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Playscape Top 10—Babyscape

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BabyscapeWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the new Babyscape so special!

Come explore Babyscape within the redesigned Playscape and see why this is the perfect place to help a little baby’s brain, fingers, toes, arms and legs develop gross and fine motor skills. Did you know that recent brain research concludes that 80 percent of the brain is developed by the age of three, and 90 percent by the age of five?  There is no time to waste in helping wee ones grow mentally and physically—and Babyscape helps babies and toddlers develop these skills in movement, language and exploration.

In the Babyscape nesting area, infants not yet moving on their own can explore Play With Me! Toy Boxes, which contain a collection of objects and toys that adults and infants can play with together. There are also plenty of protected, mirrored spaces for tummy time and games of peekaboo. (Look for more Play With Me! boxes in the Natural World and the Invented World!)

Mural

For cruisers and crawlers, the nature-inspired Treehouse area entices mobile toddlers to move, building gross motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination. Toddlers can climb around a tree, swish down a slide, match birds to their birdhouses, or stack petals to make flowers. Babyscape will provide a variety of opportunities for sensory exploration.  Mirrors will encourage visual tracking while light switches and push buttons in the Flutter Fly and Push and Whoosh experiences will encourage young children to experiment with cause and effect. 

Other important critical skills for babies in Babyscape include: 
 
Imitating parents’ facial expressions and verbalizations
Tracking objects
Tactile sensations
Sensorimotor (holding up the head, reaching)
Focused observation
Language acquisition and early literacy
 

For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

 

 


The Story Behind the LEGO Phone

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funky find revealHere's the story behind the LEGO Phone, one of the many funky finds from the Children's Museum collection!
By Jennifer Noffze, Museum Registrar/Archivist
 
This fun LEGO telephone is part of a large donation that we received in 2009.  Starting with Indianapolis Public School children in the 1920's,  the museum’s collection has been built through artifact donations.  Over the years, the collection has grown to encompass more than 120,000 objects, thanks in large part to our generous donors.
 
In 2009, Curator Andrea Hughes and I traveled to Chicago to meet with a donor.  This gentleman had an apartment filled with a wide assortment of toys, dolls, games, and fun pop culture items!  He had a particular fondness for Pink Panther items as his godfather was Isadore “Friz” Freleng, a well-known animator and cartoonist whose studio produced the opening animation for the 1963 film The Pink Panther.  Mr. Freleng also worked with artist Hawley Pratt to introduce or re-design a number of famous Warner Brothers characters, including Yosemite Sam in 1945.
 
Andrea chose 146 objects from this treasure trove to add to our permanent collection.  Highlights include:
 
  • 33 stuffed toys—including Warner Brothers favorites like Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck 
  • 30 Pink Panther items—board games, puzzles, costumes, books and stuffed figures
  • 11 boardgames—everything from The Flintstones to Pac-Man and Sweet Valley High
  • 10 books and 21 Little Golden books
  • 9 sets of Barbie trading cards
  • 8 puzzles—including my personal favorite, a “Where’s The Beef?” jigsaw puzzle
  • 7 telephones—in addition to the LEGO phone, we have a Coke bottle and can, robot, chocolate milk carton, Knight Rider and a high-heel shoe
  • 6 lunchboxes—Knight Rider, Annie and Punky Brewster to name a few
  • 5 Halloween costumes—the Pink Panther costume was included in our 100 Toys exhibit!
  • 4 sets of play food packages—perfect for that play kitchen!
  • 2 sets of Star Wars Micromachines
We've already used many items from this collection in various exhibits and we're sure to use them in a variety of ways in years to come.  A big thank you to all of our artifact donors for making our collection wonderful!
  

Playscape Top 10—Reaction Contraption

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ReactionContraptionWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the new Reaction Contraption so special!
 
When do engineers, architects, and inventors get their starts?  For some, it's probably younger than you'd think! Within the new Playscape, the Reaction Contraption is sure to get little brains buzzing. We know that the Rube Goldberg machine in ScienceWorks is a family favorite—and we've brought it to Playscape with a whole new, interactive twist. At the Reaction Contraption, children and their grown-ups control balls traveling on many different tracks and ramps with levers and knobs that they manipulate. 
 
The highly interactive machine allows children to engineer new pathways and route balls toward specific targets. The Reaction Contraption was designed to engage children in STEM learning principles (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). As they manipulate the cranks, levers, and tunnels, children investigate scientific principles like cause and effect, forming predictions, and problem solving. When children watch and manipulate the balls in the machine, they observe and discover properties of motion such as force, inertia, and momentum.
 
In addition to the Reaction Contraption, Roll ’n Race is an interactive that allows children to experiment with different configurations of race tracks to roll balls down ramps and make predictions about incline and momentum.
 
The Reaction Contraption and Roll 'n Race help with even more critical skills, like:
 
Elementary physics
Sequence of interactions
Understanding velocity, speed and motion
Fine motor skills
Socialization
Creative play
 
For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

Saturday Science: Peppery Surface Tension

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Peppery Surface TensionWhat happens when you stick your soapy finger into a bowl of peppered water? In this science experiment from the Carrots Are Orange blog, you can teach your kids about molecules and cohesion with this simple activity. 

Materials
  • Mat
  • Empty glass bowl
  • Jug of water
  • Ground pepper
  • Dish washing liquid
Process
  1. Place the mat and the empty glass bowl on the table. Pour the jug of water into the bowl.
  2. Talk about the surface of the water. What does it feel like? Explain that it can act like a stretchy, elastic skin.
  3. Pour in the ground pepper.
  4. Ask your child to place his or her finger in the water. Ask them to observe what they see. Is there a change in the water? (There likely will not be.)
  5. Have your child dip his or her finger into the dish washing liquid.
  6. Then dip the finger into the water again and…..magic! The pepper grounds immediately radiate out to the sides of the bowl. The effect is so fast that it really is exciting to watch.
Results

The dish washing liquid breaks the surface tension. As the water molecules try to realign themselves and straighten up again, they gravitate to the sides of the bowl, taking the pepper with them. In other words, the surface of the water was stretchy and elastic. When a rubber band is snapped, it will bounce off in another direction. So too, when the dish washing liquid breaks the stretchy skin of the water, it breaks and snaps away.

Why do I have to use a No. 2 pencil?

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Before your children went back to school, did you spend time picking out folders, notebooks, art boxes, lunch boxes, and maybe a few No. 2 pencils? Have you or your kids ever wondered why No. 2 pencils are always on a teacher’s classroom shopping list, or why they are the only type of pencils allowed on a standardized test? We've compiled the most comprehensive answer for you, courtesy of Mental_Floss and Dictionary.com.

 

Let’s begin by setting straight a common misconception: Pencils do not, in fact, contain lead. The points of pencils are actually made from a mixture of graphite and clay. The ratio of the two determines the hardness of the pencil’s “lead,” and the number identifies that hardness. The higher the number on a pencil, the harder the pencil.

 

According to Dictionary.com, early machines that scanned and recorded test scores couldn’t properly detect marks made by hard pencils. While No. 1 -- the softest -- pencils were prone to smudging, the No. 2 pencil was the perfect balance of softness and hardness.

 

Though new machines are getting better at correctly scanning other types of writing utensils, we suggest sticking with a good ole’ No. 2 pencil until you’re instructed otherwise. Better safe than sorry!

 

Looking for more Never Stop Asking "Why?" questions? Catch up on all of the past "Whys" on theblog!

Playscape Top 10—The Art Studio

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Art StudioWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the new Art Studio so special!

Toddlers and preschoolers love creating, and the environment in the Art Studio will inspire this creativity with a changing array of materials and visual prompts. Your family will be able to use the materials to explore the process of creating art, using hands-on activity tables. It's the perfect environment to watch as children approach art-making in different ways—expressing their ideas through painting, sculpting, cutting, crafting with clay, and more.
 
Beyond exploring the art materials, your family will be surrounded by beautiful art and material displays in the studio, allowing you to talk with your child about their thoughts about a work of art or object. Be inspired by the colors in the Color Array, a display of various shapes, colors, authentic art materials, and natural objects that are arranged in glass and ceramic vases.
 
There are two guided art programs every day that allow children to explore authentic materials and be inspired by objects in nature and the artwork in the studio. Whether or not you take part in a planned program, there will always be materials on hand for you to experiment with artistic processes. 
 
For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

Playscape Top 10—Whirly Twirly Tower

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Whirly TwirlyWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the Whirly Twirly Tower (and Blockopolis!) so special!
 
Children love experimenting with wind and motion—and the Whirly Twirly Tower provides that experience in a whole new way. Your child can step into a custom-made circular room and feel the force of moving air in a whirlwind motion. They'll make the invisible visible using aerodynamic materials that reveal wind patterns.
 
Circular holes will allow your child to climb into the room to better explore the movement of air. By experimenting with different materials, your little one can see what happens when objects of various shapes and sizes are tossed into a stream of fast moving air. Explore the air stream’s strength and work together with your child to experiment with the materials! The space also invites cooperative learning as children work together with partners in the room.
 
Next to the Whirly Twirly Tower, Blockopolis will inspire the imagination in a different way—with blocks! Take in the impressive models of The Children's Museum and a skyscraper, produced by Citiblocs, and be inspired to build your own structure with a wide variety of blocks. Be sure to take part in the block play with your child!  Young children will play with blocks more readily if there is someone playing beside them. They watch, imitate, and experiment. They're collecting information even though it might not look like it at first! 
 
For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

Instagramming the Collection

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GrammingWe're big fans of Instagramfollow us @childrensmuseum!—so when we had the chance to host a small group of avid Instagrammers, we were excited to see  what our collections would look like through the eyes (or, phones) of the @IGersIndy community. This guest blog post is written by Andrew Griswold (@the_gris), a co-founder of #IGersIndy who has coordinated Instameets throughout Indianapolis (and now the Children's Museum!) 
 
Hi everyone! My name is Andrew, and I'm a local photographer and avid Instagrammer here in Indianapolis. Instagram is a photo-sharing app that allows you to snap a photo, apply a cool filter, and then post it to social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. You can then go back and see your photos in a gallery on your Instagram page. 
 
It was 5 years ago that I walked the exhibits of The Children's Museum as an Exhibit Graphic Design Intern thinking about how cool it would be to come back with my future kids to see and explore it again. Then I realized, what am I thinking?! The museum isn't just for kidsadults have just as much fun exploring the ins and outs of the exhibits!
 
This summer I'd begun organizing popular "Instameets" with avid Instagrammers at places like Monument Circle and Fountain Squareand the Children's Museum seemed like the perfect opportunity for the next Instagram "take-over." After connecting with Jenny and Lori from the museum's social media team, we had our chance.
 
Ten of us came out to the museum to  venture into parts of the museum that not everyone gets to see, including the vast American Collection with every toy you can imagine, the beautiful World Cultures collection, and the jaw-dropping Natural Science collection (complete with spare dinosaurs!) Being given absolute freedom to snap away was just amazing! You can follow the adventure at the #TCMinstameet hashtag on Instagram, where you can explore all of the photos taken by the wonderful crew that day. Below are some of my absolute favorite shots from the photo walkhope you enjoy! 
 
If you want to see more beautiful shots of the Circle City make sure to follow along @igersindy and tag your photos #igersindy for a chance to be highlighted on the page. If you want to stop by and say hey you can find me @the_gris.
 
The rest of the amazing crew can be found at the username's listed below, so make sure to follow along and say hi!
 

PaleoLab
@frychris

EntryRoom
@raiosunshineDinosaurs
@the_grissnowshoes
@raiosunshine

Playscape
@brackus

acassle
@acasslerSilver Surfer
@frychrisSpiderMan
@enaknahgemwindow@redblueoxtriceratops@bobewing_darth@smjoyceindyhan solo@the_gris
 

Playscape Top 10—The Climber

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ClimberWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the Climber so special!
 
Your little one will be amazed by the breathtaking climber—called The Pond—which is designed to help children develop their gross motor skills. The structure resembles an Indiana pond habitat, where children will be able to climb through a series of lilypads as they work their way towards two sailboats that appear to float on the pond's surface. As they move horizontally or vertically through the climber, children will have the chance to experience different perspectives and observe the area below them to discover objects that relate to pond life. 
 
The climber allows children to practice controlling and coordinating large body movements, and invites children to take risks and explore independence. As your little one climbs, you can encourage them to look for plants and animals in and on the pond. Nearby, you can help your child try on costumes of fish, frogs, and turtles native to Indiana and together imagine what it would be like to live in a pond.
 
There's no need to worry about losing track of your little one in the climber—there’s an adult-friendly pass-through that allows you to be near your child at any time. The area is built above carpeted flooring and the climber is surrounded by mesh netting. 
 
For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

Playscape Top 10—Mothers' Rooms

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MothersWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the new amenities so special!
 
You asked for it! The new Playscape has many amenities that will keep everything you need right there in the gallery. There are three private nursing rooms to accommodate families—older siblings included. These Mothers' Rooms each have sliding privacy doors, outlets for pumps, adjustable lighting, puzzles, books, and toys to keep your older children occupied. Each room will also have hot water available for mixing formula and monitors with special health messages and tips from St. Vincent's. Outside of the nursing rooms there is an additional diaper changing area for quick changes.
 

In addition to the Mothers' Rooms, there are two family restrooms inside the gallery. We know this will be extremely important to parents who are in the midst of potty-training! Now you won't have far to travel when there's a bathroom emergency. Each family restroom will have a regular-sized and child-sized toilet. The family restrooms will also include diaper changing tables. These new amenities will keep you comfortable and help you make the most of your time as you discover the beautiful Playscape gallery together. 

For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!

Sponsorship Spotlight—Growing Up Great with PNC

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Sponsorship SpotlightEach year, corporate partners of the museum help fund the extraordinary exhibits and programs that your family enjoys visit after visit. In this post, Lindsay Pavell, Corporate Partnership Manager, tells us how the Corporate Development team works with partners on creating unique and innovative experiences throughout the museum, including this mission-focused partnership with PNC.
 
We’re so excited for the opening of Playscape, the beautiful new gallery designed for early learners—infants through the preschool years—and their adults to discover together! At the museum, our mission is to create extraordinary family learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities—and Playscape is no exception. Our mission always remains front and center when it comes to engaging with our corporate partners, and a prime example of this is PNC’s efforts to promote financial literacy. PNC’s Grow Up Great program is one initiative that truly helps us bring our mission to life.  
 
In partnership with Sesame Workshop, PNC developed a ten year program designed to help prepare young children for school and life.  Since school is almost in full swing, it’s a great time to share free, local resources available for your family. 
 
Every first Thursday, during Target Free Family Night, a member of the Corporate Development team works with PNC to pass out free For Me, for You, for Later: First Steps to Spending, Sharing, and Saving financial literacy kits to all families visiting the museum.  The activities in this kit help children learn about the basics of financial literacy and can easily fit into daily routines.  
 
The activities emphasize the key financial concepts of:
  • Choices: Children can make good choices.
  • Value: Children can understand that people, things, and money have value.
  • Spending, Saving, and Sharing: Children can begin to learn about these three money skills.
 
These kits offer an opportunity for families to learn, together, about financial literacy—which is so important. You can find your own kit at the next Target Free Family Night on Thursday, September 5 from 4:00-8:00 p.m.. You can also find more information and additional resources on the Grow Up Great website.
 

Playscape is made possible through lead gift support of PNC Foundation, with additional support provided by The Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund, W.B. Fortune, the Joseph F. and G. Marlyne Sexton Family, The Children’s Museum Guild, the Harlan Family Foundation, the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation, Jane and Steve Marmon, Jerry and Elsie Martin, Randall and Deborah Tobias, and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent.

 

Playscape Top 10—Natural Light

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WindowsWe're highlighting Playscape's top ten features as we prepare for the gallery's grand opening on August 31! But what makes the new Playscape different? Check out the Introduction to Playscape blog post to learn how the re-envisioned space will be just what you’ve been waiting for. Then read on to see what makes the new windows so special!
 
Playscape is bigger and brighter than ever, thanks to expanded square footage and two whole walls of floor to ceiling windows!  The 24 new windows allow your little ones to observe the outdoor world and be inspired by nature. As children play, they’ll feel as if they’re in the trees!
 
The design of the new Playscape gallery is inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, which considers the environment in which we learn to be the third teacher (after peers and adults). The elements of 
color array
light, transparency, and natural materials are strongly valued in a Reggio Emilia-inspired environment, which all serve to provoke curiosity and learning. In the art studio, 
for example, you'll find materials displayed in a beautiful, accessible, and orderly way. Everything in the environment is selected intentionally. As your family explores the gallery and observe nature through the windows, ask your children about their favorite outdoor activities and draw on their prior knowledge. You may be surprised by how much your little one is taking in!
 
For even more Playscape fun, check out the photos and videos in the Behind the Scenes Playscape Construction blog post!
 
Playscape is made possible through lead gift support of PNC Foundation, with additional support provided by The Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund, W.B. Fortune, the Joseph F. and G. Marlyne Sexton Family, The Children’s Museum Guild, the Harlan Family Foundation, the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation, Jane and Steve Marmon, Jerry and Elsie Martin, Randall and Deborah Tobias, and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent.

Saturday Science: Color-Changing Milk

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Color Milk

Some very unusual things happen when you mix a little milk, food coloring, and a drop of liquid soap. Use this experiment from Steve Spangler Science to amaze your friends and uncover the scientific secrets of soap!

Materials
  • Milk (whole or 2%)
  • Dinner plate
  • Food coloring (red, yellow, green, blue)
  • Dish-washing soap (Dawn brand works well)
  • Cotton swabs
Process
  1. Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom to the depth of about 1/4 inch. Allow the milk to settle.
  2. Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring - red, yellow, blue, and green - to the milk.
    Hint: Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.
  3. Find a clean cotton swab for the next part of the experiment. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It's important not to stir the mix. Just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab. Did anything happen?
  4. Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at that burst of color! It's like the 4th of July in a bowl of milk!
  5. Add another drop of soap to the tip of the cotton swab and try it again. Experiment with placing the cotton swab at different places in the milk. Notice that the colors in the milk continue to move even when the cotton swab is removed. What makes the food coloring in the milk move?
Results
Milk is mostly water but it also contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution. Fats and proteins are sensitive to changes in the surrounding solution (the milk). The secret of the bursting colors is the chemistry of that tiny drop of soap. Dish soap, because of its bipolar characteristics (nonpolar on one end and polar on the other), weakens the chemical bonds that hold the proteins and fats in solution. The soap's polar, or hydrophilic (water-loving), end dissolves in water, and its hydrophobic (water-fearing) end attaches to a fat globule in the milk. This is when the fun begins.
 
The molecules of fat bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecules race around to join up with the fat molecules. During all of this fat molecule gymnastics, the food coloring molecules are bumped and shoved everywhere, providing an easy way to observe all the invisible activity. As the soap becomes evenly mixed with the milk, the action slows down and eventually stops.  Try adding another drop of soap to see if there's any more movement. If so, you discovered there are still more fat molecules that haven't found a partner at the big color dance. Add another drop of soap to start the process again.
 

 

How To Explore the Museum Before Midnight

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DancePartyMelissa Trumpey, Public Events and Family Programs Manager, shares all about our unique family event—Museum Before Midnight: Lights out…Flashlights On!
 
Has your little one ever said, "I wonder what the Children's Museum is like at NIGHT!" (I bet you've wondered the same thing, yourself!) 
 
Imagine exploring the museum before midnight—the crowds have gone home and you're exploring with a flashlight. What’s around the next corner? Is it a dinosaur, a train, a race car? Museum Before Midnight is packed full of activities, special tours of our collection, and tours in the dark. Oh, and the best part—things in the museum come to life! You might meet an Egyptian pharaoh, a train conductor, a race car driver, a paleontologist, or a mad scientist.
 
You'll be able to interact with characters, visit the exhibits, ride the carousel, take a flashlight tour or a collections tour, eat pizza, and more! Join us at this extraordinary event for your opportunity to see the museum come to life! 
 
It’s also your last chance to visit two of our amazing exhibits. Take Me There: Egypt closes on September 15 and AVATAR: The Exhibition closes on September 22.  And don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes— this event ends with a dance party! Who doesn't love a dance party at the world’s largest children’s museum?
 
So save the date—September 14 from 6:30-9:30—and be sure to register! The cost is $20 per person, or $15 per person if you're a museum member. Your ticket gets you attendance to the event, a special gift, pizza, your choice of a flashlight tour or a collections tour, and the chance to have a blast exploring the museum before midnight! 
 
See you there!
 
 
 
 

Saturday Science: Secret Bells

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Secret BellsCan ordinary objects make extraordinary sounds? In today's Saturday Science, this Secret Bells experiment from Exploratorium will show us how sound travels through different objects. 

Materials
  • Scissors
  • String
  • Wire hanger
  • Table (or a wall, or a door)
  • Metal spoon
  • Also try: Fork, Metal spatula, Cake rack
Process
  1. Cut a piece of string about 3 feet long. (Grown-ups should cut a piece about 4 feet long.)
  2. Hold the two ends of the string in one hand. The rest of the string will make a loop.
  3. Lay the loop over the hook part of the hanger. Push the two ends through the loop, and pull them all the way through the other side. (This is easier to undo than a knot.)
  4. Wrap the loose ends of the string two or three times around the first fingers on each hand.
  5. Swing the hanger so it gently bumps against the leg of a table, or against a door.
    What did it sound like? Probably not much.
  6. Put your hands over your ears. (Don't put your fingers in your ears!) Hold your hands tight to the sides of your head. Lean over and gently bump the hanger again.
    Wow! Now what does it sound like? Church bells? Chimes?
  7. Unwrap your fingers, then pull on the loop end of the string. The whole string will come off the hanger.
  8. Want to hear what a spoon sounds like? Re-loop the string around the spoon.
  9. Try this with other things from your kitchen.
ResultsHow do the Secret Bells work?

Why can you hear the music of the Head Harp only when the string is around your head? When you pluck on the string that's wrapped around your friend's head, the string starts vibrating. To reach your ears, the vibrations in the string must push on the air molecules to make sound waves that travel through the air. But the string isn't very large and it doesn't push on very many air molecules. So sound vibrations don't travel easily from the string into the air.

When the string is around your own head, the sound can take a more direct route to your ears. Rather than traveling through the air, the vibrations can travel through your hands and through the bone of your skull directly to the fluid inside your cochlea in your inner ear. Instead of traveling from solid to air and back to solid, the vibrations move from one solid (the string) to another (your bones), and then into the fluid of your cochlea. As a result, the sound you hear is much louder and richer.

The same thing happens with Secret Bells. When you put your hands over your ears, you provide a path that lets more of the vibrations reach your ears. When your hands aren't over your ears, you hear a faint, high-pitched, tinny sound. When you put your hands over your ears, you hear deep, resonant, bell-like tones. The hanger makes the same sound in both situations, but in one you provide a path that lets more of the sound reach your ears.

How do you hear sounds?

You hear sounds when vibrations get inside your ears and stimulate your nerves to send electrical signals to your brain. Suppose, for instance, that you are pounding on a drum. The drumhead starts vibrating. As the drumhead vibrates, it bumps into air molecules and starts them bouncing to and fro. Those bouncing air molecules bump into other air molecules and start them moving. This chain reaction of moving air molecules carries sound through the air in a series of pulsating pressure waves that we call sound.

Sound waves carry vibrations from the drum into your ears. Inside your ear, moving air molecules push on your eardrum and start it vibrating. Your eardrum, in turn, pushes on the bones of your middle ear, the tiniest bones in your body. These bones act like a set of levers, pushing against the thin membrane that covers the opening to your inner ear. The movement of this membrane makes pressure waves in the fluid inside the cochlea, where cells with tiny sensing hairs transform the waves into electrical signals. These electrical signals travel along the auditory nerve to your brain. When these electrical signals reach your brain, you hear a sound-the beat of a drum.


A Conversation with Ruby Bridges

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Ruby CharlesThe Children's Museum is lucky to have Ruby Bridges as a partner in our shared efforts to inspire children to fight intolerance and make a positive difference in the world. Ruby advised on The Power of Children gallery and now visits the museum annually for a special school program. Each year students from surrounding area schools in grades 6–9 are encouraged to write letters to Ruby sharing concerns and issues facing them as teens in today’s world.  These students are then invited to Ruby's classroom in the Power of Children gallery where they have the special opportunity to discuss their letters with Ruby.
 
This week the museum was proud to host Ruby Bridges as she met with Charles Burks, one of the four U.S. Federal Marshals who escorted her, at age six, into William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960.  As we celebrate this historic moment, we wanted to share a conversation we had with Ruby this past spring. Ruby reflects on the impact of the Power of Children gallery and the role of children today in promoting tolerance and positivity.
 
What made you want to work with The Children’s Museum?
Ruby: The Children's Museum actually approached me and I thought it was a great idea. It’s a great museum and a great way to expose my story to lots of kids who actually come through the museum, and expose it in a more interactive way. 
 
What are your thoughts when you’re sitting in that classroom and talking about things with the students?
Ruby: Well it’s a duplication of my classroom so it takes me back to 1960, and being in that space, and what it felt like. It actually makes it a lot easier to tell my story, being in that setting. The classroom is very realistic. Jennifer Robinson [VP of Experience Development and Family Learning] and her staff and I worked really hard to try to get it right. And she did an amazing job, down to the sandwiches in the cabinet. 
 

Ruby Talk

What do you feel like the students get from that experience when they come in?
Ruby: I think the kids pretty much know my story when they come. But it’s the little behind-the-scenes details that they take away [that gives them] a much clearer view of the story and how it unfolded, which they totally relate to. They relate to it because it’s about kids and it’s about not being accepted, and you not being able to do anything about changing who you are. All kids can relate to that. 
 
How do you feel like the efforts to prevent bullying have changed in the past years?
Ruby: It’s such an issue, and kids are struggling with it. I don’t know why it’s as rampant as it is. Even back when we were in school, I think we were all getting bullied at one point. But it wasn’t like it happened at every school and everywhere you go it’s all anybody talked about. It wasn’t like that then, but today it is. And I think that that’s a shame. I think we need to do whatever we can to make kids feel safe. It’s very hard to grow up feeling unsafe in your own school.
 
What do you hope that children and families get from the experience in the exhibit as a whole, including the stories of Ryan White and Anne Frank?
Ruby: I think what I’d like for them to take away is that no one—kids especially—should be made to feel badly about who you are. And that we as kids—I always say “we" because I’m still speaking from the point of view of a six year old—we as kids, the way we can change that is by not making each other feel that way. We change that by giving each other a chance to get to know one another. 
 

Why Do Pirates Say "Arrr"?

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We love pirates around here! So to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate day on September 19and the museum's Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 21we're answering questions about pirates all month! Have you ever wondered why pirates say "Arrr"? We answer this burning question with help from National Geographic and American Profile.

 
Pronounced also as “Yarrr!” and “Arg!”, the word “Arrr!” is traditionally said by pirates when responding "yes" or when expressing excitement.
 
But did pirates really "arr" all the time? Probably not, though it's tough to say exactly how most pirates really talked. There are of course no audio recordings of pirate speech.  There isn't much written down by pirates themselves, and witnesses have not written down any extensive lists of quotes or pirate phrases.
 
Most experts think English-speaking Golden Age pirates spoke exactly the same as English-speaking merchant sailors of the time, since large numbers in both groups tended to be from riverfront neighborhoods around London, according to historian Colin Woodard. 
 
Many of the phrases that most people think of as pirate speech today can actually be traced back to portrayals of pirates in movies. The first fictional pirate speak was in the 1934 film “Treasure Island” starring Lionel Barrymore, and later was used by a character in the 1940 novel “Adam Penfeather, Buccaneer” by English author Jeffery Farnol. 
 
But by far the most popular movie pirate was actor Robert Newton, who portrayed Long John Silver in the Disney film version of “Treasure Island”  in 1950 and Blackbeard in 1952, to name just two. Newton based his pirate talk on the dialect of his native West Country in southwestern England, which just happened to be where Long John Silver hailed from in the Treasure Island novel.  In this area of England, during the early 20th century, " 'Arr' was an affirmation, not unlike the Canadian 'eh,' and maritime expressions were a part of everyday speech," Woodard explains.
 
While some pirates and mariners did come from that area of England, most did notso the majority of pirates didn't speak like actor Robert Newton's Long John Silver.
 

 

The Story Behind Playscape's Rabbits

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Slonem RabbitsIf you've had the chance to visit the new Playscape, you may have noticed all of the beautiful nature-inspired artwork. With so many animals "hiding" around Playscape, your little one is bound to find their favorite! Janna Bennett, American Collections Curator, shares the story behind these paintings, and how they can make your family's Playscape experience even more extraordinary.
 
Playscape offers many opportunities to climb and build; it also offers some incredible art to discover.  With a generous gift from the Joseph F. and G. Marlyne Sexton Family, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis acquired 110 paintings by contemporary artist Hunt Slonem. Over thirty of these paintings are featured throughout the Playscape gallery. 
 

Luna Moths _ Slonem

Slonem’s animal paintings delight and inspire viewers through his highly textured use of oil paints and bold use of color. His life long interest in painting animals has included everything from rabbits to elephants. The newly donated collection includes paintings of cockatoos, toucans, rabbits, tigers, and luna moths.
 
Hunt Slonem draws on personal experiences from the world around him to inspire his paintings. Since his youth, insects including moths have fascinated him. To create his 2008 Lunas on display in the art studio, Slonem studied real luna moths. He has always been drawn to their natural beauty and elegant forms.
 
His art allows you to talk with your child about his or her thoughts on a work of art. In each painting you’ll find excellent opportunities to examine the texture of the paintings. There are also touch panels that recreate a section of the artwork, allowing you to feel the roughness of the paint. On the Rabbit Wall, you’ll find individual portraits of rabbits that are a perfect opportunity to observe differences between rabbit expressions and composition. Keep an eye on those rabbits – the next time you visit there may be different ones on display!
 
Slonem’s paintings are one of many ways to experience the natural world in The Art Studio. Children and families can observe collections objects for inspiration. Ranging from natural science specimens like pine cones and minerals to textiles and hats, these artifacts are all made from natural materials that reflect the natural objects available to create original collages at the activity table. Elsewhere in the studio, images of paintings, sculptures, collages, textiles, carvings, and photographs from many different time periods and cultures encourage close observation of detail in the artwork.
 
Don't miss more rabbits in this Vine video, and a sneak peek at some of the paintings you'll see in the gallery in the photos below. Next time you're in Playscape, see if your little one can spot all of the animals in Hunt Slonem's paintings!
 
 
Untitled_SlonemFlock _ Slonembirds_SlonemTocos_ Slonem

 

 

Big, Bad, & Bizarre—A New Way to Experience Dinos at the Museum

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Watch out—T. rex is about to march on the museum in a whole new way! The Dragons Unearthed gallery has been transformed into a new experience focusing on paleo art. Exhibit developer Melissa Pederson tells us what makes Big, Bad, & Bizarre so extraordinary. 
 
This year I helped plan a brand new exhibit of paleoart in the Dino Art Gallery in Dinosphere.  The display is called Big Bad & Bizarre, and the gallery will be stuffed full of amazing dinosaur artwork and art activities for children and families. 
 
The exhibit contains paintings, illustrations, and sculptures created by celebrated paleoartists from around the world, and each piece of artwork features a gigantic, ferocious, or just plain-old-weird dinosaur.  Think heads covered in spikes, teeth the size of your hand, and neon blue feathers.  As you explore the art and artifacts, you discover that paleoartists design big, bad, and bizarre creatures for their artwork by studying real fossils, researching the anatomy of modern animals, and tapping into their imagination.
 
A gallery packed with boisterous dino creations needs a brazen artifact or image to stand at its entrance. We exhibit planners spent weeks tossing around possibilities, trying to come up with the perfect entrance piece.  Among other ideas, we considered a long-neck fossil cast, and a giant fossil cast of a sea creature to hang from the ceiling, but these options didn’t seem to be the best fit.  Fortunately, we came across something even better—a piece of artwork created by the exhibit’s featured artist, Luis Rey.  
 
Luis Rey designs paintings and digital art with dinosaurs in bright, bold colors. One of his most exciting painted creations will guard the entrance of Big Bad & Bizarre, blown up to a colossal 12 feet wide and 15 feet high.  In the image, a towering T. rex trio marches side-by-side, backed by a fleet of flying pterosaurs under a neon yellow and starry blue sky. Click the Vine video above for a sneak peak!  
 
See Luis Rey’s art, and the rest of the Big Bad & Bizarre exhibit starting September 21st!
 
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Discovering Gravity with Myles and Ella | The Playscape 5

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Over the next six months you'll be able to follow along on the blog, Instagram, Twitter, and Vine as three families (just like you!) discover Playscape together. Known as the Playscape 5—Torrence, Myles and Ella, and Gage and Paul will share their experiences as they learn and grow in the gallery...and at home!
 
See Playscape through the eyes of Myles (age 4 1/2)  and Ella (age 1 1/2) in this post from dad, Tom. And continue to follow their journey online, on the blog, or by searching the #Playscape5 hashtag!
 
We asked Myles why he liked tossing his toy ball up our carpeted 7-step staircase to his younger sister, Ella. Between giggles, he replied, somewhat cryptically, "Higher and higher!" and went about his fun. It's obvious to us that he likes the unpredictability of the rubber orb as it leaves his hand, bounces upward, ricocheting off the wall, off a step, the handrail, or off his baby sister's nose, then downward.  It's why Myles and Ella both enjoy the Reaction Contraption above all other exhibits inside the enhanced Playscape, so far. Located to the right of the main entrance, the Reaction Contraption is a marvel of cause-and-effect—a great example of interactivity offered at the Museum. 
 
We see why the experience carries such influence. The premise of the Reaction Contraption is in its simplicity. A lightweight plastic yellow ball (there are dozens to choose from) is inserted into one of roughly a half-dozen mouse-hole-sized openings near floor-level. At some openings, a pneumatic tube-like cylinder gently pulls (then air-lifts) the ball skyward. Other slots involve the ball being inserted, then manually elevated by the turn of a hand wheel or crank. The balls rise to the top of the Reaction Contraption, then gravity takes over, and each ball begins an unpredictable journey downward through a labyrinth of spokes, pins, and chutes. You can even steer or manipulate the ball's descent with magnetized movable PVC piping and plastic hoses of various shapes. (Adults seem to enjoy this particular feature.)
 
To our kids, the joy in the Reaction Contraption is nonstop. And they enjoy watching other youngsters try their hand. The exhibit is most fun when multiple bouncy yellow balls are going up and down, to and fro, a rhythmic chaos. Balls seem to land everywhere. "Tossed-ball-up-the-stairs" is now one of our favorite learning activities at home—as much fun as traditional throw and catch. It's "throw-and-watch-what-happens"—a stimulating experience that's always different. Kids find comfort in the familiar but also love unpredictability. And it's as much mental exercise as it is physical. Thus, the Reaction Contraption is a perfect mix, and will always be a recurring favorite.

What did we learn on this visit to Playscape?

  1. There are easy-to-push buttons everywhere, near your feet and knees and quickly noticeable by little hands (big ones too).
  2. You can sing really loud in the Music Studio and no one can hear you above the musical masterpiece.
  3. Upon arriving to Playscape, we suggest doing a loop (on foot, since strollers aren't allowed) around Playscape, each time. You'll get a feel for which area is the least occupied or most popular at that moment. A crowded spot for a child can be fun or a little intimidating, or just the right mix, depending on the setting.

 

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