GARDEN CITY, NY – Children’s health matters. Not only is it a topic of vital importance for Long Island’s parents and families, but it is a critical issue for the short- and long-term health of our community as well. Because children’s early experiences are instrumental in shaping their lifelong habits and views on health and well-being, it is crucial to introduce and promote key health messages to them today. Healthyville, a nationally touring exhibit created by Stepping Stones Museum for Children, delivers those important health and wellness lessons to children and families in a fun, play-based manner. This is a primary reason why Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) is excited to bring Healthyville to the region from January 23 through May 3, 2015.
Healthyville is a place for everybody. This bilingual (English/Spanish), interactive exhibit teaches health and wellness lessons through play-filled activities and educational messages that foster learning by doing. Designed primarily for children ages 5 – 12 and their parents, caregivers and teachers, Healthyville provides visitors with hands-on opportunities to explore health topics in ways that help them understand their bodies, the importance of making healthy choices and how to apply these concepts in everyday situations. Healthyville features engaging content about how the body works and the effects of our positive or negative health choices.
The young “residents” of Healthyville present fun facts about nutrition, fitness, safety, hygiene and the functions of the body. LICM visitors can explore how different activities affect heart rate, scan a variety of foods for nutrition facts, play sugar or salt detective and ride a bike or row a boat alongside a skeleton. Children can take a look at particle-trapping hairs and boogers inside a giant nose, learn why it’s important to cover the nose during a sneeze, brush and floss teeth inside a giant mouth, get moving on the fitness trail, balance their energy in with their energy out, choose the proper safety equipment and much, much more!
“Hosting Healthyville allows LICM to extend its role as a community resource; enabling children and adults to learn strategies regarding nutrition, fitness and health in ways that are memorable and meaningful,” says LICM President Suzanne LeBlanc. The exhibit’s arrival is timed to take advantage of healthy mindsets. “The beginning of the year is when many people re-commit to health and fitness and Healthyville can provide families and school groups with fun and encouraging ‘take away’ information that will inspire them to continue on their healthy path,” she notes.
According to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, nearly 1 in 3 children in the United States today is overweight or obese. The Alliance states that this current generation could be the first in American history to live shorter lives than their parents. To address this growing public health concern and to encourage healthy living and smart choices around nutrition, fitness, hygiene and safety, Stepping Stones Museum for Children launched the Healthyville traveling exhibit. The exhibit will travel to leading children’s museum across the nation through the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative including Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito, CA), Boston Children’s Museum (Boston, MA), Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (San Jose, CA), and the Minnesota Children’s Museum (St Paul, MN).
“Healthyville grew out of the knowledge that early intervention and prevention are critical for establishing healthy lifestyles,” said Rhonda Kiest, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stepping Stones Museum for Children. “This exhibit is an important aspect of our work to support the growth of healthy children and healthy communities. Healthyville has been an extremely popular exhibit at Stepping Stones and we are thrilled to provide this experience to the many people who will interact with the exhibit as it tours the United States.”
In developing the Healthyville traveling exhibit, Stepping Stones worked in partnership with many community organizations and advisors, including the Bright Bodies Program at Yale School of Medicine, the Norwalk Health Department, Norwalk Hospital, Grade A ShopRite, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, the Yale School of Public Health, the Yale School of Medicine and Whole Foods Market.
Long Island Children’s Museum has planned a variety of complementary workshops and performances to extend the themes introduced in the travelling exhibit. Upcoming programs include Perfect Parfaits(Sunday, January 25 at 2 p.m), A Taste of Tortilla (Sunday, February 1 at 2 p.m.), Yellow Sneaker Puppets present “Lunchtime Crunch Time” (Thursday, February 19 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.) andZumba® Zoom Zoom! (Tuesday, February 17, Wednesday, February 18 and Friday, February 20 from 1 to 2 p.m.).
About the Long Island Children’s Museum
The Long Island Children’s Museum invites visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to explore freely, discover their passions, and appreciate the communities and world we share. The 40,000-square-foot museum is a learning laboratory where hands-on exhibits invite visitors to experiment, examine, and play. The Museum welcomes 250,000 children and adults annually. The private, not-for-profit institution chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, offers museum-based educational programs and cultural experiences, as well as an extensive community outreach program offered in schools, libraries and youth centers across Long Island. The Museum is the recipient of the 2012 National Medal for Museum & Library Service, the highest honor conferred on museums for extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions.
The Long Island Children’s Museum invites visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to explore freely, discover their passions, and appreciate the communities and world we share. The 40,000-square-foot museum is a learning laboratory where hands-on exhibits invite visitors to experiment, examine, and play. The Museum welcomes 250,000 children and adults annually. The private, not-for-profit institution chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, offers museum-based educational programs and cultural experiences, as well as an extensive community outreach program offered in schools, libraries and youth centers across Long Island. The Museum is the recipient of the 2012 National Medal for Museum & Library Service, the highest honor conferred on museums for extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions.
About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, a state-of-the-art Multimedia Gallery, a Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store. To learn more, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, a state-of-the-art Multimedia Gallery, a Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store. To learn more, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.
