Kids in UD’s College School and the Laboratory Preschool joined children from across the United States in spending a day devoted to making fitness fun by playing sports, exercising and eating healthy. It all was part of Project ACES (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) Day, a national movement that takes place on the first Wednesday in May in conjunction with National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and National Physical Education Week.

Since 1989, millions of children have exercised together on ACES Day to promote proper health and fitness habits. The event has been called “the world’s largest exercise class.”

On Academy Field between Hartshorn Hall and Smyth Hall, the College School’s kids, teachers and volunteers tossed soccer and basketballs, tested their flexibility and balance, learned about nutrition and proper diet and sampled healthy snacks from a table glistening with shiny apples, orange and veggie slices and fruit smoothies. The College School serves children ages 6-14 who have learning differences.

Just down the street, in front of Alison Hall, the Laboratory Preschool’s 2- to 6-year-olds, siblings, parents, teachers, staff and volunteers were celebrating ACES Day with happy faces made from rice cakes, raisins and tangerine slices, as well as yoga, karate and face painting.

Preschool children, staff and students wore T-shirts with the “Keep Moving” logo written in the seven languages that represent the cultural diversity of children who attend the preschool.