Kids Run Club is a program of the
The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation is a charitable organization established in 2018. Learn more about the Foundation here.
Kids Run Club is a free, school-based recreational running program designed to give children and youth an opportunity to embrace active, healthy living and experience the joy of movement. The program was created by Doctors Nova Scotia in 2004 to address the inactivity crisis in children and youth. In 2024 Kids Run Club celebrated 20 years of impact. This video captures our participants in action, provides testimonials from teachers and shares stories of the wide-spread and multi-generational reach the program has created.
The goal of Kids Run Club is to give children and youth a chance to see how good they feel being active and to help them develop healthy habits for life. The best part about Kids Run Club is it can be adapted for kids of all ages and abilities. Walking, rolling, skipping and running are all acceptable forms of participation. Kids Run Club isn’t about competition. It’s about having fun, feeling good and belonging!
Our solution to helping inspire children to be healthier and more active doesn’t include fancy apps, expensive technologies or groundbreaking ideas. Our solution is focused on something that has been a part of humanity since the beginning of time but has become less common over the years with the introduction of technology. Simply put, kids move less and sit more. Our solution is simple things like running, playing games, belonging, storytelling, education, and a whole lot of fun.
We believe every child should have the chance to enjoy a healthy and active future. We connect with schools, programs and local communities looking to achieve the common goal of physical literacy and healthy living for all.
What We’ve Accomplished
Since launching Kids Run Club in 2004, we’ve educated thousands of students in all regions of the province about the importance of healthful living and giving them the strategies they need to lead active and healthy lives. We’ve also given them an opportunity to experience physical activity in a positive, inclusive and fun way and to experience how good movement can make them feel. Kids Run Club has successfully grown from just 3,500 participants and 58 schools to more than 18,000 participants and 270+ schools at its peak.
We pride ourselves on offering a no-cost program to all children in Nova Scotia, in English and French. Kids Run Club is offered by hundreds of schools and groups in all regions of the province and with group sizes of 10-400! Our accessibility and non-competitive focus help build confidence in children of diverse backgrounds, abilities and fitness levels, and helps each individual achieve their desired goals.
Kids Run Club has received three national awards including the 2024 Impact Award from Physical and Health Education of Canada, the Health Promotion and Innovation Award of Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Child Health in 2006 and the Ron Draper Health Promotion Award from the Canadian Public Health Association in 2012. Kids Run Club also received the 2017 partnership award from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union for Physical and Health Education, recognizing the program’s connection with teachers, and for its demonstrated support for the development of physical and health education in the province.
Check out the 2023-24 Kids Run Club Annual Report to learn more about this year’s impact.
How We’ve Been Able To Make This Impact
Over the last few years, the success and growth of Kids Run Club can be directly linked to the outpouring of support from teachers, partners, sponsors, community members, doctors, students, parents, and local businesses. The support we receive from volunteers and sponsors alone has played a massive impact in helping us inspire more children to live healthier and more active lives.
The Kids Run Club Team
CRA charitable organization business number: 76937 6088 RR0001
Halifax Chamber of Commerce