Bay Family Water Park was open Family Day from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. and children 12 and under had a chance to win free admission. 

Free public skating was held at Lanspeary Lions Rink from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Charles Clark Square from 8:30 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Trese McNeil, coordinator of community sports services of recreation and culture, said she would recommend public skating to families who want to get together, do something fun and cherish the memories.

“One of our main goals is to promote the importance of physical activity. Today in particular we are promoting ‘power off and play’,” said McNeil. “We are trying to advise our youth the importance of being physically active and staying off of screens especially today.”

Stephanie De Franceschi attended the public skating at Lanspeary. She said it was the first time her and her family attended the event and they would like to attend again next year.

“It was fantastic to be outdoors instead of inside, and the fact that it is covered and not having to worry about the weather elements outside because my daughter and son love skating,” said De Franceschi.

There is no federally established Family Day. This holiday was first observed in Alberta in 1990, followed by Saskatchewan in 2007 and Ontario in 2008.