Sonic Sensations at Kohl Children's Museum

Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago is proud to present Sonic Sensation, an exhibit designed by the Sciencenter in Sonic Sensation will teach adults and children about the anatomy and physics of how we hear, find out about decibels, amplitude, frequency, pitch, sound waves and what you can do to protect your hearing. Sonic Sensation creates an environment for kids with eleven interactive stations surrounding them with new ways to learn about sounds.


The 1,200 square foot exhibition includes activities such as:

• Seeing Sound: Visitors adjust frequency and amplitude knobs connected to big speakers at each end of a clear tube and watch the contents of the tube “dance” in all kinds of interesting patterns.

• Invisible Orchestra: Visitors can wave in the air and dance on a carpet to play notes, while a camera mounted overhead shows them on a monitor. Moving hands and feet into the motion-sensing zones on the monitor plays different sounds.

• Critters in a Cupboard: Hide a cat or a cricket in a kitchen cupboard and ask a friend to find it by listening.

• Hearing Test: Listen to different pitches and test your hearing. Visitors can record their results on a chart.

• Measuring Sounds: Explore playing different notes to discover each sounds’ frequency.

• How Do We Hear? See all the parts inside the human ear with this large-scale model. Launch a billiard ball to show how sound hitting the eardrum sends signals to the brain.

• Ear This! Stand behind the panel and put your best face forward and try on a different pair of ears. This is a great family photo opportunity.

• Match the Sound: Shake a variety of containers, listen to their sounds and then predict what is inside.

• Create a Soundtrack: Add sounds as a movie plays. Choose from a train whistle, ducks quacking and cows mooing.

• High Pitch, Low Pitch: Hit the colored bells mounted on a rotating turntable and sort them into high and low pitches.

• Hearing Safety: See examples of different kinds of hearing protection and learn what can happen if you don’t protect your hearing.

About Kohl Children’s Museum

* In recognition for its outstanding exhibits and impact on Chicagoland families, Kohl Children’s Museum was recently named one of the country’s Ten Best Children’s Museums by Parents Magazine.

* The Museum was ranked sixth out of more than 300 children’s museums nationwide and was the only Chicago area museum recognized.

* Offering 17 interactive, hands-on exhibits for children ages birth to 8, the Museum’s mission is to encourage young children to become effective learners through self-directed complex play.

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