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W e d n e s d ay, M ay 21, 2025
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Kids of all ages
Play spot in Rivertown adds a new twist with an interactive game BY ROBERT S. WOLF
Contributing writer
The Kenner Planetarium and Rivertown Space Science Complex recently added a high-tech interactive play space designed to bring fun new games for people of all ages and all abilities, but it’s only for a limited time. The Science Center debuted the Luna Play Spot, which uses sensors and lights to create interactive games for kids and adults. They are played on a linoleum game board on the floor. The play spot is a projector, and a set of speakers typically are suspended from a ceiling or an arch over a laminated play
“It’s so complementary to the space, and it’s the perfect way to engage the kids in science center.” NATALIE NEWTON, deputy CAO of Operations and Communications for Kenner
floor. The games can be customized right down to the music selection to accommodate any age group, from young children to seniors. The game system is on loan to the city until mid-June from Pelican Playgrounds, a New Orleans-based design and con-
struction company that specializes in outdoor recreation and playground equipment for schools, municipalities and churches. Natalie Newton, deputy CAO of Operations and Communications for Kenner, said that from the city’s perspective, this interactive experience, which is also inclusive, fits the mission of the science center perfectly. “It’s so complementary to the space, and it’s the perfect way to engage the kids in science center,” Newton said. “The kids are having a blast with it, so we are hoping to arrange funding so we can have it permanently.” Newton said a Luna Play Spot
unit costs about $20,000. The system offers about 25 different games like memory tests, reaction timing games, rhyming games and a code breaker game that requires players to remember a series of numbers and repeat it correctly. “It feels like the missing piece to our science center,” Newton added. Lauren Knight, owner of Pelican Playgrounds, said the company offered the system to the city for a few months. “We loaned it to the planetarium because we wanted them to
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
The Luna Play Spot challenges kids to do math and race to the correct number. The interactive ä See PLAY, page 2G game is at the Science Complex until mid-June.
COOL POOLS
Take them or leave them?
STAFF PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD
Some people take their pets along on vacation, and some choose not to.
Here’s some things to consider when deciding whether to take pets on vacation
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Jelani McGee exercises at the new $8.5 million George V. Rainey Natatorium in Algiers on May 6.
Check out this list of New Orleans public pools ideal for cooling down
ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD
IAdults and kid alike make use of NORD pools. There are five indoor pools and about 15 outdoor ones.
As New Orleans weather inches closer to summer, a season defined by insufferable heat and perpetual sweat, scouting out a cool oasis is imperative. Thankfully, the city offers free, public pools for residents to have fun and cool off during the hottest time of the year. And since last year, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission has opened even more public pools, like the just-opened George V. Rainey Natatorium, a year-round facility in Algiers. While the city has five indoor pools that are open year-round, come summer, 15
The New Orleans Recreation Department Commission operates a number of indoor
ä See POOLS, page 2G and outdoor pools and aquatic programs across the city.
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Memorial Day weekend signals the start of summer and the beginning of travel season. While most families likely leave the pets at home for summer vacations, many people choose to take their pets along for the adTraci venture. Howerton For me, taking ANIMAL the pets on vacaRESCUE tion gives me peace of mind that they are safe and sound. However, the downside is that taking the pets means the vacation destinations may be limited and the trip will require extra planning, extra packing and likely more pit stops if the pets are along for the ride. Before deciding if a vacation should include the four-legged family members, consider the following: THE TRAVEL ROUTE: Think about how you will get to the destination. Car? Plane? How long of a ride is it? If driving, rest stops and outdoor dining will take the place of stopping to eat in a restaurant when pets are on board. RULES FOR FLYING: Most airlines
ä See PETS, page 2G
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