from Chicago Now blog

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/wee-windy-city/2010/03/scenes-from-ready-set-move-at-the-chicago-childrens-museum.html

"Last week, I swung by the Chicago Children's Musuem with my three kids to pass the time on a gray and chilly afternoon. Although this is one of our favorite spots in Chicago, we hadn't visited in a few months. We were all excited to see the new updates and exhibits in place.

I was particularly impressed with the Ready, Set . . . Move! exhibit. This unassuming space contained a wide variety of large and unusual play items. I found the simplicity and design of this exhibit to be quite remarkable.

The materials themselves are not like anything that I have seen before. Options include everything from simple couch cushions to concave semi-circles that could be used as rocking seats or turned upside down to create raised stepping stones. The CCM staff unobtrusively encouraged my kids to move all of the components around and try the same piece in many different ways.

While I was watching my kids play, I noticed that the components seemed to spark a different sort of creativity and physical energy. According to the CCM website, "The components in Move are from the Snug Kit, developed by London-based artists Tim and Hattie Coppard. The award-winning Snug Kit makes its United States debut at Chicago Children's Museum."

I loved the fact that all three of my kids (ages 5 1/2, 3 1/2 and 14 months) had a great time in this space -- each of them using the materials in a different way.

Ready, Set . . . Move! will be at the CCM through May 16th. Check out the slideshow to get a better idea of what awaits you at this exhibit.

playful anarchy

Here's a link to a good article on the inspirational anarchist Colin Ward, recommended by Ken Warpole.