Are your children addicted to technology? Take a family trip to the Sony Wonder Technology Lab on Madison Avenue in New York City, within walking distance of designer shopping and the world-famous toy store, FAO Schwarz.
Start off your visit on the fourth floor by logging on to a virtual world, personalized with your name, voice recording and musical preference. Then, enter the lower floors of the lab for more than 20 exhibits.
Participate in a collaborative television broadcast with other guests on the third floor, or become the editor of a music video.
Stop on the second floor to create a video-game character, or render a remote control robot as it reacts to other robots and its environment. The floor also holds the Wonder of Music exhibit, where guests can learn the anatomy of an instrument and start a virtual band, and the Game Builder exhibit, where visitors can build their own cars and race them.
Mixed in with the interactive exhibits are more traditional stations, which show how electronics are made, the global paths of information through the Internet and the history of computer and video games.
The adventure ends with log-out stations, where visitors receive a printed certificate reviewing their visit. If the visit works up your family’s appetite, hop on the subway for easy travel to a number of novelty dining spots in Midtown Manhattan.
Admission to the lab is free, but reservations are recommended. When calling ahead, don’t forget to ask about screenings in the High Definition Theater on the third floor.