Calling all Houstonians -- the Move It Movement Tour is coming to your city. In support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition has partnered with the Cartoon Network to launch the third annual Move It Movement Tour, a national campaign to get kids moving more and eating healthy in a fun and interactive outdoor environment. Think your kid won’t like it? Think again! Kids have been eager to try different activities at every stop. Our favorite quotes: “This is the best day of summer camp yet!” and “I wish this was here every day.”

After hosting events in several cities around the country, the tour wraps up on August 12 in Houston, Texas.  The First Lady appeared on the Cartoon Network on May 28 to inform kids and families how they can get involved with Let’s Move! through the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) program. The tour officially kicked off in Atlanta on June 10, and at each of the 17 stops, families have been able to enjoy a wide range of active games, such as basketball and soccer shootouts, football and golf drills, and sidewalk art creation stations. By exposing kids to various activities, families can learn more about different ways they can lead a healthy, active lifestyle. 

On the tour Let’s Move! and PALA+ have shared a booth to provide healthy nutrition and lifestyle tips. PALA+ is a challenge that requires kids to be active for 60 minutes a day, five days a week, for six out of eight weeks, while adults should get active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for six out of eight weeks.  Recently a nutrition component was added to the challenge.  The PALA+ program challenges participants to commit to a new healthy eating goal each week.  By committing to PALA+, participants are called to be physically active and eat healthfully every day.  One goal of the tour is to register kids and families to participate in the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) and to become involved in the Let’s Move! initiative. 

The annual Move It Movement Tour is part of the effort to reverse the trend of childhood childhood obesity and can rally kids and families  to be active and healthy. As Mrs. Obama has said, “By finding the activities you love, and then getting up and getting active for an hour a day, you’re showing the rest of us that being healthy isn’t just good for you, it’s fun, too.”   

For more information on the Move It Movement, check out www.MoveItMovement.com.  

Jessica Larson, USDA Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships