Recap: Let’s Move Pittsburgh’s Second Annual 5-2-1-0 Day

By Ashlee Cubarney, Let's Move Pittsburgh program assistant

On Sun., Feb. 19, Let’s Move Pittsburgh held its second annual 5-2-1-0 Day at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. 5-2-1-0 is a movement to reinforce healthy lifestyle choices that benefit local kids and their families by promoting four key messages about healthy eating and physical activity. These messages are:

• 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables
• 2 hours or less of recreational screen time
• 1 hour or more of physical activity, and
• 0 sugary drinks and more water, every day.

Let’s Move Pittsburgh and Phipps celebrated 5-2-1-0 by having a variety of stations throughout the Conservatory, each of which represented one of the four numbers of 5-2-1-0. Guests received a map of activities that were stamped as they completed each station. Those who collected stamps at all the stations received a prize at the end of their visit. For the “5” stations, there were fruit tastings where guests could sample pineapple, mango, papaya and star fruit.

In our Special Events Hall, there were “1”-themed activities such as Fruit and Veggie Twister, Mmm-Mmm Memory, a water relay race and dancing with BaM Choreography. For the “2” activity, children made a tropical fruit craft to take home. Families had a blast playing games, dancing and getting crafty during this event.

After guests worked up a sweat in the Special Events Hall, they were greeted with a Phipps Splash sample in the Tropical Forest's Mangrove Circle, where they could hydrate while watching the fish swim in the pond. A Phipps Splash is a mixture of carbonated water and fruit puree and is a tasty treat that replaces normal sugar sweetened beverages but still satisfies any cravings for carbonated beverages. This station represented the “0” in 5-2-1-0 and encouraged water consumption. At the end of their 5-2-1-0 journey, participants exchanged their maps for Let’s Move Pittsburgh water bottles!

5-2-1-0 Day was a great success, and we want to thank all the families that participated in our activities. We hope you learned something and had a lot of fun! If you missed our 5-2-1-0 Day, keep an eye on the Phipps calendar for more upcoming Let’s Move Pittsburgh events.