I had the pleasure of volunteering at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Fair on September 13–14, 2025, where I ran an arcade-style, multiple-choice bird quiz designed for kids. The setup combined a 65″ OLED display showing short nature documentaries and the quiz interface, three tactile buttons that triggered interactive sounds, and randomized photos of birds from several categories — songbirds, shorebirds (please tell me if you meant something else), raptors, and ducks.
What I built
– A Java application of roughly 5,000 lines of code that handled image selection, answer logic, scoring, sound playback, and the documentary playlist.
Here is a link to the github latest release
https://github.com/jgustav71/birdquiz-kiosk
– A 65″ OLED monitor to show full-screen images and video clips for maximum visual impact.
– A physical, kid-friendly interface with three durable buttons mapped to the multiple-choice answers; each button played a distinct sound to give immediate feedback and keep kids engaged.
– Randomized quizzes so children could play repeatedly without seeing the same images in the same order.
Event highlights and impact
– Estimated attendance: about 6,000 visitors flowed through the fair over the two days. The event was primarily geared toward kids and families.
– The quiz ran flawlessly across both days, with high engagement and steady lines of participants.
– Many children learned to identify birds by silhouette, plumage, and habitat hints; parents and teachers appreciated the educational angle.
– OMSI staff indicated they might consider making the quiz a permanent installation — an exciting possibility for ongoing community outreach.
Why this mattered
This was a volunteer effort and a very rewarding way to educate our community about the beautiful birds that share our region. If you visited the exhibit and have photos or feedback, I’d love to see them. If you’re interested in collaborating on similar educational installations or want the code reviewed for a permanent OMSI installation, contact me.