For Immediate Release Contact: Nancy O'Shea 312.665.7103 or media@fieldmuseum.org A World of Learning, a Universe of Fun The PlayLab is a young child’s gateway to the worlds of nature and human culture, touching on all the disciplines you’ll find throughout The Field Museum: anthropology (people), botany (plants), geology (rocks and fossils), and zoology (animals). Many of its activities link to exhibitions in other parts of the Museum, from the pueblo in The Ancient Americas to the McDonald’s Fossil Preparation Laboratory. Of course, children don’t view the world through adult categories—they just plunge right in. And we’ve given them six different play areas to take that plunge. An Illinois Woodland. Step into a 3-dimensional woodland diorama! While your two-year-old crawls through a hollow log and discovers a nest of mice, his older siblings are donning animal costumes and putting on a play, complete with lighting and animal sound effects. The Pueblo. In a recreated pueblo home and plaza, preschoolers make coil pots, grind corn the way it was done hundreds of years ago, and discover how families lived in different times and places. Meanwhile, toddlers enjoy going in and out of doorways, picking corn, or trying out the sleeping mat of a pueblo child. The Scientists’ Lab. This area, like any real science lab, is devoted to looking closely, comparing, and asking questions. Even the littlest children can pull out peek-a-boo drawers, and toddlers can sort specimens embedded in clear blocks. Preschoolers and older children become junior scientists as they measure, sort, and draw at lab tables, or examine small objects at the magnification station. The Dinosaur Field Station. Dinosaurs are a perennial favorite, an interest that can grow along with your children. Like pencil marks on a closet door, you can track your child’s development as he moves from playing with plush dinosaur puppets, to putting magnetic dinosaur figures on a wall, to examining dinosaur bones and identifying different species. The Rhythm Section. Clap, snap, jump, and dance—music is something children don’t just hear but feel. Your child can play authentic percussion instruments from around the world and select, listen to, and imitate the rhythms of different cultures…or create her own. The Art Studio. Kids love to make things to take home with them, and here’s their chance. Docents will guide children in creative projects that are inspired by nature and culture and change with the seasons. For example, they might create a journal of nature rubbings, mold a clay pot, use toy dinosaurs and paint to stamp out a trackway, or decorate special binoculars to use in observing animals in the woods. Accessible to Everyone The PlayLab is designed to be a comfortable and pleasurable experience for all kinds of families. While its focus is on children ages 2 to 6, activities are designed to be of interest up to age 10. Activity guides throughout the exhibition offer information to help adults deepen the experience for their child, and even learn something new themselves. Children with learning disabilities will find that the PlayLab speaks to them as well. All areas are accessible to wheelchairs, and the interactive elements accommodate children with a variety of physical disabilities. The PlayLab has special areas designed for infants, and seating for weary parents to rest for a moment while the kids wear themselves out. Also within the exhibition are amenities like stroller parking and family-friendly bathrooms with changing tables. And staff is always on hand if you need help or information. When your family is ready for lunch or a snack, you’ll find plenty of child-friendly food choices at the Corner Bakery, including mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese. McDonald’s is right inside the Museum, too, with Happy Meals and all your other favorites. Bringing your own lunch? The Museum’s indoor picnic seating is on the ground level, just down the hall from the PlayLab. Continue>>