On Saturday, digiPlaySpace opened it’s doors to the public for the first time this year at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. The 4th annual exhibition has been very successful over the years, and I was excited to take my son this weekend.
Each year, the exhibition features interactive stations where kids can learn and have fun with new-media technologies, learning-centric games, and hands-on activities.
Here are some of our favourites:
Be in the Scene Take 2!
This one was our favourite at digiPlaySpace. Using a green screen, and scenes and images from movies you can see yourself anywhere.
My son wanted to ride a lion, fly in the sky, drive a car, and swim with a shark. Thanks to artist Aaron Van Domelen, all of his wishes were granted. I am not sure who had more fun- my son or me! It’s a must try!
Just to give you an idea of how it works. Here is my son and husband pretending to be in a car driving.
Here is a video of him swimming with the sharks and scuba divers.
Pop and Lock Dance Machine
This one was really fun. You step into the spot light and choose which dance and dancing partners you would like. Next, you follow the moves in stages which get recorded, and then they are all put together at the end. Artist is Catshrine.
Here is my video complete!
Ototo Sound Lab.
Connect anything conductive to this little circuit board, and you can create your own musical instrument. Artist is Dentaki Ltd. The circuit board is available to purchase at the gift shop if you want to try and build your own instrument at home!
hitchBOT
This robot was created by researches from McMaster University, Ryerson University, and the University of Toronto. As part of their project, the robot has been hitchhiking across Canada since July 2014. They wanted to explore human robot interaction and test whether robots can trust humans. Artists are David Smith and Frauke Zeller.
Creatures
My son and I had fun at this one. By dancing and jumping around, our bodies and movements were transformed into funny animated characters. Estúdio Ruim was the artist
Six-Forty by Four-Eighty
This was pretty cool. These colourful magnetic blocks were so fun to play with. You can create any pattern you like. Simply touching each block changes the colour. If you wanted all colours to become a certain colour, all you have to do is touch and hold 1 block. Using your other hand, touch others to change them to the same colour as the first block you were touching.
Talk Like a Robot
My son had a lot of fun talking into this microphone which changed the pitch, format and tone of his voice to sound like a robot. Artist is Reese Brunelle
This exhibition is a must see, and I would definitely recommend it for a fun afternoon with your family. My son had a blast!
Tickets are $10 per person and children under the age of 4 are free. *Note: No strollers are permitted in digiPlaySpace
For more information on digiPlaySpace, check out their website HERE. To avoid any lines, you can purchase your tickets online through their website.