What's On 4 España, Spain's first dedicated activities website for children, launches in Andalucia on World Health Day, April 7. Their week-long launch includes a host of activities, free listings for businesses, and the start of their #GetKidsMoving Challenge in support of the WHD theme of Beating Diabetes.

Spain has one of the worse records for overweight children and obesity in Europe, with 26% of children deemed overweight or obese. This worrying trend is even higher in adults and the key to stopping these statistics increasing is to focus on children, as childhood offers the greatest opportunity to learn and establish healthy habits around nutrition, physical and social activity.

By encouraging children to be more active, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a normal body weight, parents can significantly reduce the risk of developing lifestyle related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes3, which is why the What's On 4 España team have created the #GetKidsMoving Challenge to inspire and support parents to act now or as soon as possible.

What's On 4 España www.whatson4.es is an online resource, created by parents for parents, to help visitors find children's activities, classes, sports, events, school holiday ideas and children's birthday party services. There are three websites; one for babies and toddlers, one for school age children, and one with everything required to throw the perfect kids' party.

Launching in Andalucia on the 7th of April, all 3 sites will become a hub of information, ideas, and inspiration for busy mums, dads, grandparents, care-givers, and teachers who like to know what's going on in their local area. New activities are added daily and businesses are being invited to submit a free activity listing during the launch week by emailing info@whatson4.es.

At the core of all three sites is the aim to help parents encourage their children to be active physically, emotionally, and mentally, as research clearly shows the benefit of an active childhood on development and learning. This is why they are launching a #GetKidsMoving Challenge, which over a period of 30 days will provide weekday tips, suggestions, and motivation to parents to encourage them to make small but significant changes which encourage their children to spend less time in front of a screen and more time trying other more sociable or physical activities. The #GetKidsMoving Challenge will help families find ways to start their children on the path to good health from the youngest possible ages.

Get involved with the launch of What’s On 4 España and find out more about the #GetKidsMoving Challenge by meeting the team at the Living Well Marbella Event at Hotel Puente Romano on April 9-10, joining the online Facebook launch event on April 14, emailing info@whatson4.es, or visiting www.whatson4.es. The challenge will start on the 15th of April and is free for participation, one just needs to sign up to receive motivational e-mails.

More Information on Obesity

1. OECD Obesity Update 2014
2. Exercise for Children: The Cognitive Benefits
3. WHO Global Recommendations on Physical Activity