The Roots of Kindness
Sowing the seeds for a bright future
Play in a life-sized, pop-up storybook as you explore how everyday actions act as invisible roots that keep gratitude and respect growing throughout our shared world.
Access to this exhibit is included with Museum admission starting October 27.
About the Exhibit
Engage young visitors in simple gestures like saying thank you, paying attention, cooperation and more to learn about the importance of treating people, places and things with kindness.
Throughout the exhibit, children will:
- Explore ways to practice gratitude and respect in everyday situations.
- Discover the importance of respecting others, the environment, individual cultures, and our diverse community.
- Understand how showing and receiving gratitude benefits the well-being of individuals and communities.
After experiencing the exhibit, visitors of all ages will be equipped to:
- Transfer gratitude and respect from abstract concepts into daily, lived experiences.
- Recognize multiple expressions of gratitude and respect that span within and across different cultures.
- Continue conversations about character-building at home, in school and throughout our community.
Areas to Explore
Expressive Field
Arrange magnetic pieces representing eyes, noses and mouths to learn how our faces express a range of emotions. Recreate and observe expressions in the mirror to practice recognizing different emotions in yourself and others.
Courtesy Courtyard
Rotate cylinders to learn how different languages—English, Spanish, Korean, Menominee, Braille and ASL—sound, feel and look. Compare and contrast how cultures communicate care, gratitude and appreciation.
Understanding Window
Connect with children from around the world through real-time or pre-recorded video calls to discover what daily life and traditions are like in different cultures. Peer through spy-holes to see the similar and different ways we live, play, learn and celebrate.
Noticing Nest
Interact with touch-responsive sensors in a cozy cocoon designed to evoke calm focus—the more sensors you activate, the more immersive the environment becomes. Experience how subtle, ambient changes can improve your mood and attention.
Traits Trail
Choose the sides of cubes that describe your personality and virtues. Celebrate your colorful composition beside others’ to appreciate how each of our differences make us unique.
Fair Playground
Work with other players to decide the rules in a moving, light-up game. Practice cooperation and following rules to achieve a colorful victory together!
Learning Goals
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Observation, attention, and focus
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Perspective-taking and decision-making
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Sensory exploration
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Receptive and expressive language development
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Literacy
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Exposure to new cultures and languages
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Self-reflection
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Creative expression
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Cause and effect
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Fine and gross motor skills
Rooted in Collaboration
The Roots of Kindness is one of three unique exhibits, one at each venue part of the “Developing Respective Citizens in a Diverse Country” project led by Kohl Children’s Museum, joined by cultural partners Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum and Korean Cultural Center of Chicago and generously made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
The three exhibits explore the pillars of character, specifically the development of gratitude and respect, through distinct cultural and conceptual lenses. This project aims to provide families and caregivers with tools to nurture civic virtues in children, ensuring they grow into individuals who can navigate and contribute to a multifaceted society with empathy and integrity.
This is our first exhibit to address character traits directly, in a way that’s hands-on, fun and transformative.”
-Mike Delfini, President and CEO
The Roots of Kindness is generously made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
