During the strictest period of Covid-19 restrictions, the Kohl Children’s Museum asked Lightswitch to design a kid-friendly light show, offering a safe and fun outdoor activity for Chicago-area families. We succeeded in making the show interactive and Covid-safe at the same time – a great boon during the lockdown period.
During the strictest period of Covid-19 restrictions, the Kohl Children’s Museum asked Lightswitch to design a kid-friendly light show, offering a safe and fun outdoor activity for Chicago-area families. Officially dubbed “Kohlights: A Mesmertastic Holiday Lightacular,” the show was an interactive, child-focused adventure featuring creatively interactive technology. Our goal was to craft an experience that was enjoyable and digestible for a younger audience by mixing fun, exploration, and a dash of holiday cheer to create a uniquely youthful event.
Lightswitch designed an interactive experience that focused on basic color mixing to appeal to children – many of whom would be attending their very first light show. The idea was to make a “kid-sized” version of other beloved local light shows, while increasing the magic factor by allowing children to control their own experiences. Our team concentrated on making the entire installation beautiful through the eyes of a child – approximately two to four feet off the ground. We even had some fun with the set pieces, giving them names such as Pixel Play Meadow, Rainbow Caterpillar, and Color Square Walk.
We used thermal technology for some of the interactive pieces, installing heat cameras that responded to body movement. We also introduced elements utilizing the color spectrum and the guests' own shadows, encouraging them to explore light, color, and shape. Other interactive activities were controlled by individual glow sticks given to each child upon entry. Due to the condensed nature of the experience, our team made sure each piece of the show would be activated even when it wasn’t in use. To achieve this, we built idle settings into the interactive elements, so they would meld back into the overall look of the show after about 30 seconds. Lightswitch leaned on our frequent partner ILC to help craft and install these interactives, and we are grateful to holiday light technology masters TwinklyPro for their support of the event.
Engineering an installation specifically for younger guests was an invitation to connect with our own inner children and allow our imaginations to run free. We succeeded in making the show interactive and Covid-safe at the same time – a great boon during the lockdown period. Furthermore, the event offered the Kohl Children’s Museum an opportunity to bolster ticket sales and traffic during a challenging time for businesses. We were very fortunate for this chance to embrace our childlike wonder, and our team was thrilled to see Kohlights received with joy from children and parents alike.
