Westchester Children’s Museum and White Plains Hospital Unveil Fit City Exhibition to Promote Healthy Habits
RYE, N.Y. (May 1, 2024) — Westchester Children’s Museum is pleased to announce the opening of the Museum’s latest exhibition, Fit City, sponsored by and co-developed by White Plains Hospital. Fit City is an interactive exhibit designed for children and their grown-ups to learn about healthy choices for their bodies, bellies, and brains. Reinforcing Fit City’s mission to promote health and fitness among youngsters, Westchester County issued a proclamation to commemorate May 1, 2024, as Westchester Children’s Fitness Day.
At a time when digital devices are supplanting sports and physically active play among kids, Fit City offers various activities promoting physical fitness and healthy habits. Visitors can enjoy interactive games at the Training Facility, such as Stretch & Flex and Pump it Up, that stimulate physical activity. Spoonful of Sugar Grocery is also available to learn about healthy nutrition and make informed choices about sugar intake at the fun self-checkout. At Mindball Park, visitors can challenge their mental abilities by controlling a metal ball using EEG technology to improve cognitive skills with a calm, focused mind. Since the Museum attracts many different families that live and play in Westchester, all Fit City exhibit signage is written in English and Spanish.
“The Fit City exhibit is a great way to promote physical activity and healthy habits while inspiring children to think creatively and problem-solve through interactive play. It’s an experience that blends education, entertainment, and community engagement all in one,” said Thomas Sullivan, Executive Director of the Westchester Children’s Museum. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with White Plains Hospital to bring this unique and interactive experience to our visitors, and we hope families will enjoy exploring the exhibit together.”
Dr. Debra Etelson, pediatrician at WPHPA; Catherine Parker, Westchester County Legislator; Dawn French, SVP, Community Relations and Marketing, White Plains Hospital; Thomas Sullivan, Executive Director, Westchester Children’s Museum; Marvin Campbell, President, Board of Directors, Westchester Children’s Museum
“White Plains Hospital’s approach to caring for our community goes beyond providing high-quality medical care to our neighbors when they come through our doors. We strive to play a key role in broader initiatives that promote a proactive approach to healthcare, focusing on prevention and wellness,” explains Dawn French, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Community Relations, White Plains Hospital. “With its emphasis on physical activity, mindfulness and healthy nutrition, Fit City aligns with our goal of helping members of our community build the foundation for healthy lifestyle from a young age by making health education engaging, fun, and accessible.”
White Plains Hospital pediatrician Debra Etelson, MD, addressed attendees to emphasize key health trends among youngsters and how parents and kids can work toward establishing lifetime habits for healthy bodies, bellies and brains.
“It’s no secret that screen time impacts children’s mental and physical health,” explains Dr. Etelson. “It’s vital to help children set routines that incorporate physical exercise, aiming for consistency rather than intensity to cultivate a lifelong habit.”
To commemorate the launch of the exhibit, Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker presented White Plains Hospital and Westchester Children’s Museum with a proclamation on behalf of Westchester County to proclaim May 1, 2024, Westchester Children’s Fitness Day.
As part of the exhibit, the Museum will host special editions of the popular Daily Drop-In Programs that seek to encourage children to explore and learn about their bodies, bellies, and brains in a fun and engaging way. Daily Music and Movement sessions will teach children about their body parts through action songs and puppets, engaging them about their feelings. Story Time will feature books that inspire a lifelong love for learning and caring for their physical and emotional well-being.
Fit City is now open to the public at Westchester Children’s Museum. To learn more about the exhibit and other exhibitions, please visit the Museum’s website at https://www.discoverwcm.org/fit-city.
About the Westchester Children’s Museum
The Westchester Children’s Museum is a light-filled, colorful, vibrant learning space for children aged 0-13 and their families, caregivers, and teachers. It is filled with unique and engaging interactive exhibits. Located on the beach and Boardwalk in Historic Playland Park, the Museum offers experiential learning opportunities in physics, science, art, technology, and design, with places to create, build, and explore.
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Westchester Children’s Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free for members. Join here https://www.discoverwcm.org/membership. Admission is $14 per person, $12 for seniors, and free for children under one. $3 per person with EBT & ID, Blue Star Museum.
The Museum is at 100 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY, 914-421-5050 or www.discoverWCM.org. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/discoverWCM and Instagram at @westchesterchildrensmuseum
About White Plains Hospital
White Plains Hospital is a proud member of the Montefiore Health System, serving as its tertiary hub of advanced care in the Hudson Valley. The Hospital is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. White Plains Hospital has outpatient medical facilities across Westchester, including multispecialty practices in Armonk, Hawthorne, Larchmont, New Rochelle, Rye Brook, Somers, Yonkers and Yorktown Heights; and Scarsdale Medical Group locations in Harrison and Scarsdale.
The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and in 2023, White Plains Hospital received another 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) — the highest distinction offered by that federal agency for the second consecutive year. In addition, the Hospital received its third Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a distinction held by only two percent of hospitals in the country. White Plains Hospital has consistently received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades®, and in 2023 was awarded an “A” Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group for the 10th consecutive time.