PLAY IS LEARNING- STELLAR MUSEUM

This wass not a museum in the traditional sense; it’s more of an activity centre with an emphasis on learning while playing.

The area is split into eight galleries—Theatre, Invent It, Build It, Discover It, Live It, Create It, Splash It and Explore It. All the exhibits are hands-on and children can see for themselves, and understand, simple concepts such as gravity, aerodynamics and magnetism through games.

The Invent It gallery had an interesting Air Wall where children could see how scarves and paper cups behave when a gust of wind blows in a confined space.

The Build It gallery—gave children a chance to use their hands to build objects with pieces of cardboard, giant, foam-enclosed blocks, and small blocks too. The area had five different activity zones, including a Formula 1 (F1) pit stop where children could put tyres, nuts and bolts on the skeleton model of an F1 car.

The Live It zone had a market area, a make-believe cafe, even a doctor’s clinic. The drum, which mimics the heartbeat, was likely to be huge hit, like the X-ray table, where children can see X-rays of various bones in the body and even work on a jigsaw of the human skeleton

The Create It zone had a glass wall with paint brushes where children could paint to their heart’s content.

Another area which was a hit was the Splash It zone. It has a big water table where children could learn about dams and how the energy from water could be used to work turbines.

Most areas had low-lying sinks with soap dispensers, so children could wash up after the activities. Smocks, hard hats and goggles were available too, and all the exhibits have small information boards, in addition to around many gallery supervisors who could help a child understand the exhibits.

There were many small zones all around the centre, such as a Tube Chime Organ with jars, plates, pans, pots and drumsticks, to enable children to explore the musical sounds made by different elements; and a fascinating Pin Frame where children could sculpt their own designs by pressing into the wall with their hands.

It was so good that none of them wanted to come back…..