Taking a break while working his way through the Friendly Market, where he’d filled his cart with plastic broccoli, squash and carrots — and, inexplicably, two stuffed mice — 5-year-old Vincent Ludington explained a project he’d completed prior to his shopping trip.
“I built a robot,” the Burbank resident said.
From Legos. And not a space robot — or one to beat up bad guys.
“A robot to help me with my cleanup song,” he said.
Welcome to the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, nearly 12,000 square feet of exhibits designed, Executive Director Adam Woodworth said, “to create a learning through play environment for kids.”
“Our rule here is you need to be able to touch it, push it, pull it or throw it — it needs to be hands-on,” Woodworth said. “Through play is how kids learn. They learn critical thinking skills, they learn social engagement. They have an opportunity to be creative.
“They can come in and play dress-up. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Spider-Man in the grocery store or a princess sawing in the ‘Build It!’ workshop.”
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Originally opened in a 900-square-foot park district building in 2003, the museum moved to its current home in 2009.
Since the relocation, Woodworth said, the museum has drawn more than 500,000 visitors from all 50 states.
“We get kids up to age 10 or 11, in that area,” Woodworth said. “During the school year, during the week it’s younger kids. On the weekends, the older kids come out. And in the summer, it balances out.”
Older kids might be drawn to such exhibits as “We the People,” which features two beam pieces from the World Trade Center wreckage and focuses on unity, friendship, helping and patriotism; or “Nanoscale: The Science of Small.”
“We see a lot of adults in that one, too,” Woodworth said.
Among the nearly two dozen exhibits is one holdover from the museum’s original location: “Fly a Kite.” Kids create their own construction paper kites, hook them to a pulley track and watch them “fly” across the museum.
The “Move It!” exhibit has spin tables, ramps and slides to teach the concepts of gravity, momentum, force and energy. An air maze allows kids to experiment with the force of air.
“What If?” shows children what it’s like to live with a physical impairment.
“Beachcomber Island” demonstrates water properties.
There’s an art gallery, and play areas built around police, firefighter, veterinarian and ambulance themes.
Average visits last 90 minutes to two hours, Woodworth said.
And there are many repeat visitors.
Sara Salinas of Garfield Ridge, on a recent visit with her grandsons Joaquin, 4, and Jason, 2, said the family first purchased an annual membership three years ago and uses it, “at least once a week.”
“They like basically everything,” she said. “There are a lot of educational things, and they build motor skills, too.”
Andrea Ludington, Vincent’s grandmother, said he’d stay all day if she let him.
“The first time we came here, I was in awe,” she said. “He didn’t want to leave. Now when we come here, I give him a time limit, and I tell him if he behaves we can come back again.”
Evergreen Park’s Mary O’Grady, watching her daughter, 3-year-old Kathleen, ramble over the expansive, multilevel “Tremendous Tree House,” said simply, “This is our indoor park.
“We come here quite a bit this time of the year. … It’s the best thing for me, keeping her active. She’s a climber.”
Just then, Kathleen called from a railing above, “Up here, momma!”
“I see you!” Mary O’Grady said, adding to a nearby adult, “We’re getting her energy out.”
Phil Arvia is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn
Location: 5100 Museum Drive, Oak Lawn
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $9 child, $9 adult, $7 senior (55+), $5 teacher (w/ID), $5 active military.
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Information: 708-423-6709 or www.cmoaklawn.org