Kohl Children’s Museum Debuts Dover Tech Play Lab

Glenview, Ill. (February 16, 2023). It’s well known that young children can absorb information like sponges, learning a second or even third language with ease. As experts in early childhood learning, Kohl Children’s Museum, www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org, knows that technology is also a language that is easy for children to learn. The Museum is now offering technology programming in its new Dover Tech Play Lab.

The Dover Tech Play Lab allows children to explore coding, robotics, engineering, design, and programming skills in a fun, developmentally appropriate way. Each session in the Kohl hands-on laboratory includes guided instruction and coaching from Museum educators to use technology and to create, solve problems, and play games.

“Children are exposed to technology at increasingly early ages,” said Kohl President and CEO Mike Delfini. “Our newest addition to the Museum experience lets children delve deeper into the basic building blocks of how and why that technology works.”

The play laboratory in the Museum is sponsored by the Dover Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Dover Corporation, which is a diversified global manufacturer headquartered in Downers Grove, IL.

“We’re pleased to support the valuable learning facility at Kohl Children’s Museum,” said Adrian Sakowicz, President of The Dover Foundation. “The Dover Foundation is committed to supporting educational endeavors like our own Dover Scholars Program, and we believe this is another way to advance initiatives that enhance STEM experiences for children.”

The programming at Kohl Children’s Museum explores the basic concepts that drive technology and coding, such as giving clear and specific directions, binary logic, making hypotheses, modifying input to refine an output, and utilizing the individual creative process. These foundational skills prepare children to be creators of technology and can lead to success in school and 21st-century careers.

“Learning to code is a lot of trial and error. We are trying to teach kids that there’s no wrong way of doing it. If you’re looking for an outcome, look backward and think: This didn’t work but if I do this, it will get me to where I want to go,” said Stephanie Bynum, KCM’s Vice President of Programs. “We try to facilitate open-ended questions like ‘Why do you think that happened?’ and ‘How could you make changes?’, so kids are coming up with their own solutions through trial and error and testing their hypotheses.”

Play lab themes change each month. The current theme is Code-A-Pillar, a technological toy that kids can use to learn about sequencing and coding. When a different segment is added, it instructs the Code-A-Pillar how to move, play music, and other fun actions.

A recent theme called Sphero Specdrums includes rings with special scanners to play music when different colors are touched. Each color plays different musical notes, allowing the child to compose a song by exploring objects around them.

“Everything at Kohl includes learning through play and interactivity. Coding is understanding sequences and steps and following instructions,” said Bynum. “It is laying the groundwork for what coders eventually use, giving children an opportunity to experience technology with the equipment they may not have at home. We also try to come up with activities that can be replicated at home with household supplies and children’s imagination.”

The tech lab, designed to expose children to early coding, is an exciting introduction to a field that is growing each year. Computer Science is the 12th most popular major with a growth of nearly 10 percent in just one year.

Kohl’s Dover Tech Play Lab monthly themes include:

· January: Code-a-Pillars

· February: Sewing Machines

· March: Programmable Sensory Robots Dash and Dot

Kohl Children’s Museum visitors can sign up for the free tech lab sessions in person when they check in at the ticketing desk. Each session lasts about 30-45 minutes, depending on the child. Kohl membership information can be found here.