LINCOLN, Neb. – The Lincoln Children’s Museum is setting curiosity in motion with the opening of MAKE IT MOVE, a new STEM exhibit that invites children to explore the science behind movement and discover what happens when one action sets another in motion. 

MAKE IT MOVE features a variety of stations designed to encourage experimentation with motion, force, and cause and effect. Children can build chain reactions with Rube Goldberg-style contraptions, exploring how energy transfers from one object to another. At the wind table, they can manipulate airflow to test how air pressure and force affect the movement of balls through different configurations of PVC pipes. A rotating turntable challenges children to experiment with balance and trajectory, while a pinball-inspired station demonstrates how force and direction influence motion. 

Newton's three laws of motion are incorporated throughout the exhibit, connecting playful experimentation to scientific principles and encouraging children to make predictions, test their ideas, and try again. 

“MAKE IT MOVE is about giving children the freedom to explore what happens when they try something new,” said Tara Knuth, CEO of the Lincoln Children’s Museum. “Not every experiment works the first time, and that's part of the learning. We want children to feel confident asking questions and discovering what they can do differently.”

The ribbon cutting will include remarks from Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Lincoln Children’s Museum CEO, Tara Knuth, and Board of Commissioners, Christa Yoakum. 

Two special guests will help officially open the exhibit. Earlier this year, Lincoln youth Ricardo and Catalina Orellana wrote a letter to Mayor Gaylor Baird expressing their desire for a science center in Lincoln. The siblings later participated in early conversations with Museum staff about MAKE IT MOVE and will have the honor of cutting the ribbon.

All presenters, including Catalina and Ricardo, will be available for media interviews for post-ribbon cutting.

As an ASTC-accredited museum, the Lincoln Children's Museum continues to expand opportunities for children to engage with science through play. MAKE IT MOVE builds upon that commitment by creating a space where curiosity leads the way.