Keeping Kids Moving in Gaithersburg, Md.

As a Let’s Move! City, the City of Gaithersburg is committed to providing opportunities for engaging, active play, free of charge to ensure that all children have equitable access to stimulating recreation activities. The City’s efforts to make opportunities for active play an important part of the lives of all children and youth in Gaithersburg support Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) Goal V: Active Kids at Play.

At Their Local Parks
The City of Gaithersburg is proud to announce that 97% of Gaithersburg residents live within half a mile of a city park. This determination was made possible through collaborative efforts of the City’s IT Department, GIS mapping, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture. The City’s 27 parks range from active playspaces to passive parks, offering a variety of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Gaithersburg received bronze and silver medals in LMCTC Goal V for mapping all playspaces and completing a needs assessment of access to parks and playspaces. For implementing several actions to increase access to safe, convenient places to play and be physically active, Gaithersburg received a gold medal in this same area. To date, 77% of Gaithersburg residents live within a quarter of a mile from a city park, and plans for the next fiscal year’s Strategic Directions will emphasize increasing that percentage, in addition to maintaining city commitments to acquire open space for additional parkland.

In conjunction with the efforts of the National Park Trust (NPT), the Mayor and City Council will designate May 16th as Kids to Parks Day in Gaithersburg. The City is honored to have William Schrack, Education Director of the NPT, in attendance for the issue of this proclamation, which will take place on May 4th.

At City Events
The City of Gaithersburg also frequently uses city events to draw residents into local parks and promote active outdoor play. For example, the Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual celebration of the written word and its power to enrich the human experience, drawing book lovers to the heart of Olde Towne Gaithersburg. This year’s Festival will take place May 16, 2015 in Griffith Park.

This year, the Festival will host a “Children’s Village”, with performances and activities that engage children’s creativity and encourage active play. This year, the Gaithersburg Book Festival will welcome Pat Rumbaugh—or as she’s better known, “The Play Lady.” Festival participants will find her, fittingly, on the playground, where she will be reading to visitors from her book, “Let’s Play at the Playground,” and encouraging children (and their adults) to engage in the activities the book illustrates: climbing, jumping, running, sliding, and swinging – important elements of outdoor playing.

And All Summer Long
Zumba in the Park is returning to the City Hall Concert Pavilion in May for its third consecutive year. This free program offers adults, youth, and families the opportunity to get outside and get moving in interval dance sessions set to Latin rhythms. Sessions take place weekly through the summer, weather permitting. Zumba in the Park provides an energetic, engaging introduction to the benefits of active recreation for children of all ages.

To learn more about Gaithersburg’s efforts, visit their community profile page. To learn more about Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties and how your city, town or county can achieve, Goal V: Active Kids at Play, visit www.HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org.