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Sesame Exhibition Coming to Houston Health Museum

 

HOUSTON, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Can you tell me how to get to Sesame
Street? It's easy! Simply visit The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and
Medical Science, also known as The Health Museum, to explore the latest
exhibit -- Sesame Street Presents: The Body -- on display in the Sue
Trammell Whitfield Gallery between October 4, 2007 and January 13, 2008.
The exhibit offers an engaging, free-flowing learning experience where the
loveable Sesame Street Muppets guide children and families through an
exciting collection of hands-on, interactive, multimedia experiences that
allow them to explore the human body. The concept is a result of Sesame
Workshop's latest initiative, Healthy Habits for Life, to respond to the
current childhood obesity crisis in the United States. Sesame Workshop, the
nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and Thinkwell
Design & Production created this special exhibit, currently on a national
tour sponsored by New Balance. Sesame Street Presents: The Body teaches
families about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially at an early
age, by using Elmo and popular Sesame Street Muppets throughout the
exhibit.

The Sesame Street characters embody the idea that one can be any shape,
size or color, but in the end we are all the same in many ways. The exhibit
also presents that philosophy. The popularity of the Muppets will make this
one-of-a-kind exhibit a powerfully positive and effective learning
experience for children, providing them tools to help them make healthy
choices and increase their level of self-confidence.
    "The Health Museum is excited about presenting this exhibit because of
its focus on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle at an early age,"
said Museum Vice President of Exhibits Phil Lindsey. "Childhood obesity has
become a critical issue in our country. Sesame Street Presents: The Body
gives parents and children a fun, engaging experience to learn about
healthy habits with familiar faces leading the way."
    Sesame Street Presents: The Body offers a unique learning experience
set in the highly recognizable and reassuring world of Sesame Street. Each
area contains multiple activities that provide age-appropriate learning
opportunities for children of various ages and developmental levels. All
exhibit components are tied into the National Science Education Standards,
the Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits
for Life Curriculum.
    "Each component of The Body exhibit is geared toward children's natural
excitement about learning," added Anna Housley Juster, Director of Content,
Sesame Workshop. "We believe that children learn best through active
participation and self-discovery. The exhibit features a wide range of
opportunities for children to observe, investigate, experiment and talk
about what they are learning with their parent or caregiver. Thinkwell has
done a superb job of incorporating our content and characters with their
design."
    Sesame Street Presents: The Body is divided into four zones:
    --  How You Work: Whether you are exercising, playing, dancing or even
        sleeping, your body is always hard at work.  In "How You Work," kids
        put their bodies to the test in "Super Grover's Obstacle Course," a
        physical movement station that encourages them to crawl, jump, balance
        and climb; "Rosita's Locomotion," where kids learn how different
        muscles work while pumping, rowing or running; and "Grover's Dance
        Party," a groovy disco where kids can boogie and move their bodies
        along with Grover.

    --  Your Insides: "Your Insides" is an exploration of what goes on inside
        the body.  Activities include the "Count's Organ Organ," which
        musically teaches kids about their internal organs' locations and
        functions; "Digestion with Oscar," a display that shows kids what
        happens to food when they eat it; and "Oscar's Sneeze Machine," where
        children pull a lever to irritate a big nose that actually sneezes!

    --  Your Outsides: Children learn to identify different body parts, learn
        what they do and explore the many ways they can put them to use.
        Exhibits include "Your Wonderful Hands," featuring puzzles, sign
        language games, shadow puppets and more; "Your Legs and Feet," an
        interactive exhibit that shows what happens when you put your legs in
        motion; and "Use Your Head," a play-along question and answer game
        show about the parts of the head.

    --  Staying Healthy: Learn how eating healthy foods, staying clean, and
        getting plenty of physical activity as well as sleep can help the body
        stay healthy.  Ernie and Rubber Ducky get kids started in "Rub-A-Dub
        Tub," a silly game that shows them just how much fun staying clean can
        be.  Then it's on to "Mr. Hooper's Store," where children scan
        groceries and learn specific messages about how different kinds of
        healthy foods are good for their bodies, and "Baby Bear's Mini-Mart,"
        a toddler-sized activity area where children can stock up on a variety
        of healthy foods and drinks.

ABOUT THE HEALTH MUSEUM
    The John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, also known as
The Health Museum, is a member institution of the world-renowned Texas
Medical Center and is located in the heart of Houston's Museum District at
1515 Hermann Drive Houston, TX 77004. Admission to Sesame Street Presents:
The Body requires an additional fee. General Admission, plus the Sesame
Street add-on is $12 for adults and $11 for children ages 3-17 and senior
adults. Museum members are admitted for $6 each and children two years of
age and under are free.
    Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to
5 p.m. on Sunday. Group discount rates are available by calling
713-521-1515, ext. 237. School field trip information is available at
713-521-1515, ext. 121. For information about the Museum or its programs,
please call 713-521-1515 or visit http://www.thehealthmuseum.org.
    The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science is an
interactive and entertaining science experience for all ages that promotes
understanding and appreciation of the human body, mind and spirit and
inspires a lifelong commitment to health and wellness.