Children’s Museum Exhibit Encourages Learning Through Free Play, Tampa

Children who enjoy playing sports can now translate that fun into learning as they take a closer look at the principles of science and mathematics involved.
 
Team Up! Explore Science & Sports at the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa makes learning fun for children of all ages through sports such as football, basketball, tennis and soccer. The new interactive, hands-on exhibit teaches kids geometry, physics, force and friction as they relate to their favorite sports.
 
Museum visitors can learn geometry by studying the way the angle of a tennis rack affects where the ball will go. A radar equipped pitching booth teaches the science of measuring and tracking speed. Kids can also learn about trajectory angles by shooting a mini-basketball or play soccer or snowboard in a virtual reality environment.
 
“It’s a fun exhibit,” says Antonio Hill, manager of marketing and communications for the Glazer Children’s Museum. “It’s something for the whole family to enjoy, not just the children.”
 
The exhibit fits the museum’s mission to help kids learn and discover through free play, with the ultimate goal of becoming lifelong learners. The additional fun factor of being sports-related allows children to experience learning at their own pace. “It’s free play and discover, which is how kids learn best,” says Hill.
 
The exhibit opens to the public on February 2, with a sneak preview for museum members on February 1. The exhibit will be at the museum until April 30.
 
Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Antonio Hill, Glazer Children’s Museum