Where can kids walk through a giant ear, see how smoking damages lungs and learn how to REALLY get their teeth as clean as possible to keep their healthy, precious smiles? Where else but at the area’s largest and most popular kid’s health education exhibit – Journey Through The Body – A Hands-on Discovery Adventure.
Now celebrating its 16th year, Journey will be presented this Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, at Colonie Center. As always, the event is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The event is co-sponsored by WNYT-TV NewsChannel 13. WNYT Meteorologist Bob Kovachick and Anchor/Health Reporter Benita Zahn will be doing a live broadcast from the event on Friday, April 17, beginning at 5 p.m.
At Journey Through The Body, kids can explore larger-than-life-sized models of the heart, brain, lungs, ear, teeth and more.
Returning is The Big Colon – a 10-foot-long model that kids can walk into and see the inner workings of this organ. Similarly, kids can slide down a larger-than-life model of a human leg, and see and touch real hearts and lungs to explore how they work.
And Journey boasts what is likely the Capital Region’s largest ear – a dramatic model that is nine feet tall, eight feet wide and 19 feet long. Pulsating lights show how sound moves through the ear and the dangers of exposure to loud noises or music. The model, like all exhibits at Journey, is handicapped-accessible.
The growing concern over childhood obesity is addressed at exhibits that promote proper nutrition, exercise, and food preparation and handling. There are also exhibits on infection control and protection against skin cancer.
An exhibit on careers in health care provides information for adults and children alike. And young and old alike can benefit from a visit to the “Growing Older” exhibit, which looks at how the body ages, provides insight into how the older people in your life experience the world, and looks at how they can best stay healthy and safe.
In previous years, some 10,000 persons have attended the two-day exhibit, aided by clinical staff from St. Peter’s Health Partners, as well as volunteers from St. Peter’s, local colleges and high schools, and members of the community.
For more information on Journey Through The Body, visit http://www.sphcs.org/jttb
