POCATELLO — About 20 kids showed up recently at Cadet Field on the Idaho State University campus to take part in “Kicking It With Idaho Play” — part of an AmeriCorps program targeting childhood obesity.

    Organizer Barbara Cunningham said groups from Blackfoot and Malad were at the event and about 13 volunteers helped set up and direct activities during the outdoor play day.

    AmeriCorps is a federal program involving adults in community service projects with the goal of helping others and meeting the needs of the community.

    Members sign on to full and part-time positions offered by a network of nonprofit community organizations and public agencies and focus on the fields of education, public health and the environment.

    Cunningham said AmeriCorps programs are aimed at strengthening communities.

    “(AmeriCorps’) motto is “getting things done,” she said.

    Laughing, Annie Yoga spread out mats on the lawn to encourage kids to join in and get active.

    Stephanie Kroger Yoga supplied fruit snacks for participants and Smith’s Food Stores in Chubbuck donated 216 bottles of water for the event as well, Cunningham said.

    Shawn Kelsch serves as a liaison for the Veterans Serving Veterans program at the Idaho Department of Labor.  

    He said representatives from Health West and the Pocatello Department of Parks and Recreation were also on hand.

    “AmeriCorps is like the Peace Corps in the U.S.,” he said.

    Kelsch said the AmeriCorps event was part of Gov. Butch Otter’s plan to get kids off their computers and outside to play.

    Several children chased a giant soccer ball across the field and a couple of girls skipped rope on the sidewalk during the event.

    Southwick Black Belt Academy brought equipment and instructors to Idaho Play.

    Instructor Jessica Carson said the martial arts school wanted to come out and demonstrate the sport, and hopefully, generate some interest.  

    The martial arts academy, located at 1400 North Arthur Street, teaches a several disciplines and has schools in Pocatello and Idaho Falls.

    Anahi Carrillo and her friend, Elisabeth Moreno, both 8 years old, skipped rope after spending a minute stretching out on the Yoga mats.

    Anahi’s mom, Maria Reynoso is an AmeriCorps volunteer — she got involved in the national organization through the Idaho Department of Labor.

    Reynoso is currently an interpreter for Southeast Idaho Public Health.

    “The kids had a good time,” Reynoso said. “(Anahi) is pretty active always  — we have a trampoline and she has a bike.”

    Obesity and extreme obesity among U.S. low-income, preschool-aged children went down for the first time in recent years, according to Center for Disease Control’s first national study.

    From 2003 through 2010, obesity decreased slightly from 15.2 percent to 14.94 percent and the prevalence of extreme obesity decreased from 2.2 to 2.07 percent.