Renovated splash exhibit delights at Marbles Kids Museum

I recently attended the grand re-opening of the “Splash” exhibit at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. I had taken my daughter to the previous incarnation of the Splash exhibit, and though it had always been a favorite, the museum has stepped up its game. The museum’s educational staff sought to keep the tried and true appeal of water play, while making it fresh and new. The newly re-imagined exhibit does just that.

On the morning of its first debut, the exhibit was already buzzing with littles. The kids needed no instruction or introduction to the exhibit despite all of the staff around. “Waterplay is just intuitive,” explained Marbles’ Chief Learning Officer Hardin Englehardt.

Waterplay is also what Englehardt described as “sticky,” allowing children to become fully immersed. Indeed, I watched as one little boy around the age of three, played at the water table for approximately 60minutes. That’s an eternity in toddler time! Another little girl literally squealed with delight when she entered the water play area.

The new and improved splash exhibit, made possible by a generous donation from the Erlinger family, now features a 65-foot water table containing 225 gallons of water. The water table contains 19 interactive features including boat locks, a lighthouse that spurts a mushroom fountain of water, a swirling water vortex, boats and fish with magnetic elements that can be utilized with cranes and fishing poles, floating lily pads and water squirters and flies that spin around a venus flytrap. The water flow of the various elements are controlled by the kids themselves using dials and levers. This and other more advanced features, like damming the water, allow children to explore cause and effect. These higher level concepts help to expand the age range the exhibit caters to, and keep older children engaged.

The exhibit now appeals to a variety of ages. While the former water table was geared for children between the ages of two and five, the new water table expands that target age to appeal to children as old as 8, the sweet spot for the entire museum. Children are intrinsically interested in waterplay, and it offers one of their first ways to explore science.

According to Englehardt, the sensory appeal and immersiveness of waterplay “helps (children) with the development of executive function skills like concentration and focus.”

For older children, the exhibit teaches STEM concepts like buoyancy, water properties and volume. Features like the dams encourage adults to get playing too. After all, who doesn’t love a good boat race? Englehardt says that Marbles is always looking for ways to get parents in there playing with their kids.

Some of the most popular activities that I witnessed were the water jets, the fishing poles, and putting fish into the water vortex to watch them spin around before coming out of the bottom. There was definitely lots of experimentation going on, with kids wondering “what would happen if…” For example, one little girl put a boat inside the water vortex to see what might happen when it was too large to come out of the bottom. While the new water table still offers the waterproof smocks and hand dryers that were, and continue to be, so appreciated by parents, the new version offers some other parent approved features, like a new safer anti-slip rubber flooring to replace the old brick floor.

The exhibit is inspired by the North Carolina coast, from the Bodie lighthouse, a Venus flytrap water feature, and a large coastal mural that provides the backdrop. The local artist behind the mural, Denise Hughes, previously painted other murals for the museum. For this new mural, Hughes tried to adhere to the North Carolina inspiration, by using animals, birds, fish, and lighthouses all native to our coastal region.

As for children of differing abilities, Englehardt asserts that there are, “No, 'no’s' for kids with disabilities when they come to play at Marbles.” The water table is of differing heights with small step stools for children of different sizes, and is wheelchair accessible at one end. Waterplay has also been found to be calming for neurodivergent children.

More options improving the museum's offerings for children with special needs will be coming to the larger Marbles Splash Exhibit this fall. The Sea Shapes section will be transformed into a better utilized space specially designed for kids who are sensory seeking and for those who experience sensory overload. The carpeted space will be quieter, with lights that dim, doors that close, hiding rocks, and a weighted octopus to wear for comfort.

It’s wonderful to watch Marbles’ play and learning opportunities evolve. Patrons are clearly excited about the new features, and the water table is bustling accordingly.