Museum of Science and Industry

Robot Revolution is Just One Reason to Visit MSI

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Cortney Fries

Published on WTMX Moms in the Mix- June 2015

My 4-year-old daughter, 6-year-old son, our friends (a mom and two kids of similar age) and I were so excited to see Robot Revolution at the Museum of Science and Industry. And it didn’t disappoint. But that’s just one of many entertaining and educational reasons to visit MSI this summer. There are so many interactive and interesting exhibits, we always delight in discovering new subjects and experiences. Here are our latest favorites:

We went to Flight School, upstairs in the Transportation Gallery, for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the Ride Simulator. You can choose from several different adventures to take on your private eight-passenger trip. Our group selected the racecourse, and felt like we were driving a racecar in the best of video games. As the door closed, the kids got a little nervous, but as soon as the engine revved up, the car peeled out and started whipping around turns, there was nothing but continuous giggles. In fact, they woke up the next morning delighted from dreams of driving fast cars.

The Mirror Maze as part of the Numbers in Nature exhibit, a dark maze of mirrors that appear to go on for infinity, is both challenging and fun. I instructed my kids to put their hands out in front of them, to avoid walking directly into the wall, and to stick together. They had such a good time, they insisted on going through three times in a row.

The Toymaker 3000 exhibit has a rock wall that teaches children about climbing your way to success in business. Not only did my 6-year-old love climbing the wall, but teenagers also were taking turns and learning about the tough terrain companies face during the year one investment phase.

There were so many intriguing and engaging stations within Robot Revolution. The kids got a huge kick out of the robot soccer, where two bots play against each other with no human input. The Versaball squishy gripper, an inflated ball on a robotic arm that picks up objects by squishing them, got a lot of laughs. The kids copied a robot in a sequence that looked a lot like head, shoulders, knees and toes.

We always have a lot of fun at the Museum of Science and Industry. The best part is continuously discovering (and learning) new things. This visit, the kids couldn’t get enough of the robot soccer and ride simulator. Next time we’ll explore something new. No summer brain drain for this crew!

6 Funtastic Family Film Experiences

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Cortney Fries

Written for Chicago Parent magazine- March 2015

Watching a movie is fun, but on IMAX or 4-D you feel like part of the action. If you are spending your spring break right here in the Windy City, check out the shows our favorite spots offer to help you combine fun and learning this month.

MSI
The Museum of Science and Industry boasts Chicago’s only five-story Omnimax dome, wrap-around theater. “Journey to Space” launches there March 19. Hold on tight as you blast past the reaches of shuttles, satellites and space stations to the Red Planet.

“Flight of the Butterflies,” a stunning natural history epic about the migration of the monarch butterfly, ends March 18. Watch Dr. Fred Urquhart and his team of citizen scientists unravel the mystery of their secret winter hideaway in the mountains of Mexico.

“D-Day: Normandy 1944” will run through May 21. This captivating documentary, narrated by Tom Brokaw, guides you through the Battle of Normandy, the largest military operation ever undertaken. It pulls you in to explore history, military strategy, science, technology and human values. This 43-minute film is best for ages 8 and up.

Additional timed entry tickets are required for all MSI Omnimax movies.

Navy Pier
The IMAX Theatre runs G-rated films before noon on its six-story-tall, 85-foot-wide screen. Its new movie, “Pandas: The Journey Home 3D,” captures the efforts of the Chinese government to save the giant panda. This 40-minute National Geographic documentary captures for the first time the highly endangered species breeding and being prepared for release back into the wild. Witness the birth, nursery care and teaching of panda cubs by zoologists so dedicated that they wear panda suits disguised with panda scent. While the pandas are playful and adorable, watching this movie with young kids will conjure up questions on breeding and the dangers of the natural world.

Shedd Aquarium
“Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs-The 4-D Experience” is a 15-minute version of the 2009 animated film featuring Manny, Ellie, Diego and Sid the Sloth. After Sid decides to raise three dinosaur babies as his own, a chase ensues. Loud, booming dinosaur steps are countered by silly water-spraying-in-your-face burps and regurgitations.

“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure 4-D” is a shortened version of the National Geographic film. Marine reptiles in prehistoric seas slither in photo-realistic animation. I literally jumped aside as an ugly creature’s giant jaws jutted out to grasp me.

Shedd recommends the 4D Experience for kids 4 and up. Timed-entry tickets are required and can be purchased as a part of most premium packages.

Legoland
Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg offers 4-D movies that rotate throughout the day and are included with entry. Catch “Clutch Powers,” “Legends of Chima” or “Spellbreaker,” 15-minute Lego movies with effects like orange or skunk smells, snow and rain.

Field Museum
“Waking the T. Rex 3D: the Story of SUE” is a 23-minute biopic that reveals the life and discovery of Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found. This high-drama science adventure is best for school-age kids. The 7-ton lizard king roars in your face, attacks prey and devours 100-pounds of flesh and bones in one gulp.

“Titans of the Ice Age 3-D” transports viewers 20,000 years back in time to the frozen era of giant sloths, wooly mammals and prehistoric humans. Discover the story of baby Lyuba, the best-preserved mammoth mummy in the world. The best part of this film, my tween cousin and I agreed, was how it connected the past to the present.

3-D movies require timed-entry tickets available with All-Access and Discovery Passes.

Adler Planetarium
“Destination Solar System” is an immersive tour of the solar system led by a live, trained actor in the most technologically enhanced domed theater ever created. My 5-year-old son and 7-year-old nephew raved about feeling like they were in a real rocket.

“One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Big Adventure” aims to give kids 4-6 an introduction to astronomy. Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take little ones on a tour of the night sky.

Tickets are required. Shows run about 30 minutes each.

Fab Lab at MSI a Hit with Chicago Tweens

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Cortney Fries

Written for Chicago Parent Going Places Winter 2014 magazine

Know a tween who’s into creating and designing? Want to get your hands on some state-of-the-art equipment and learn something new together? Aspiring engineers and parents alike can make and take home personalized keychains, jewelry, stickers or even a mini version of themselves at the Museum of Science and Industry’s Wanger Family Fab Lab, a 15-seat workshop for computer-based innovation with cutting-edge software and fabrication equipment.

“The museum is excited to inspire children and families to tap into their own creative potential,” says Rabiah Mayas, director of Science and Integrated Strategies.

MSI currently offers three Fab Lab workshops: 3D Printing, Laser Cutting and Vinyl Cutting. Additional timed-entry tickets are required. Children must be 10 or older and those under 13 require a ticketed adult chaperone. Reserving tickets in advance is recommended, especially during peak holiday season.

I attended a one-hour Laser Cutting workshop with my tween cousin, Jaden. After a quick overview and demonstration of Inkscape, a free open-source design software, from our enthusiastic instructors, we unleashed our creativity to design anything we desired within a 2-inch square of fluorescent green acrylic. My cousin created an anime keychain while I made a necklace for my daughter.

“It was awesome!” said Xander Helvie, 11, of Grayslake, who attended with his mom.

Next time, we’ll try the 3D Printing workshop, where you can scan yourself in, manipulate the file and print a mini 3D version. Talk about a fun present for grandparents! Vinyl Cutting workshops are perfect for those wanting a custom-made sticker in 20 minutes.

Parents Can Share Childhood Joys with Their Kids at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Cortney Fries

Written for WTMX Moms in the Mix- October 2014

Our children are 3 and 5, which means we’re graduating to a new level of exploration at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago. My husband and I were thrilled to make connections with things the kids are learning about, share joys from our own childhoods, and enthusiastically engage together.

Our first stop at MSI is always the Great Train Story. This impressive model railroad has 1,400 feet of track and fascinating details. For example, we discovered the Red Line subway station was created to reflect the real people waiting for the train at Chicago and State at 1:56 p.m. on April 3, 2002. Visit the MSI website for an Eye Spy game with 26 different items to seek out, such as a family hanging laundry and a man “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Genetics and the Baby Chicks Hatchery was a new destination for our family. Video screens displaying time-lapsed images of babies in the womb immediately drew our kids in. While we have framed ultrasound photos of them on the walls, this footage helped them grasp the amazing growth that occurs inside a mother’s belly. As we moved further into the exhibit, we got the pleasure of seeing two newborn baby chicks. Their delicate, lightly feathered bodies lay exhausted from bursting out of their shells. Some of the remaining unhatched eggs had holes pecked into the sides. We could see the bodies of the chicks breathing within. On the other end of the display were older, fluffy chicks, which helped showcase growth and development.

After a quick lunch break, we checked out models of Columbus’ ships in Ships through the Ages. Our 3-year-old immediately connected them to a book we’ve been reading, Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving. She loved climbing on a mockup of a tall ship and steering the giant wheel. She also enjoyed Art of the Bicycle and pointed out a three-seater similar to one in her book, Pinkalicious and the Perfect Present.

Hopping on the lighted floor piano in the circus area is a must-do every visit.

Last we explored the Henry Crown Space Center. The rocket launcher was a huge hit as our kids hit the buttons again and again.

My husband was a wonderful tour guide, enthralled by rocket launchers, shuttles and satellite displays he loved as a kid. Reading a sign saying, “Many fun packaged foods, such as juice boxes and yogurt tubes, were invented for astronauts” reminded me of one of my favorite museum experiences as a child — eating astronaut ice cream. We bought three kinds from the gift shop — Neapolitan, ice cream sandwich and mint chocolate chip — and enjoyed them together. Just like when my husband and I were young, our children enjoyed making wax mold spaceships for $2 each. It was fun to watch them being made and touch them while they were still warm.

We had a wonderful time at the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago reinforcing things we are reading about, revisiting childhood memories and making new ones together.