The Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley has been named one of the FOUR healthiest places for children to learn and play in the United States! Thank you to all of our sponsors! 

FOUR CHILDREN’S MUSEUMS RANK HEALTHIEST PLACES
TO PLAY AND LEARN IN U.S.

 — Association of Children’s Museums Designates First Crop of Good to Grow! Museums —

Washington, D.C. — There is nothing funny about the rise in childhood obesity and other health concerns facing families with young children today. But there are fun ways to address some of the basic issues that contribute to children’s health. Four museums — Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage, California; The Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley in Bryan, Texas; and Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois — have been ranked as Good to Grow! Museums by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) for making significant strides to promote health and wellness to children and families in their communities.

“These four children’s museums put their institutions’ ability to advance children’s health through play and learning to the test,” said Janet Rice Elman, ACM Executive Director. “ACM’s Good to Grow! Museum program not only allows a museum to evaluate its health programming but encourages more museums to think how they can engage children, families and the community to make healthy choices.”

All ACM member museums that have been open to the public for at least two years (approximately 300 museums) are eligible for Good to Grow! Museum designation. To receive Good to Grow! Museum ranking, each of the four children’s museums successfully completed a four-month institutional review and met the following criteria.

Emphasizes the importance to eat good foods, increase physical activity, reduce screen time and connect with the outdoors.

Actively works with community partners on children’s health and wellness issues.

Deliberately incorporates health and wellness into all aspects of its organizational planning and practices.

Good to Grow! Museum Profiles

Creative Discovery Museum has incorporated a health initiative in its strategic plan. In the first phase of the initiative, the museum began a school outreach program, Good for Me and For You, where children listen to their heartbeat, learn about body functions, discuss healthy eating habits and discover how food is produced from seed to table. At the museum a new doctor’s office exhibit, “Corner Clinic,” sets the stage for children to combine pretend play with real-world learning about maintaining a healthy body. Additionally, the museum added nutritious items to its café menu. This fall the museum will be expanding their initiative with a teaching kitchen. A cooking demonstration area will introduce children to new foods and show families that cooking together can be both healthy and fun.  The museum is also developing a new exhibit: “Good for You: Healthy Fun on the Run” and publishing a companion book, Good for You: Adventures with Ginger and George, which feature fun-loving kid characters that help their friend evolve from a Couch Potato to a Healthy Spud. 

Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert (CDMOD) provides health-related educational activities through its Healthy Family Series. Families come to the museum to have their children’s hearing, blood pressure and blood sugar tested and to receive pediatric CPR training. Four times a year, the museum hosts free health fairs where participants learn about healthy snack preparation and how adding physical activities into their daily lifestyle can be a rewarding experience. CDMOD works with community partners including the City of Rancho Mirage, California Nurses Educational Institute, Reading to Angels, Fresh & Easy Markets, American Cancer Society, Community Bloodbank, Clarks Nutrition, Riverside County Fire Station #69 and Autism Society of America Coachella Valley. Additionally, the museum hosts an “Ask the Professional” lecture series, which allows parents to pose questions and get answers on such topics as preparing nutritious meals, sun safety and other health topics.