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Nash suggests kids will especially like the exhibit interactives that were developed at the museum. Kids will get the chance to fire a miniature catapult, draw a self-portrait using perspective and optical trips or construct a self-supporting bridge (da Vinci designed it for soldiers to put together using small tree trunks found at the edge of a river -- without the use of ropes or nails. (It's not that easy to do!)

Check out, his model of an "Ideal City" that he hoped would prevent the spread of disease or his scuba gear, parachute, tank and vertical flying machine.

"Can you imagine ... a man flying ... it is against nature!" said "Francois," who claims to have worked for The Maestro. He is one of the costumed and engaging historical enactors who bring Renaissance Italy to life for visitors.

"Lenora Strozzi," a mother of three and woman of the court, explains she has known "The Maestro" since she was a child and that "he enjoys a good laugh!" Kids in the 21st century will have a hard time imagining a world before chocolate when water wasn't safe to drink so kids drank watered-down beer and wine instead.

Leonardo famously took a scientific approach to art, secretly dissecting corpses by candlelight to better understand human anatomy. Though much of his art has been lost, two of the most famous -- The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa -- still attract and inspire millions every year.

Last summer, we saw The Last Supper in Milan in the Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie. The huge mural has been so damaged over the centuries that only a small number of visitors can be admitted at a time and only for 15 minutes; Da Vinci's depiction of gesture and expressions has inspired artists ever since.

For families who are in Milan, visit the World of Leonardo interactive museum first. Kids can see how vibrant the colors would have been in the 15th century, make Leonardo's sketches come to life and create the Last Supper on a giant computer screen.

So, why doesn't the Mona Lisa have eyebrows or eyelashes?

We learned in Denver that Scientific Engineer and Photographer Pascal Cotte spent years trying to answer that question. Thanks to his special patented camera that could reveal even the tiniest details, he concluded that Leonardo da Vinci didn't paint her that way. The disappearing lashes and brows were most likely the result of cleaning and the paint blending with the undercoat over time.

Who knew?

"Curiosity is king," said Stephen Nash, adding he hopes kids get that message from the exhibit. "Never stop wondering!"

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)

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