Superpowered Metropolis: Early Learning City™

Superpowered Metropolis: Early Learning City™ is a hands-on, interactive, and colorfully, immersive exhibition where you are the heroes! Step into a playful, comic book version of New York City where a lively team of pigeons, Zip, Zap, and Zoom, serve as your guides to superpowered fun and learning. The 1,500 square-foot exhibit invites children from birth to 6 and their grown-ups to feel like heroes, building their superpowered early learning brain skills together. These skills, known as executive functions, include self-control, working memory, and mental flexibility. Children practice these learning “superpowers” with Zip, Zap, and Zoom, who guide families on a series of NYC adventures exploring the subways, parks, music, travel, treehouses, and more. Climb to the top of a magical two-story Treehouse Headquarters equipped with a map, telescope, periscope, and slide to plan your adventures Navigate colorful tunnels, tracks, and waterways at a multi-level Supercharged NYC Train Table Create original city sounds with one-of-a-kind instruments in the Musical Subway Car Chase the floating scarves at the Whimsical Wind Blowing Fountain Get a call from Zip, Zap, and Zoom at the Superpowered Phone Booth and head out on a Metropolis mission Enter Baby Central Station, a mini learning hub inspired by Grand Central Station and specially designed for birth to 2 year-olds with climb-on trains, a starry sky, and sensory stations Play three digital Brain Building Games designed by NYU’s CREATE Lab Explore the sounds and smells of NYC while driving in the Pigeon Mobile The exhibit is designed to help children develop, enhance, and practice their executive function skills, which are critical for the early development of both cognitive and social capacities. Executive functions are essential for social-emotional well-being and academic success. Every child is born with the ability to strengthen these skills, and it is the daily interactions with adults that help the skills develop. The exhibit shares tips, games, and activities for the adults and children to play together at the Museum, at home, and around the city. Stepping into the comic-book-inspired NYC world, families meet the team of Superpowered Pigeons™ that embody the learning superpowers: ZIP, Self-Control Champion – A calm coach who encourages ‘power pauses’ before acting, thinking things through, resisting distractions, following directions, and taking turns. ZAP, Working Memory Master – A witty thinker who juggles information in mind and is always at the ready, remembering instructions and skillfully organizing and sorting information. ZOOM, Mental Flexibility Guru – A curious inventor who sees things from multiple perspectives, switches gears easily, and solves problems creatively. Support for Superpowered Metropolis: Early Learning City™ is provided by the Bezos Family Foundation and its early learning program Vroom which provides science-based tips and tools to inspire families to turn everyday moments into Brain Building Moments®. Birth – 6 years