POTSDAM -- Alexandru Stoian, M.D. and Danielle Grant, physical education teacher at Lawrence Avenue Elementary School, taught kids about the importance of adequate sleep and eating vegetables recently as part of the “Museum Without Walls” program earlier this fall.

The North Country Children’s “Museum without Walls” hosted “Kid Power: Fun and Fitness” Sept. 8, and Stoian and Grant worked with the kids to promote adequate sleep and healthy eating. Stoian and Grant advocated 12 hours of sleep for preschool children and nine to ten hours of sleep for school children and adolescents.

Cardiologist Stoian taught children about the benefits of fruit and vegetables over what he calls “sticky foods,” or foods that contain sugar, corn syrup, and fat.

Stoian says he sees the effects of unhealthy eating habits, poor lifestyle choices, and lack of sleep and exercise daily. He believes the key to prevention is early education and developing good eating habits early in life.

Stoian and Grant demonstrated how to take a person’s pulse, measure blood pressure, take a temperature and measure the oxygen level in the blood. Children were also taught how muscles make the body move and how muscles get fuel from the blood pumped by the heart.

Grant taught the children an aerobic exercise called “Drums Alive,” in which students use drum sticks to beat on therapy balls. Students then checked each other’s pulse and blood pressure.

Grant also performed a few yoga poses while poetry was being read, and discussed how important it is for the body to stretch its muscles.

The exhibit concluded with a discussion about nutrition.

For more information on the North Country Children’s Museum, visit www.nccm.us or email info@northcountrychildrensmuseum.org.