Photo courtesy of Ontario Science Centre

As the world was rooting for their nations’ top athletes during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto opened an interactive exhibit designed to teach young people about the science of sport.

SPORT was developed by the Ontario Science Centre’s employees and is returning to the venue after touring science centres around the world for the past decade. The exhibit includes 12 stations presenting visitors with a variety of sports challenges at varying skill levels, so children and adults of all ages and abilities can participate in the fun.

Photo courtesy of Ontario Science Centre

Here are some of the highlights:

Baseball Pitch: Test the speed and accuracy of your arm by winding up and throwing a baseball from a pitcher’s mound to home plate, set up at the regulation distance of 60 feet, 6 inches apart.

You Be the Judge: Find out how difficult it is for Olympic judges to score an athletic performance by trying it yourself. Frame-by-frame event replays let visitors in on what expert judges look for.

Green Screen Games: Get into the action by stepping into a virtual environment and participating in a simulated volleyball or soccer game. See if your serve has what it takes or whether you’d be able to kick in the winning goal.

Balance Timer: Think you’ve got great balance? This electronic teeter board times how long users are able to maintain correct balance, while helping them understand how your sense of sight, inner ear nerve impulses, muscles and joints all play vitally important roles in keeping us upright and moving.

SPORT will run in Toronto until January 2013. The exhibit is located in the Ontario Science Centre’s Special Exhibition Hall on level 6
, and is free with regular admission.