Boats, a new summer exhibit, opens at The Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier this week. Here, kids can captain their own adventures in an authentic “boatscape” overlooking Lake Michigan.
From bow to stern, Boats offers an immersive nautical experience, with a dock and bait shop, an assortment of boats and boating equipment, authentic signage—including the nautical flag alphabet—and accessories such as captain’s jacket, life vests, steering wheels, sails, buoys, fishing poles, and Lake Michigan fish. Lending to the realism is the spectacular view of Lake Michigan and boats along Navy Pier’s South Dock that serve as the exhibit’s backdrop.
Designed by Chicago Children’s Museum, Boats provides a fertile environment for the unstructured, make-believe play that’s essential for a child’s language and social-emotional development, particularly for Pre-K through early-elementary ages.
Whether seasoned sailor or nautical novice, toddlers to tweens will be inspired to create their own lake-faring scenarios, like steering the ship, kayaking, hoisting the sail, or dropping a fishing line. A two-level work boat, complete with a bunk and kitchen prep area, features a wheelchair-accessible lower cabin and boundless opportunities for kids to become cooks, biologists, captains, deck hands, or whatever roles they choose.
Boats will be open at Chicago Children’s Museum starting on May 8th and runs through November.
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