You already know the Climbing Schooner, the Tinkering Lab and the firetruck-tastic Play It Safe exhibit. But you might not be familiar with the brand new and quietly brilliant Story Hub, a multimedia experience that keeps your visit to the Chicago Children’s Museum from being totally forgotten by the time you hit the parking garage.
If you go
Story Hub: The Mini-Movie Memory Maker
Chicago Childrens Museum
700 E. Grand Ave. at Navy Pier
Story Hub allows parents and kids to make a mini-documentary of their museum visit, using a variety of photos and conversational prompts to build the film. It’s designed to be the last stop on your excursion, so you can memorialize the successful excavation of some prehistoric bones in Dinosaur Expedition or the epic skyscraper you build in Skyline (or maybe even both!). Afterward, the movie is emailed to you, and once downloaded, makes an excellent keepsake of your visit. And if you’re the type to visit the museum often, it could be a great little record of your child’s development from year to year.
Of course, the big idea is to encourage two-way conversation between kids and adults, as well as to help little ones develop self-expression, the ability to verbalize and share the meaning of their experiences.
And if they just happen to become the next Scorsese along the way, well, we’re not complaining.
