Starting this Saturday, the Betts House will host an exhibit providing hands-on opportunities for children to explore architecture and construction through building, drawing, and creation.
Build It! Architecture for Kids, on loan from archKIDecture of Chicago, consists of nine modules presenting architectural subjects including roofs, tools, and shapes, as well as the many properties of building materials and structures. Children are encouraged to interact with each module, either on their own or through collaboration.
Geared for children ages 3-12, the exhibit allows children to design a tree house, decorate a skyscraper, make tessellations, create a floor plan, and more. Interpretive panels will be available to explain architectural works and to introduce basic architectural concepts.
Build It! will be on view at the Betts House through July 27. Special Saturday activities for children and families are also planned, including programs on the construction trades, story times, and craft activities.
The Betts House is located at in the West End. The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 A.M.-2 P.M. and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 12:30 P.M.-5 P.M., or by appointment.
Admission is $2 per person.
The exhibit is supported in part by the Cincinnati Design Awards, the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, and the Hukill Hazlett Harrington Agency, Inc.
Help sought for future programs
Starting in June, the museum's summer youth program Bond at the Betts begins for children ages 8 to 16.
And the Betts House also is seeking sponsors for its next exhibit, Bricks, Barrel Vaults & Beer: The Architectural Legacy of Cincinnati, produced in partnership with the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and scheduled to appear in October.
To assist with either program, please contact the Betts House at (513) 651-0734 or at .
Previous reading on BC:
Fourth exhibit in Betts House series considers importance of preservation (1/8/13)
'Urban Landscapes' shows beauty, potential of abandonment (10/10/12)
New Betts House exhibit to explore 'Soul of the City' (8/7/12)
Betts House exhibit series begins this evening (6/8/12)
Pen and ink drawings detail Cincinnati life (2/8/11)
