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Hi Kristie,

We operated Simulators for over 15 years, and we "converted" to Smart seats
( www.smart-network.us ) because of age limitation.

The Smart seats were planed for ages 6-96, but when we had a very strong
demand (from kindergartens) for 4 years old shows we tested it, and it's a
very big success .

But (as I say always) it's the content and not the technology.
Kids can be scared from a TV show at home, and babies can love simulators -
It all about the content you use...

You can contact me directly for more info.

Ami Dror


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristie Mazzoni" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 8:33 PM
Subject: motion simulator age appropriateness


> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
****************************************************************************
*
>
> For those of you who have motion simulator rides or have used them in the
> past....
>
> Do any of you have data - numerical is better but anecdotal is fine -
about
> how these rides have been used by children UNDER 7?  In the next few
years,
> we will be converting our museum to a children's museum (still a science
> focus).  In surveys of educators and parents, including those of
pre-school
> aged children, motion simulators were highly rated exhibits.  From doing
> planetarium programs I know that many very young children are frightened
if
> they think their seats might move or rumble or shoot water (I think A Bugs
> Life at Disney has scared a few).
>
> Are very young children allowed on simulators?  Do you have an age or
height
> cut-off?  Do particular manufacturers have age recommendations?  Would
these
> vary with the type of simualtor - for example, the ten-seat stand-alone
> simulator versus the thirty-seat one that's built into a room?  Is this
left
> to the parents' discretion?  If so, what do you do if a child does try to
> get up during a program?
>
> I think of the four-year-old who sat next to me during the 3D IMAX film at
> the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas.  She the 3D-ness of the experience, but the
> haunted house theme was getting to her after a while.  If she had needed
to
> get up, they would have had to raise the lap bar on all of us,
interrupting
> our view of the film.  She told her father she could be "very brave" and
> stay.
>
> You can reply off-line, unless you think this is a wide-ranging
> issue...Thanks.
>
> Kristie M. Mazzoni
>
> Assistant Planetarium Director
>
> Science Center of Connecticut
>
>
>
>
>
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