New H-E-B Kids' Market Opens at the San Antonio Children's Museum
Exhibit Focuses on Educating Children about Healthy Eating and Nutrition Habits

San Antonio , TX – October 3, 2008 – Committed to educating children on the importance of nutrition, healthy eating and imaginative play, H-E-B and the San Antonio Children’s Museum have teamed up to create a one-of-a-kind educational exhibit at the museum — the new H-E-B Kids’ Market.

The interactive play grocery store, modeled after a real H-E-B store, will be unveiled to the public during a grand opening celebration on Saturday, October 4, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. H-E-Buddy will lead children in several fun activities including a healthy scavenger hunt, “Play With Your Food” station, finger-painting and more.  The museum is located at 305 E. Houston Street. Saturday’s admission to the museum will be free in celebration of the grand opening, courtesy of H-E-B. 

Educating children in a fun and interactive environment is the primary focus of the new permanent exhibit. Here kids will learn about nutrition, the major food groups, and the importance of eating healthy balanced meals — lessons they can then take home and share with their families. Children will also learn the basics of mathematics, reading and science as they shop for food using kid-sized shopping carts, weigh their selections and ring up their purchases. They will also discover where the food they eat comes from by following the farm-to-market process in a series of colorful wall murals. The learning fun continues with children serving the pretend meals they prepare to their parents in the attached Kids’ Café. 

Previously, the Children’s Museum featured an H-E-B-like grocery store.  In keeping with H-E-B’s commitment to the education, health and well being of its customers, the new H-E-B Kids’ Market successfully updates the previous exhibit to create a more engaging and educational experience for children and their families.

During the two year planning process, H-E-B contributed support totaling more than $200,000 and donated the services and expertise of its Construction Team — the same team that designs and builds its neighborhood stores. The company also funded the hiring of a design consultant to provide guidance on the exhibit’s aesthetics.

“We are extremely grateful to H-E-B for its generosity and continued support of the Children’s Museum.  Since opening its doors, the H-E-B grocery store has been a very popular exhibit at the museum,” said Vanessa Lacoss Hurd, Interim Executive Director with the San Antonio Children’s Museum.  “We expect this new much larger H-E-B Kids’ Market will be an even bigger attraction for our visitors as it allows children to learn through creative play.”

“This new exhibit is a strong symbol of our commitment to community and education,” said Dya Campos, H-E-B Public Affairs Director. “We are positive it will bring years of enjoyment while educating the youngest residents in our community on the importance of staying healthy, in both mind and body.”

The complete redo of the exhibit now finds it more than five times the size of its predecessor allowing children to find a much greater variety of play foods and activities as well as several new hands-on features including:

• Exploration through pretend play — At the H-E-B Kids’ Market, children “shop” for food and  learn about—and take on—the roles of cashier, stocker and supervisor.  And at the Kids’ Café they become chefs as they prepare and serve the food they’ve just purchased. 

• Making Healthy Food Choices — The H-E-B Kids’ Market invites children to learn more about what their bodies need on a daily basis.  With the help of magnets, they can identify and choose from among healthy foods to load onto their plates.  Throughout the exhibit, children also learn about how food travels from the farm to their neighborhood market. 

• Learning by doing — Kids can load their carts with hundreds of items in the Kids’ Market, ranging from the familiar (fruits and vegetables) to the new (sushi).  At the check-out, they can sort and classify their food choices and scan them with a fully electronic register—just like the one they see in real stores.  As children discover how much items really cost, they can also learn how to be smart consumers.  Finally, they can practice their counting and estimation skills as they load items onto the scale and identify their weight.

or more information on museum happenings, visit www.sakids.org or call 210-212-4453.

About H-E-B
For more than 100 Years, H-E-B has been an innovative retailer. Known for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at every day low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 67,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities throughout Texas and Mexico. For more information, visit www.heb.com.