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SALT LAKE CITY — Natalie and Michael Bird said their three young boys, Jack, Simon and Leo, don't cope well when they spend too much time in front of a TV.
"They're ornery, they're fussy, they're whiney," Natalie Bird said. "But if we get out and go do something fun and move our bodies, they're in much better moods."
That's why they went to Discovery Gateway Children's Museum on Saturday for the grand opening of "Move It," a new exhibit focused on promoting health and physical activity.
The new play space features a colorful obstacle course, a dig pit filled with recycled material, tunnels, a slide, a yoga area, and space for jumping rope and hula-hooping.
Jack, 7, and Leo, 4, dug feverishly to find the bottom of the dig pit. Meanwhile, 1-year-old Simon explored the four-square pad.
"They don't do well cooped up or restrained, so we like to just let them run wild and have fun," Michael Bird said.
That not only keeps them happy, he said, but also helps them learn to stay active as they grow older.
"For nearly 40 years, Discovery Gateway Children's Museum has been a source for engaging exhibits and programming that enhance learning through play, and with "Move It," we are happy to be able to create an environment for children to learn about their own health through fun physical activity," said Laurie Hopkins, the museum's executive director.
"Move It" was created to help parents encourage their children to get at least 60 minutes per day of play and exercise.
It's part of a national health initiative guided by the Association of Children's Museums to teach health and activity to children and families through the program Good to Grow. The program includes messages promoting eating healthy foods, getting plenty of exercise, reducing screen time and connecting with the outdoors.
Discovery Gateway is one of eight designated Good to Grow children's museums in the country.
Chris Lyons laughed when his 3-year-old daughter, Ember, grabbed his hand and dragged him to the kaleidoscope, a triangle-shaped tunnel of mirrors.
"Developmentally, it's nice that they've got a whole variety of things," said Ember's mother, Lisa Heckrotte. "It's making exercise not something that's horrible, just something that's part of your everyday life."
"The Move" is also part of Discovery Gateway's three-year plan to redesign and upgrade its exhibits so visitors will experience fresh ways to play with their families.
For more information, call the museum at 801-456-5437 or visit discoverygateway.org.
