XOXO is a powerful exhibit that offers opportunities to share, connect, converse, think and feel. It helps kids and families explore big emotions and deal with them in positive ways.

Visitors play, act silly and consider what makes them sad, mad and happy. They think about love and forgiveness. They ask questions, listen and learn more about the people around us.

This beautiful exhibit is only here for a little while longer – through Sunday, Jan. 6. Make sure to make a trip – or another trip – to the museum to play in this exhibit before it’s gone.

Exhibit Themes & Activities

The activities in the exhibit revolve around five overarching themes:

• Reflection. Visitors take the time to think about feelings and experiences. They do this at a reflection table filled with sensory materials, by writing and posting something kind someone did for them, by creating tokens of love for someone special in their lives.
• Cooperation. Kids and families work together to achieve a goal. They hold hands to complete a circuit that illuminates a message about love and kindness. They also collaborate on a teeter totter to balance a ball in a clear tube.
• Empathy. Visitors imagine how someone else is feeling or what they are experiencing. Kids identify and notice emotions by interacting with a video wall that prompts them to make a variety of facial expressions. In another area, visitors use empathy blocks to build various expressions by combining a variety of diverse eyes, noses and mouths.
• Communication. Visitors share their thoughts and feelings and listening to others’ thoughts and feelings. Kids draw a friend’s profile, requiring them to pay careful attention to the person sitting for the portrait. Visitors speak into phones and watch as graphics changes shape to match their tone, highlighting that it’s now just what you say, it’s how you say it.
• Generosity. Visitors create, give and share with others. In the art making station, kids make and give art as a way to express love, admiration and caring. They die cut and personalize a special box or envelope, create a card or silkscreen print, make a necklac or write letters to loved ones.

Community Service Projects in December

In addition to all the activities in the exhibit, visitors have the opportunity to make a difference in the community by participating in the following activities in the XOXO exhibit throughout December:

• Dec. 3-9: Decorate a bag that will go to seniors who receive Meals On Wheels.
• Dec.11-16: Create cards that will go to children in the hospital.
• Dec. 18-23: Construct a donation box to take home, fill and give to an organization of your choice.

These activities are made possible with the help of Doing Good Together.

Open Through Jan. 6

Don’t miss this powerful exhibit and a chance to reflect, connect and share with really matters with your kids and family. The exhibit will be here through Sunday, Jan. 6.

XOXO: An Exhibit about Love & Forgiveness is locally presented by New Horizon Academy. It was created by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh with support from the Fetzer Institute.