Visitors to Creative Discovery Museum's "Good for You: Healthy Fun on the Run" exhibit, opening Saturday, can explore ways to eat better and stay active, such as whitewater kayaking.

One of the Creative Discovery Museum's most popular exhibits will return Saturday, Feb. 1. "Good for You: Healthy Fun on the Run," which has just completed a two-year tour across Tennessee with stops in Johnson City, Memphis and Nashville, will be on display through Sunday, May 11.

Created by CDM, the exhibit tackles childhood obesity, using various activities to show families that healthy, active lifestyles can be easy and fun. The bilingual exhibit was developed and produced by the Chattanooga children's museum.

The exhibit follows the storyline of an accompanying book, "Good for You: Adventures With Ginger and George." Young Ginger is a TV-watching couch potato who loves potato chips and soft drinks. When her mother orders her out of the house, she and her dog George begin an adventure that leads to a world of healthy foods and active play.

"Giving children the opportunity to make choices and showing them that they can easily balance their food choices and enjoy physical activity provides them with the necessary tools to live a healthy lifestyle," says Dr. Jayne Griffin, director of education. "Our goal is to teach kids and their families that being healthy is the result of making good food choices and exercising your body. Most importantly, making good choices can be done by everyone, and it can be fun, too."

EXHIBIT STOPS

* Entrance: Pose for photos by life-size cutouts of Ginger, George and all the members of the Good for You Crew: Sam, Maria, Michael, Lea, Josh and Nelson.

* Introductory Area: Listen to your heart as a red light flashes and a drum plays in sync. An interactive game illustrates the importance of balancing food choices (energy in) with physical activities (energy out). An interactive video wall has children use their whole bodies to capture floating images of food to create a balanced meal on their plate.

* Sam's Garden and Kitchen: Experience "food from the garden to the table." The garden includes furrows for planting and picking authentic-looking vegetables, as well as vines and trees holding fruit. After planting and gathering food, children can play in the kitchen, using recipes and equipment just their size. Children will learn about nutrition and discover how healthy it is to eat foods of many colors in the "eat a rainbow" activity.

* Maria's Farmers Market: Learn about healthy food choices and discover what parts of a plant are edible (fruit, root, leaf) with bins of fruits, vegetables and other products. Costumes and cash registers let children take on the role of shoppers or sellers.

* Nelson's Treehouse: Climb into the treehouse clubhouse, raise a flag and use pulleys to retrieve supplies.

* Michael and Lea's Campsite: Connect with nature here, with activities that include a chance to traverse a climbing wall, try out a whitewater kayak, go camping, sleep in a tent and explore a cave.

* Healthy House: Josh's Living Room: Give your imagination a workout with indoor activities that includes building forts and playing dress-up and board games.