Eat Well Play Hard is a New York State Health Department initiative aimed at preventing childhood overweight and obesity and reducing the risks of long-term chronic diseases. The target audience is children ages 2 through 5, their families, and their communities. The three (3) Eat Well Play Hard strategies are:
  1. Increase developmentally appropriate physical activity.
  2. Increase consumption of vegetables and fruit.
  3. Increase consumption of 1% or fat free milk and other low-fat dairy products.
The goal of the Children’s Museum project was to increase public awareness of the Eat Well Play Hard strategies, primarily physical activity. The Children’s Museum serves over 50,000 visitors each year, thus making it an excellent spot to expose parents and children to increased physical activity. In addition, we had full support of Diane Pedivillano, Executive Director of the museum who as a physical therapist was very aware of the physical needs of children and even enhanced our project by encouraging us to reach a wider age group starting with infants.

The strategy was to include physical activity within the existing exhibits at the museum. With a little creativity, many of the existing exhibits (Stepping Stones; Virtual Reality; Bicycling With the Skeleton; Sensational Sound; Great Bubble Machine; Amazing Freeze Frame; Geography Challenge; Farmer Brown’s Garden) were made into physical activity challenges adding to the excitement of visiting these exhibits. Using attractive signage with fun graphics a series of Eat Well Play Hard physical activity challenges were created with instructions to follow the "Eat Well Play Hard Challenge" signs. In addition, we funded the Rock Climbing Wall, which has proved to be a popular exhibit. For safety purposes we included thick mats underneath the wall and young children can climb horizontally across the wall. We also incorporated the fruit and vegetable and 1% milk strategies into the General Store exhibit.

Feedback from parents visiting the museum has been very positive regarding the inclusion of physical activity, and the children love the rock climbing wall.