Kids become scientists at Kohl's new hands-on exhibit

Most of the young visitors at Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview don't know what centrifuge or epidermis means, but that doesn't mean they can't learn. “Science + You,” the museum's newest temporary exhibit, avoids dumbing anything down as it gives kids a hands-on way to learn about the tools scientists use to understand the world.

“The idea is to really get children into the framework of mind of being scientists and doing science,” said Kohl president Sheridan Turner.

“Science + You” was created as a collaboration between Kohl and the Lake County-based Abbott Laboratories. Abbott scientists will be doing presentations on site several times a week. When the exhibit finishes its run at Kohl, it will travel across the country and abroad.

“Abbott came to us and said we want to do more with the museum and we would love to do something that helps get children more involved in science,” Turner said. “Abbott hopes every kid that comes through this exhibit will want to be a scientist.”

The entrance to the exhibit, which runs through Dec. 30, resembles the entry to a sterile laboratory. Visitors learn how cleanliness is necessary to avoid contamination and get ready to work by using a shower and faucet that emit blue light and standing on gel pads that imitate grime coming off your shoes. They then don pint-size lab coats and get to work.

Kids can try different methods of mixing, from using a stick to churn water with glitter mixed in to utilizing a spinning tube with magnets that can separate metal balls from a pile of pink beads. A sieve is used to sort violet, white and orange balls of different sizes.

“Children are starting to learn some very critical math concepts: counting, sorting and pattern recognition,” Turner said.

A large machine tests strategy and hand-eye coordination as kids use discs labeled antibodies to scoop up purple balls representing germs and drop them into a chute representing a white blood cell. They can see the science behind the game by watching a short video featuring highly magnified footage of antibodies dragging a hostile microorganism to be devoured by a white blood cell.

Another area features a glove box, a tool used by scientists to manipulate objects without touching them. Kids stick their hands in a glove and are given challenges like guessing how many test tubes of colored beads it takes to fill a beaker or seeing how a funnel makes pouring easier. Kids can also get a taste of lab work by using microscopes to examine fabric, slides showing pollen or plant samples, and even their own fingers.

A large portion of the exhibit is dedicated to nutrition. One station features an outline of a human body with spaces that can be filled with discs representing activities and foods. The goal is to produce a healthy lifestyle by balancing exercise, rest and diet. Get the balance wrong, and you'll be asked to try again. Get it right and the body lights up and congratulates you.

Kids can also make “soup” in the test kitchen. Different foods are represented by wooden pie slices and to produce a good soup kids must mix three or more food groups in the six ingredient slots. The youngest visitors can also work on recognizing and blending foods by picking images from a large bowl to match to a series of recipe cards.

“The hope is that kids will go home and think of what they're mixing or putting together in their diets,” Turner said.

Turner said she hopes that the exhibit will spark interest in science, research and health in young visitors, even if they won't be seriously studying the subject for years.

“By the time kids get to fifth and sixth grade, if you haven't gotten them interested in being scientific in their thinking and getting exposed to science, it's going to be hard to ignite that spark,” she said.

“Science + You”

<b>Where: </b>Kohl Children's Museum, 2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, (847) 832-6600, kohlchildrens museum.org

<b>Hours:</b>9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; through Dec. 30

<b>Prices: </b>$8.50; $7.50 for seniors