I chose to observe the water vortex in the waterplay section. Because it is in the water section, almost only kids were interacting with the vortex. The only time parents would step in was to unclog the vortex. The kids playing with the vortex seemed to be in the range 3 to 7 mostly. I mostly saw 1 or 2 kids playing with the vortex at once. It is not a large exhibit so it is tricky for more kids to play at once.

The water vortex consisted of a large cylindrical tank with an open top. A pipe pumps water to the top and causes the water to spin. The vortex empties out of the bottom into a basket that catches the toys. It is a very durable exhibit, and the lack of moving parts makes it easy to maintain. Kids get slightly wet as they move toys from the bottom back to the top, but it is mostly just their arms.

The vortex spinning in place is cool to look at, and I found that most kids paused to watch it spin before beginning to play. Once they started to interact, they became engaged in throwing small rubber toys into the vortex and watching them get flushed down. This kept their interest for a couple of minutes or so on average. The kids were able to play without the aid of an adult, but there was little opportunity for creativity while playing. The water vortex was fun for the kids to watch as they flushed toys, but it did not allow them to change any outcomes or actions. The adults would stand back and watch the kids until one of the toys clogged the vortex. Then the adult would step in and help.

There was no museum facilitator present as they did not have to do anything to keep the vortex running. More than 1 to 3 kids would be a little too crowded for the exhibit and make it difficult for everyone to interact. The water vortex fits very well in the waterplay section as it is one of the the best exhibits showing the movement of water. Even though it shows movement, it has a sense of magic because the movement stays in place and can be observed easily.