New Discovery Spot Exhibit
By John Hayden
From the towering gravity clock outside to the massive IMAX screen inside, everything at the Museum of Discovery & Science (MODS) seems larger than life. It’s colorful, cool, and fun . . . and that’s the perspective of an adult.
From the eyes of a child it must seem magical, and that magic just got an upgrade.
MODS has reimagined and redesigned the long-popular Discovery Spot, a place for kids up to six years old to engage with the world around them in safe, playful, and colorful ways. “Children will be able to splash, climb, tinker and explore,” MODS CEO and President Joe Cox told OutClique. “This gallery encourages our youngest guests to make exciting discoveries through experiences in the freshly reimagined and beloved Citrus Grove, Ocean to Air and Everglades areas. Let’s grow together through playful learning!”
The new Discovery Spot is four thousand feet of exploration and STEM experiences. The overhaul of the 30 year old exhibit reflects new tools and educational priorities open to kids when their minds are like a sponge. “It is a priority for MODS to support the growing needs of our community. We recognize the critical need for lifelong learning to begin. Early childhood education has been part of our DNA since we opened our doors in 1977.”
Everyone Benefits
MODS is a multi-generational experience. People who were kids when Discovery Spot first opened are now taking their kids. Today, the exhibits they remember are more nostalgic than relevant, so parents and caregivers were enlisted to help design the new generation of learning for a new generation of preschoolers.
“Parents and caregivers have been integral to planning the Discovery Spot,” Cox said. “They asked us to offer resources and engagement that builds their young child’s confidence in learning, provide intergenerational experiences that facilitate parent-child interaction, expose their young children to important issues such as the environment in a non-threatening, solutions-based way, and to make learning through play fun and engaging.”
Anyone who’s ever raised, or even babysat, a young child won’t be surprised to learn that studies show that toddlers will ask 40,000 questions. MODS’ Discovery Spot gives parents a fresh way to engage with a kid’s persistent curiosity.
“The exhibit is designed to empower adults to facilitate the process of STEM learning, allowing young children to engage in an iterative process of their own discovery rather than needing adults to answer their questions.”
Parents will see some new exhibits and new takes on classic ones. The Citrus Grove, long a favorite with all generations, now features a playful, vibrant space that teaches how fruit becomes juice.
“Every few minutes,” Cox explained, “the ‘fruit’ drops from the tree and is ready for the Juicing Factory. Guests can climb the tree or reach it from the Survey Biplane platform. Guests place their citrus fruit into lightweight crates in the Picking Grove, then take the fruit to the Juicing Factory where swirling water in the washing station, brightly colored juicing tubes, and whirling machinery pays homage to the Museum’s Great Gravity Clock located in the Atrium. In the Juicing Factory, guests can wash, sort and watch as a cascade of orange, lemonade and limeade ‘juice’ tumbles down a wall of kinetic elements leading to the rotating bottling station.”
Ocean To Air and The Everglades are also on display to teach kids more about the unique environments they’ll encounter growing up in Florida.
