Exhibit Spotlight: Summer 2024 Prototypes & Seasonal Exhibits
“Exhibit Spotlight: Seasonal Exhibits & Prototypes” from “The Scoop: News from KidsPlay Children’s Museum,” August 2024.
KidsPlay has a lot of new space – and with new space comes new exhibits! Prototyping is an important part of the exhibit design process. Our prototypes and seasonal exhibits help KidsPlay’s team test exhibit concepts to see what’s interactive, fun, and interesting. It gives the museum an opportunity to incorporate feedback and adjust a design before investing in a piece that will stand up to years of play.
KidsPlay Raceway
KidsPlay Raceway is the latest addition to our series of seasonal, physically active exhibits! Following Polar Pond, KidsPlay Raceway gets kids of all ages excited about summer with Plasma Cars! These person-propelled racers combine whole-body movement with gross-motor skill building to get visitors around the track as fast as possible. In the other areas of the exhibit, visitors can explore the design of racing by building and testing their own Duplo race cars down the KidsPlay derby track, observe the mechanics of racing in the KidsPlay Garage where visitors can take apart an “engine,” change tires, and observe the steering gear on a real SoapBox Derby Car, and test the limits of physics by designing their own Hot Wheels racetrack.
Construction Exhibit
Step into the exciting prototype of our Construction Exhibit, where young builders can test out kid-sized machinery and explore the building process before we bring the finished version to life. The Construction Exhibit prototype features a kid-powered train, rubberized foam “rocks,” a mini pavement roller, a kid-sized grabber, and a kid-sized excavator – with real hydraulics, just like the real things!
Construction is a multidisciplinary process that takes teamwork, problem solving and cooperation to be successful. Introducing the next generation to the sciences and arts used in the construction process will strengthen Torrington’s local economy and Connecticut’s infrastructure.
Construction is open with staff supervision as we continue to build and improve the exhibit. Prototypes may close unexpectedly for updates and improvements.