Flycycle at Stepping Stones!
Norwalk’s Stepping Stones Museum for Children has a new and very energetic exhibit for kids running through April 29, 2012. The exhibit titled , Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action inspires young people to get physically active. Action-packed, interactive activities build strength, coordination, balance and endurance and feature the exciting theme of action-adventures popular in children’s books and movies.
The exhibit aims primarily at children ages 5-12, while children 2-5 will also be able to join in the fun of many of the activities. Additionally, Run! Jump! Fly! includes exhibit activities accessible to visitors with varying physical abilities and developmental needs.
Kung Fu Forest
Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action features four adventure scenes, an action star training center and a toddler area. Each adventure scene provides an imaginative setting in which kids can try out a high-appeal physical activity that highlights a specific physical challenge.
In the Surfing and Snowboarding (Balance) adventure visitors don Hawaiian shirts or down-style vests, choose one of four balance boards – two basic and two advanced – and see how long they can stay on for the ride. A motion sensor triggers a two-minute video sequence that takes the riders through pine trees and past lakes as they snowboard down a mountain. Then the video takes the riders off the edge of a cliff and sailing into the clouds before landing as surfers in the ocean. The activity challenges and builds the riders’ balance.
In the Kung Fu Forest (Coordination) area kids enter a clearing in a bamboo forest and begin the kung fu session with a bow to show the three principles of kung fu: strength, peace and respect. Three lantern posts display instructional images of kung fu animal stances – and “ready” positions inspired by the rooster, the snake and the tiger. After visitors try the animal stances, they can push a button to trigger a sequence of light box images that guide the participant from still poses into a flow of action. The panels also illustrate the cultural origins of kung fu and other martial arts.
A trailhead marker introduces four different trails in the Climbing Canyon area that encourages strength and includes: The Toddler Trail, Beginners’ Bend, Rugged Ridge and the Extreme Expanse. Visitors of varying skill and ability levels successfully traverse the trails to safely explore a cave holding a hidden treasure. Hand and footholds guide the visitors across the horizontal walls. The climbing canyon shows visitors how lifting and holding up their own body weight is a valid strength-building activity.
Snow Surfing!
If you have ever dreamed of flying then the endurance orientated Flycycle area is for you. Here, visitors merge their imagination with physical activity when they strap on a bike helmet and climb on one of the Museum’s flycycles. These stationary bikes with wings or propellers each face a cloud-shaped panel. For every few rotation of the wheels, a star lights up in the sky. The flycycles vary in form: one is a tandem bike with a recumbent seat in front, an upright in back and two pairs of wings above; another is a hand-pedaled chariot with an overhead propeller.
A highlight of the exhibit is the action star training center that provides visitors with challenges of balance, strength, coordination and cardiovascular and muscular endurance through simple activities that kids can do at home. At the Yoga Station, visitors try out the tree pose and the cat stretch as they learn the origins of yoga. At the Strength Center, a kid-friendly interpretation of gym equipment, visitors experiment with upper- and lower-body strength. They can try out monkey bars, leg presses, self-weighted rowers, and adaptive chin-ups. In the Dance Club, visitors choose dance moves and music to get their heart pumping, going freestyle or following the dancer on the screen.
This exhibit was created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum and is an ideal way to spend a cold winter afternoon!
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award winning, private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children.
For more information about the museum, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.
