We were so honored and excited to have the opportunity to attend the media preview of DaVinci The Exhibition at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The kids had so much fun looking, touching, and playing with the different works of art. They learned so much and had a blast! Read on to hear a little more about our visit to the Carnegie Science Center and why you should check out DaVinci the Exhibition, now open!
We Love Exploring
As a mom of two little ones I love when we can get out and explore. It’s so easy these days to get stuck in the house and behind screens and devices. To combat this I have been making a conscious effort to get us up and out of the house more. Although it doesn’t always happen I do try my best to keep us on the move.
Our Experience at DaVinci the Exhibition
The first area we encountered at the exhibition was the Study of Flight. Overhead were DaVinci’s designs brought to life. The kids loved observing his various ideas for flight in real live models that they could see.
Moving through the exhibition we entered into the area dedicated to the Study of Physics and Robotics. This is the room where we discovered that there were artworks that we could actually touch! The kids laughed and giggled as they pulled on pulleys, cranked different machines, and touched everything that they possibly could!
The next room was filled with paintings by DaVinci! The kids enjoyed viewing the different paintings and even creating some art of their own. Will and Alice loved drawing their very own Mona Lisa. I loved watching them sketch their own designs as they sat among these wonderful paintings.
Some other memorable pieces for us throughout the exhibition were the room of mirrors, a model of an idea for a scuba suit, and a portable piano. In the room of mirrors you could see your entire body in the mirrors at all times. The kids loved this!
Things to love about DaVinci The Exhibition & Why You Should Visit
So what did we love about DaVinci the Exhibition?
Throughout the entire exhibition the kids were immersed in an environment of learning through different sensory mediums. They were able to touch, play, and experiment with the different works of art. It was a lot of fun for them and I loved that they were able to learn through play.
Touching
If you have children or even know children (which I suspect you might if you are reading this post) then you know that they have to touch EVERYTHING! I love that there were things that the kids were encouraged to touch and play with. There were even signs to let you know which things you could touch.
Learning through Play
It’s one thing to teach your children through telling them stories. It’s quite another to be able to teach them and watch them learn through playing. This is especially important when you have young preschoolers and toddlers like I do. Will was able to do things like make his own paper helicopter, work with gears, play games, and even enter a room with 360 degrees of mirrors! Alice loved following her brother around and trying the different things that he did.
Drawing
There were a couple of drawing stations in the exhibition. The first was in the room with DaVinci’s paintings. It was a station where the kids were able to create their own version of the Mona Lisa. Not only did Will and Alice get to flex their creative muscles but they also were able to create their own artwork and bring it along home as a souvenir.
Upstairs there was another station for drawing called Life Drawing. At this station you were able to sketch with chalk and a chalkboard. The objective was to copy the figure of a body or horse which you were able to manipulate and pose into different positions.
Hands On
I loved watching Will’s face light up every time he got to touch one of the exhibits. He especially loved and spent a lot of time working with gears in the final room of the exhibition. There were other games in this room but Will was so entertained with the gears that we never did quite get over to the other stations.
You Should Check This Out
If you are in the Pittsburgh area you should check out DaVinci the Exhibition at the Carnegie Science Center. The kids had a blast and I loved watching them learn and play.
