Part 5 of the Children’s Museum Series. (Reprinted from “The Switch to Children’s Creativity.”)

In 1994, the ZOOM Children’s Museum opened in central Vienna. Its motto is “Hands on, minds on, hearts on!”In the world of children’s museums, the term “minds on”—which implies that children must engage their minds while experiencing things hands-on—has become common. ZOOM takes it a step further by adding “hearts on.”Does this mean body, mind, and heart? The museum states: “By following their hearts—asking questions, touching, feeling, experimenting, and playing—children can get to know themselves and discover their own abilities. And through play, they can learn and nurture their creativity.”

　©ZOOM Kindermuseum

　This museum consists of four areas. The first is a special exhibition aimed at children ages 6 to 12. The current exhibition is titled “Once Upon a Time in the Middle Ages.” Brave knights, noble ladies in castles, proud cities, magnificent castles, and grand cathedrals—these are the images that come to mind when you think of the Middle Ages, aren’t they?

　However, this era was also marked by a history of suffering—war, famine, plague, backbreaking labor, and bitter poverty. How did people live in the cities and countryside back then? How did they work, what did they wear, and what were their homes like? This exhibition allows you to experience the Middle Ages with all your senses through hands-on activities.

　This special exhibition has been very popular since it began, and I’ve heard that while hundreds of schools have requested visits, they are currently on a waiting list. When I visited, there was an exhibition on world fashion and culture featuring traditional costumes from countries such as Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Austria, and Japan.The children were taking apart the clothes—pulling off buttons and cutting the fabric—to design their own original outfits, and they were also putting on plays using traditional costumes from various countries.

©ZOOM Kindermuseum

　The second area is “ZOOM Ocean,” designed for preschoolers. It’s a colorful playground for adventure. Children explore their surroundings using their bodies, experience new sights, discover different ways to move, and learn through play.Featuring “The Underwater World” and “The Ship” areas, it is designed to nurture children’s motor, cognitive, and social skills. A large ship’s anchor makes children feel like sailors, and activities like fishing and communicating with the lighthouse draw them into the underwater world.A sparkling temple and an endless mirrored tunnel spark children’s curiosity. Children dress up as sea creatures and encounter strange beings that live in the ocean.

　The third is the ZOOM Art Studio, designed for children ages 3 to 12. Workshops are held in collaboration with young visual artists.Color, shake, mix, wear, laugh, hide, dye, listen, repeat, shape, break, knead, hit, stretch, crush, blend, talk, feel, learn…

　Here, the focus is on the process. Rather than creating artworks designed to please parents or teachers, we emphasize letting children explore on their own and value the conversations and interactions that take place while they work.

　The fourth program is the ZOOM Animation Film Studio, designed for children ages 8 to 14. Here, children take on the roles of writers, directors, cinematographers, camera operators, and sound engineers to create films, 3D animations, music, and more.

©ZOOM Kindermuseum

　What surprised me during my visit was that they were using specially developed, original software and hardware to create their work. They would import characters created using analog methods into a digital environment, collaborate in teams to produce stop-motion animations, and screen the results. The entire process was managed through a single, custom-built interface.Using cutting-edge technology and striking a good balance between analog and digital elements, the program served to stimulate the children’s creativity and expressive abilities.

　I thought, “I definitely want to bring this to Japan!” but as of 2003, the technology was still in the prototype stage, and the total development cost appeared to have exceeded 50 million yen. The organization reportedly collaborates with universities and companies to conduct R&D simultaneously and is highly regarded throughout Europe as an R&D center.

　While digital technology is exceptionally effective as a means of sharing information and communicating, it is still relatively underdeveloped as a tool for self-expression. For children, playing with clay or drawing with crayons is often more fun. However, it will likely continue to evolve rapidly as a tool for self-expression in the future.Having children use the technology and incorporating their feedback into the development process—I was deeply impressed by the fact that the Children’s Museum plays this role as well.