Education
CMOM interactive exhibit expands tots’ minds
BY BETH DEDMAN
Dozens of children climb in, on and
around the brightly-colored comic
book version of New York City.
The kids may not realize that while they are
having fun, they are also exercising the executive
functions of their developing minds.
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan
opened their latest exhibit Feb. 14, which is
designed to encourage children to practice
self-control, mental flexibility and working
memory.
The 1,500 square foot exhibit, Superpowered
Metropolis: Early Learning
City™, features the adventures of Zip, Zap
and Zoom, three pigeons who encourage
children to train the “superpowers” of their
minds by carrying out missions in a comic
book-inspired New York City. The missions
include navigating the subway system, making
music with found instruments, exploring
the pigeons’ headquarters and learning
through experimentation.
“In the Early Learning City, grown-ups
and kids can hit the road together and
learn. We want them to feel empowered to
help these kids’ brains and EMF skills are
like superpowers for the brain,” said Lizzy
Martin, director of exhibition development
and museum planning.
Martin has overseen the development
of the exhibit for the past couple of years,
beginning the project because of a study that
showed that executive function skills spike
in children between ages 0-5, Martin said.
Martin wanted pigeons to be a main
component of the exhibit because children
see pigeons everywhere, which would help
the kids remember the learning exercises
they experienced at the museum everywhere
they go in the city. With help from the Bezos
Family Foundation and their early learning
program, Vroom, they were able to bring
Martin’s vision to life.
The museum consulted artists and
illustrators from Marvel comics for the
design of the super-pigeons and their NYC
world, Martin said.
The exhibit includes the Treehouse
Headquarters of the pigeons, a Supercharged
NYC Train Table, Musical Subway
Car, Whimsical Wind Blowing Fountain,
Superpowered Phone Booth, Baby Central
Station and the Pigeon Mobile, all of which
encourage the kids in hands-on exercises
that work their brain.
The only digital component of the exhibit
is the three computers with digital Brain
Building Games designed by NYU’s CREATE
Lab.
“Executive functions are not about making
a child an executive, it’s about giving
them control over themselves,” Martin said.
All of the missions and signs in the Early
Learning City are translated in both English
and Spanish.
“This is a wonderful thing for the children,
especially when it’s cold outside,”
said Joan Worrell, a nanny for two little
boys. “We love the whimsical fountain. I’ve
never seen anything like that before and
it’s a wonderful experience. We come here
all the time, so when they said they were
opening something new down here- this is
just awesome.”
Children can also utilize the museum’s
maker spaces to create the costume elements
of each pigeon as a tangible reminder of the
lessons they learned at the museum, Martin
said.
Darsana Sabar is a member of the CMOM
and brings her three kids to the museum a
lot when they are not in school.
“I love all of the new sensory stuff they
have: the smells, and the sounds and the
baby area. It’s nice that it’s here because
museums don’t always have baby spaces,”
Sabar said. “It’s very imaginative. I don’t
know where these super hero pigeons came
from but my kid loves it. It’s also very New
York City-themed and fun, which seems
kind of silly because we’re in New York City
but my kids love it.”
Elements of the exhibit will be incorporated
in homeless shelters around the city
so that kids experiencing homelessness can
also expand the capacity of their executive
functions, said Leslie Bushara, Children’s
Museum of Manhattan’s Deputy Director
of Education and Exhibitions. They will also
be invited to special events where they can
come to the main exhibit in the museum.
PHOTOS BY BETH DEDMAN
The museum is visited annually by
350,000 people with some 50,000 people
enjoying free or reduced admission.
“CMOM’s founding mission is to serve as
a valued resource for all families and community
partners. Superpowered Metropolis
is the latest of the Museum’s immersive,
imaginative exhibits which are deeply anchored
in research and playful experiences,”
Bushara said.
For more information, visit cmom.org.
16 February 20, 2020 Schneps Media
/cmom.org
