Community Children's Museum - JLM Donates Food Cart To Teach Children About Healthy Eating Habits

May 1, 2010 - Children visiting the Community Children’s Museum in Dover have a new exhibit to help them learn about healthy eating. The Junior League of Morristown created and donated the exhibit called “Healthy Habits for Super Heroes” food cart and unveiled it on May 1, 2010. The purpose of the exhibit is to teach children about how to make healthy choices to improve their eating habits and overall health.

Since 1980, obesity rates of children in the U.S. have tripled. As part of the mission of the Junior League of Morristown to improve the communities in Morris and Somerset Counties, the League secured a grant from Investor's Savings Bank to fund the project. The Healthy Habits for Super Heroes food cart gives children the opportunity to build a healthy lunch box, sort food into Food Pyramid categories, create their own "healthy food" cookbook and encourages exercise through creative games. The cart will remain permanently in the museum for local children to use and explore.

"The Community Children's Museum is go grateful to the Junior League of Morristown for creating a Healthy Living Cart Exhibit for children. Kids actually fill a lunch box with healthy pretend food, play an exercise game and learn about the food pyramid. This exhibit is a great addition to the museum's resources for any child that visits here" says Jody Marcus, Executive Director of the Community Children's Museum.

During the launch, nutritionist Bibi Bendikova (nourishfirst.com) was on hand to talk to children about how to select healthy snacks and then kids had a chance to make one on their own. In addition, Molly Higgins, a Jazzercise instructor and owner (jazzercise.com), lead an upbeat, active routine to show children that exercise and movement can be fun.

The Junior League of Morristown is an organization that promotes volunteerism and works to improve communities in Morris and Somerset Counties. The League does this by supporting non-profits, like the Community Children’s Museum, by providing trained volunteers, programs and grants to groups who demonstrate the greatest need and who will improve our communities.

Pictured in photo above from left to right: Myla Lopez, Donna Callinan, Heather Bochner, Sandi Price, Maryann Eget, Chris Colby, Marni Drury, Melissa Kiesche