Computer-Generated Fun at Children’s Museum

SIOUX CITY | Anna Plathe, a Bishop Heelan Catholic High School junior, is learning that little kids enjoy squishing inanimate objects.

It doesn’t matter whether they’re virtual reality ladybugs, tomatoes, or even whack-a-moles, these rugrats at LaunchPAD Children’s Museum

 love to make things go splat!

“When the children don’t squish the tomato, they’ll jump even harder,” Plathe said, laughing. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.

The tomatoes aren’t real.”

Along with Heelan sophomore Ji-Yun Park, Plathe is one of the volunteers at the Children’s Museum’s FX Game Zone, a new exhibit

in which kids can literally walk right into their own video game.

Featuring nearly 160 different interactive games, the FX Game Zone is open from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and can be booked for special occasions like birthday parties, according to executive director Bob Fitch.

“When we began creating exhibits for the Children’s Museum, we deliberately stayed away from video games,” he explained. “After all, we wanted kids to turn cranks or pull levers instead of looking at a screen with a control in their hands.”

But Fitch knew he couldn’t avoid technology entirely.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” Fitch said. “Kids love physical activity but they also love video games that can make them sedentary. Our FX Game Zone projection interactive floor games get children on their feet, running and jumping and having a good time.”

This is good news for toddlers and preschoolers who are just learning about cause and effect.

“The kids may not be into games with complicated rules,” Fitch reasoned. “Having said that, they do get a kick out of smashing insects

like fireflies and ladybugs with their feet.”

However, the kids weren’t the only ones making things go splat. Fitch, himself, joined in on a game of virtual reality whack-a-mole.

“Wow, that’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” he said as moles magically appeared and disappeared in animated tree stumps.

Volunteer Ji-Yun Park nodded her head in agreement.

“The games are really fun and challenging,” she said. “My favorite interactive game is the one where the player gets to control a car on a race track. That one is hard because it’s so fast-paced.”

Fitch can’t help but smile while watching children become totally immersed through animated images created from a software program.

“The Children’s Museum has permanent exhibits that will always be around,” he explained. “We’re also always adding new, low-cost,

high-impact exhibits to keep things lively.”

The activity in the FX Game Zone might be too fast-paced for a volunteer like Plathe.

“I’m exhausted just watching these kids running around while playing their games,” she said.

Click here to read the entire article by EARL HORLYK

Inside Children’s Hospital Mental Health Unit

The inside of the new psychiatric facility on the Children’s Hospital campus was designed to defy stereotypes.

An interactive koi pond projected onto the lobby floor will entertain waiting patients and their families starting in late March, when the facility is expected to open.

A drum set and percussion instruments in a dedicated music therapy room await children suffering from depression, suicidal thoughts, ADHD, anxiety, autism and other behavioral and cognitive problems.

Across a hallway painted electric blue with hazy white clouds, an art room is filled with colorful pictures and supplies. Throughout the building, vinyl applications of wildlife, many of them photographed in New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo, line the walls.

“Whatever you’ve conjured up as a vision of a psychiatric institution … it’s time to readjust,” said Dr. George Bisset, the chief medical officer of Children’s Hospital, who was on hand at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility Wednesday. “It’s a new day in New Orleans.”

After a 15-month construction period, the new behavioral health center is almost finished. Officials expect construction on the top three floors of the five-story building to be completed over the next two months.

The facility is the only psychiatric program in the Gulf Coast region for children and teens with mental health issues and will replace an older facility on the hospital’s 17-acre Uptown campus.

Louisiana Secretary of Health Rebekah Gee said the facility, which expands inpatient beds from 39 to 51, is an important step toward addressing the underlying reasons for why the need for behavioral care is so dire in the state.

“I’m delighted to be here on one of my last days as secretary celebrating one of the greatest needs our state has,” said Gee.

The new center is about 70,000 square feet — 20,000 more than the current facility on Calhoun Street.

The first floor holds an indoor recreation room, the autism center and outpatient services, where children can see mental health professionals and social workers. Large windows on the first and second floors overlook a swing set and basketball court. A music room, art therapy center and more outpatient treatment areas make up the second floor, while the third, fourth and fifth floors are devoted to inpatient services, where children will stay overnight and for extended stays.

Click here to read the entire article by EMILY WOODRUFF

Most of us know that kids are supposed to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. And 1 hour spent being active sounds like a pretty easy goal, doesn’t it? So how do you get kids motivated to be active, especially those who aren’t natural athletes?

Kids can be fit even if they’re not winning sports trophies. The key is finding activities they enjoy. When kids find an activity that’s fun,

 they’ll do it a lot, feel accomplished, and want to do it even more.

FX Game Zone is stocked with interactive floor projection games that bring together hi-tech video effects with old school play. One step onto the interactive projector game zone and kids will be having the time of their lives as they build motor skills and develop friendships. FX helps kids meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans by keeping the focus on fun.

Lungs and heart They get stronger when you get moving. That helps you feel more energy and means you can play, walk,

or jog longer without feeling tired. So how about an extra game of World Cup Soccer?

Muscles Exercise makes them stronger and stretchier. So, become the family FX Game Zone wizard and build those muscles

in the funnest way possible!

Bones You make yours stronger when you move. That’ll help with everything from how tall you stand to how powerful you are.

Reflexes and coordination They help you catch a pop fly on the field or land a perfect half-axel when you’re figure skating.

More play means more muscle memory!

Staying healthy Exercise helps you keep your weight in check. It can mean you’re less likely to get diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and some kinds of cancer. It can even help you avoid getting a cold or the flu as often.

Interactive Learning is rapidly changing the nature of education, unlike traditional passive learning where the teacher delivers information and the students take it in, interactive learning encourages more thinking and less memorization as the students become more active participants

in the educational process.

Most people are already familiar with the increased use of computers in the classroom but there is other technology specifically focused on interactive learning. Interactive projector systems are a smart collaborative tool because they essentially turn classroom floor space into a learning adventure full of physical activity. FX Game Zone makes learning more engaging and hands-on, allowing students to contribute to discussions and display accomplishments through gaming and social interaction.

FX educational STEM games can be invaluable to a child on many levels. Because they involve active participation, cooperation and teamwork, they help develop the critical thinking skills essential to solving problems throughout life. They also help children become better adjusted socially as their classroom-based collaboration will transfer to the team-based working world, and they will gain self-confidence as they become more comfortable interacting with their peers. Children are already used to interacting with technology but add the interaction of class members and teachers,

and the benefits of FX Game Zone become exponentially evident in developing a well-rounded child.

Waiting rooms aren’t much fun for adults. Now imagine being a small child dragged around to run errands and wait for appointments. It’s hard to blame them if they get a little unruly, but it follows that if one kid in a waiting room isn’t happy, no one else in that room is happy either. Pediatricians can go a long way in helping both parents and their children enjoy a more pleasant waiting room experience by simply considering the needs of younger patients. Here are some simple ways to create a kid friendly waiting room that will lead to happier parents and children:

Include Pint-Sized Furniture
You might not remember what the world looked like to you when you were a little kid, but just think about the scale of things. When you’re a kid, everything around you is built to accommodate people much larger than you. A world full of big chairs that are hard to climb into and tables that you can barely see over can feel intimidating. The best way to make kids feel at ease and comfortable is to provide furniture that fits them. Including a small table and chairs or even a variety of different sized chairs can make even your smallest visitors feel welcome.

Use Screens Wisely
While a TV can create a good distraction in a pinch, you also want to be careful about where you place TVs and what kind of programs you show. Pediatricians recommend that children be exposed to minimal screen time. The younger the child, the less they should be placed in front of a screen. Parents might not appreciate a constant stream of cartoons that may not be appropriate for their child. If you do choose to incorporate TVs in the waiting room, opt for more educational programs and respect any requests for the TV to be turned off.

Provide Toys
Now, this might not be good advice for everyone, but it is something to consider. Simple toys and books are an easy way to keep kids occupied and content while they wait. However, you should keep in mind that these items will need to be cleaned and disinfected

on a regular basis, which takes up a lot of your staff’s valuable time.

If you don’t want to worry about spreading germs or turning your staff into maids, then you need to take a closer look at FX Game Zone. Kids have fun with little or no adult supervision and you’re free to focus on your business. Instead of having a drab waiting room, you can have an exciting game zone that’ll have kids begging for another appointment. With over 100 games and effects the fun never ends and kids enjoy doctor visits in a safe, hygienic environment on our interactive projector games . Concerned about installation issues? No need to be, our professional installation teams operate nationwide, just pick the location and we’ll do the rest!