Latest Developments Background Good to Grow! Framework Partners Resources & Research Press Kit Contact

Latest Developments

Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper
ACM is delighted to announce the release of the Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper. This new ACM publication is a product of a dynamic planning project funded by the Civil Society Institute, which explored the ways that children's museums can connect children to nature through outdoor play.

As part of the Kids Dig Dirt! planning project, ACM convened a Visioning Charette, which included museum professionals and partners from the fields of outdoor play, informal learning and environmental research and design for children. The group was challenged to envision the next generation of outdoor spaces at children’s museums that will inspire active play, exploration and respect for nature while improving the health of the community. The Green Paper proposes that children’s museums integrate outdoor spaces and experiences that connect children and families to nature. It describes the crucial impact that hands-on, immersive nature play can have on individual health, environmental health and sustainable development. It provides the vision as well as guiding principles and resources for developing outdoor environments in children’s museums.

Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper Delivery Options:

• The Green Paper publication is available for purchase, while the print inventory lasts. (ACM Members $20; Non-members $35; includes shipping and handling).

• As a special introductory offer, a PDF of the Green Paper is available free-of-charge by simply signing ACM's Green Paper Registry.

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Background

Good to Grow! is a leadership initiative launched by the children's museum field and guided by the Association of Children's Museums to support children's museums in providing healthy choices and activities for children and families in their communities.

Obesity is quickly becoming America's leading health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years among children ages six to eleven, as well as related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, growth disorders and depression. Recent studies indicate that obese children rate their quality of life as low as children with cancer. Experts believe that family education is the single most important factor in promoting healthy choices, yet parents are bombarded with confusing messages and competing priorities.

Clearly, help is needed to guide families along the path to health and wellbeing. The Good to Grow! leadership initiative is based on two main premises: 1.) The family is the most important factor in promoting children's health; and 2.) Families turn to children's museums for engaging activities, quality interactions and trustworthy information about child development and health.

In 2003, a consortium of ACM member museums convened to address these urgent issues, sharing a common belief that children's museums occupy a special role as trusted community resources and must take action now. Consortium members included Boston Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Chicago Children's Museum, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, The Children's Museum of Houston and Minnesota Children's Museum. In 2005, the ACM Board of Directors voted unanimously to assume leadership of this initiative.

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Good to Grow! Framework

Vision
Good to Grow! will improve the health and wellness of families by positioning and supporting children's museums as community leaders in promoting healthy choices through play.

Initiative Goals

• Activate children and families as they visit our museums and participate in our programs.

• Convene and sustain the conversation about the health of our young children and their families wherever there is a children's museum.

• Improve the environment for our children by increasing the healthy options available wherever there is a children's museum, starting with the museum itself.

• Strengthen the children's museum field through leadership on this issue and the development of new ways of working together.

Key Messages

• Good to Grow! highlights the following key messages within its multiple implementation strategies.

• Eating healthy foods in the right amounts;

• Increasing physical activity;

• Reducing screen time (including computer and TV); and

• Connecting with nature through outdoor play.

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Partners

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Resources & Research

Vist www.GoodtoGrow.org, an online destination for families with children ages 2-10 links the children’s museum experience, home life and the broader community with compelling messages, engaging activities and accurate resources for living healthy lives.

Four Areas to Explore In Family Fun, families plant a virtual Good to Grow! tree and help their tree sprout colorful stickers by answering health discovery questions. The Gallery is the place where families can see a wild and wacky array of Good to Grow! trees created by other families. In Grown-up Stuff adults can find tips and tools to support their family’s good health and connect with other parents online. In Museums, families can learn about “Healthy Happenings” exhibits, programs and events.

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Contact

To learn more about Good to Grow! and its activities, please contact Eliza Katz, ACM program manager, executive office & special projects, at 202-898-1080.

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