Kids in the Kitchen

Upcoming Events

September 11, 2010
What IF Innovation Festival
Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs

Kids in the Kitchen will be participating in the Imagination Celebration's What IF Innovation Festival (http://www.whatif-festival.org/) from 9 am - 6 pm at the Pikes Peak Center.  This region-wide event showcases creativity and innovation in the Pikes Peak region. There will be interactive presentations, hands-on demonstrations, exhibitions, and performances occurring throughout the Festival grounds.  Kids in the Kitchen will be offering a "guess the secret ingredient" game, as well as the opportunity to make "Bug Bites" snacks.  This event is free and open to the public.

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The goal of the Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen initiative, which is supported by The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) and its member Leagues, is to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.  The AJLI initiative began in 2006 with the goal of engaging kids in the preparation of healthy meals as a means to educate them and their parents regarding nutrition and healthy choices. 

April 10, 2010 marked the Junior League of Colorado Springs’ (JLCS) fourth annual Kids in the Kitchen event held for the first time this year at Mr. Biggs Family Fun Center.  To the delight of our 50+ Junior League volunteers, our event quadrupled attendance from last year.  Over 600 kids and parents took part in the event, which included creating fruit smoothies with Garden of the Gods Gourmet and Zucchini Scooters with Picnic Basket Catering, fitness activities with US Taekwondo, Lil' Kickers Soccer, Aerials Gymnastics, Fitness 19, Cambio Yoga and others.  Olympic athletes helped kids make fruit and yogurt parfaits in ice cream cones, and the Penrose Health Learning Center offered an opportunity to make a healthy snack mix.  Kids once again had the opportunity to build Mr. Potato Head-themed food sculptures, Venetucci Farms hosted a seed planting activity, registered dieticians provided guidance to parents, and new this year was "Healthy Eating on a Budget" to educate families about ways to stretch their food dollars to include nutritious ingredients.  Visit our Sponsors page to learn more about the wonderful organizations that supported us in 2010!

Colorado (El Paso County) Statistics

This info is from a recent report by the Colorado Physical Activity & Nutriton Program called COPAN: Preventing Childhood Obesity in Colorado; report can be found here.

  • In Colorado, 28.7 percent of children, ages 2 -14 years, are obese or overweight; 2008 Colorado Child Health Survey.
  • In Colorado, one third of Hispanic children between the ages of 0-5 years are overweight or obese.
  • In Colorado, only 9.7 percent of Colorado children ages 2-14 years eat the recommended amount of at least 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings per day; Child Health Survey, 2008. 
  • In Colorado, 28.6 percent of children between the ages of 0-5 years living in poverty watch more than two hours of television per day—significantly more than children not living in poverty (16.2%).