DES MOINES, Iowa – Shortly after Labor Day, the Science Center of Iowa shuttered its Small Discoveries exhibit for a remodel. The reimagined space is now ready to open to the public.
Small Discoveries is designed to be interactive and accessible. The exhibit hopes to capture Iowa as a state, from rural to more urban areas.
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There are several areas for kids to learn and interact. A farm-focused area brings the return of Friendly the Cow (who can be “milked,” of course). There’s also a tractor for kids to play in, and it has tactile features to satisfy the sensory needs. The conveyor belts are also back, and kids can send “crops” from the tractor up to a playscape shaped like a grain bin. Another conveyor belt takes the “crops” back down to Friendly the Cow. The play area also features a slide and “talking tubes,” which were found at the original Science Center.
Toward the back of the exhibit, there’s an interactive space focused on art and the metropolitan side of Iowa. Kids can create their own kaleidoscope, and the kaleidoscope is projected onto a TV screen for all in the exhibit to see. Other play areas are also found for kids to let their imaginations run wild, such as a house and a farmers’ market stand…