Grocery bag boats, turtle bugs and caterpillar hunts – it takes very little to occupy a four-year-old mind. In my early days of parenting, I was seduced several times to purchase highly-marketed, well-packaged, complicated toys that promised to educate. As if my son was a blank slate waiting to be filled. After four years I’ve reduced the toy budget drastically in favor of finding out what he can do with what he finds in the yard. Rocks become birds, sticks become rafts, bird poop looks like an eye and bugs sometimes look like turtles. I’ve discovered he plays most deeply – achieving “flow” – when he’s responsible for making it happen.

This is the fundamental premise underlying the free-flowing interactive learning that children experience at such places as MOSI. Now parents of young children have a new exhibit, Sesame Street Presents: The Body, a special exhibit just opened at the new Kids in Charge science center, to enjoy. Created as part of Sesame Workshop’s “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative to help young children and their families establish an early foundation of healthy habits, the Sesame Street Muppets teach by offering hands-on experiences that enable children to learn science.

If you missed the opening, next weekend visit the Family Expo on Sat., May 27 where young visitors can meet Sesame Street’s beloved Elmo, who will be sharing hugs with youngsters at scheduled times throughout the day. More than 30 family-friendly exhibitors will be giving out valuable information and providing fun things to do for the kids. The Immunization Task Force will be talking with parents about the latest research on vaccinations. At the Wild Oats Natural Market table, families will find healthy snacks and natural kid’s toothpaste. Let’s Eat Dinner, a new business devoted to helping busy families eat well, is giving away two eight-session certificates.

Silverado Golf and Country Club of Zephyrhills is setting up a putting green in MOSI’s Science Park and will be giving free tips for kids interested in golf. Silverado will also have information about its summer golf camps that are planned for kids of all ages.  Premier Martial Arts of Land O’Lakes and New Tampa is presenting sessions at 11 AM. and 2 PM that will teach kids how to protect themselves in a variety of situations. Parents can sign up their youngster at the Premier Martial Arts table.

Sports + Field of Wesley Chapel is holding music sessions in a KIC classroom throughout the expo. Stop by the Sports + Field table for specific times and more information on its unique summer sessions. At the Patel Conservatory table, staff member Carol Cohen offers kids the opportunity to make a tambourine from paper plates and has information on all the Conservatory summer programs.

Parents – be prepared to open a “kid account” with Bank Atlantic. Bring your child’s social security number and start teaching junior now about money management. Staff from R’Club/Aberdeen Prep of Temple Terrace will talk with parents about its programs in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The Hillsborough County Magnet School staff will answer questions about area magnet schools and openings still available for the 2006-07 school year. Staff from Gunn Allen Financial is hosting face painting and will answer parent’s questions about mortgage refinancing and other financial matters. St.Joesph’s Baptist Healthcare is providing free health screenings for adults, and St.Joseph’s Child Advocacy Center will have information on child safety.

To help parents make summer plans for their kids, MOSI’s camp staff will be presenting demonstrations of its popular summer camps designed to capture the interest of budding scientists, artists and computer game designers. Underwritten this year by Bank Atlantic, the quality and variety of MOSI’s summer programs make it one of the top summer camp programs in the country.

Sesame Street Presents: The Body will be at MOSI through the summer until Labor Day at the Kids In Charge science center for children located at the Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. Admission to the Expo is free for children with adult-paid admission to MOSI (special engagement exhibitions not included). For more information. call 813-987-6000 or visit www.mosi.org.