Summer is a great time to educate kids about healthy lifestyles, role model the behaviors ourselves, and cultivate environments that make it easier for kids to make healthier choices. An engaging summer is also essential! To get the most out of your summer program this year, try these tips from the professionals of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and keep your kids healthy and learning.

Out-of-school time providers have the unique opportunity to create environments where healthy eating and physical activity are encouraged. It doesn’t matter if you’re a before school program, an afterschool program, a summer program, a scouting organization, or a sports team, you play a meaningful role in empowering youth to eat better and move more. As you think about your goals for 2014, below are resources and tools you can try throughout the year to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

In the United States today, more than a third of kids are overweight or obese. On any given day, up to 20% of American children do not consume any fruits, and up to 30% do not consume any vegetables. Two in three do not get enough daily physical activity. At the same time, nearly 15 million school-aged kids are on their own after school. Fortunately, it has been recently announced that two of the nation’s largest providers of low-cost or free out-of-school time activities have committed to create healthier environments for five million kids in their programs.