This “Random Oscillating Magnetic Pendulum” is similar to the experiment Hannah leads during Cool Science.

Pendulums and magnetism are both classic physics topics many kids will study in school as they get older.  Besides being fun to play with, swinging things and magnets provide the hands-on experiences that are at the heart of truly grasping these concepts in physics.   Perhaps more importantly, the magnet portion of this program is an opportunity for inquiry-based guidance, which means that when I lead the program, I’ll give kids toys to play with (the magnets), and ask questions to encourage them to learn from their experiences.  We might make piles of things the magnets can pick up, and things the magnets can’t pick up.  For this sort of sorting, I might ask “What’s the same about the things in these two piles?  What is different?” This past weekend, a young boy told me that magnets can’t pick up other magnets, only metal: magnets repel other magnets.  He then proved his own statement wrong by using a magnet to pick up an object he identified as another magnet.  These moments of proving oneself wrong are what being a scientist is all about.

Plus, the complex, chaotic movement of the magnetic pendulum swinging near other magnets is bizarre enough to evoke curiosity and wonder no matter how old you are: that’s why it qualifies as cool science!

Join us this month for Cool Science: Pendulum Play on Friday, July 16 at 3:30pm and Sunday, July 17 at 11:30am and 3pm.

Inside "Star Lab," our traveling star show!

Collect some blankets or sleeping bags and a pillow or two. You’ll all be happier if you’re comfy and cozy – particularly on chilly nights. If you can, plan on a night with a new moon (the next one is coming up on May 14th). When the moon is full and bright, it can make it harder to see the stars around it. You can bring a thermos of hot chocolate if you like – binoculars also can be fun to get a closer look at different star clusters.

Some cool things to look for:

The Big Dipper: also known as Ursa Major or “Big Bear,” this is a well-known constellation that’s easy to spot. Once you find the Big Dipper, connect the two stars in the front of the scoop with a straight line: the first star you hit is Polaris, or the North Star. That’s the only star in the night sky that never changes its position!

Orion: another one that’s easier to find because of the trademark three-star “belt.” Orion is easiest to see from October through March, but we can still spot him right now. Once you find the belt, locate the two stars in his shoulders and two stars in his feet. His right shoulder (your left, his right!) is a red star, called “Beteljeuse.” The one in his left foot is called “Rigel” and is blue. Ask your child which one is hotter. The answer is Rigel – even though we think of red as being a “hot” color, the blue star is younger and therefore has more gas to burn. A four-year-old visitor once asked me if “that was like a little kid being younger and having a lot more energy to burn than a grownup?” Yeah, it is kinda like that!

Sirius: to the left of Orion’s feet you’ll see a really bright star. This is part of Canis Major, or the Dog constellation. It’s the brightest star that we can see in the whole night sky!

There are hundreds upon hundreds of constellations you can find with your little one. Recommended reading? Stars of the First People, by Dorcas S. Miller, for some riveting Native American myths and constellations. Happy star searching!

Campers in "Slimy, Squishy, Slick, and Slippery" will spend lots of time visiting creatures in our Tidepool Touch Tank.

This August we will be offering two science camps for kids ages 4 to 5.  I’m having so much fun planning “Slimy, Squishy, Slick, and Slippery,” which is a week of experiencing textures.  Every day, we’ll make a new type of clay or slime from scratch using simple ingredients, making and then testing predictions about the textures we’ll create.  Throughout the week, we’ll also meet, touch, and study some real, live animals with wet, slippery skins.  This includes studying earthworms, and visiting the residents of the Tidepool Touch Tank.

Two weeks later is “Amazing Animal Journeys,” also for ages 4 to 5, where we’ll learn about a different migratory animal each day, acting out its yearly travels.  Three of these animals will be the hummingbird, the humpback whale, and the fascinating American eel!  Each child will also have a chance to do a week-long project creating his or her own animal puppet, adding pieces to it each day as we learn about different adaptations that help creatures migrate.

Both camps are designed to encourage campers to use their imaginations and to engage in the process of science in a fun, playful way.  I think these week-long half day camps could provide a great way to transition back into the school year!  Also, don’t forget that if you sign up for two camps by May 1^st, you’ll get one for half price. Click here for more information and to register for any of our 11 amazing summer camps.

Body maps

The interaction between art and science is a multifarious one, and seemingly most fluid in the minds of youth. The idea of visualizing imagined worlds is often the first step in an artistic or scientific process. The labors of both fields rely heavily on interpretation of the natural world; observation, interpretation and rendering nature.

Perfect Perspective Drawings

In recognition and celebration of this, the Museum & Theatre is excited to introduce a series of programs titled “Where Science Meets Art.” These Saturday activities will explore the symbiotic relationship of these fields.

Paint Lab

The program is not so much about using art as an illustrative tool for scientific concepts, but more so the exploration of method, materials and themes.

There appears to be a point when society, or age, or maybe just language begins to separate the innate connections and similarities of the artistic and scientific themes. Here at the Museum we would like to celebrate these universal parallels.

Shadow Fun!

Join us Saturdays at 12:30pm for programs such as Body Maps, What’s in a Fingerprint? Paint Lab, Gravity Painting, Perfect Perspective Drawing, Art Forms In Nature and Chromatography.

March is a wonderful time to begin making records of the outdoor adventures you and your child go on together by starting a nature journal.  Even in one minute outdoors, you can uncover hidden treasures: clues that spring is on its way.  The clue could be an early tulip or a squishy mud puddle, or a certain smell in the air, or it might be a surprise! Invite your child to draw what you found together, and then tell you his or her observations to record.  Paste all these pictures and notes into a blank book to keep a record of spring’s arrival.

Below are some notes from my neighborhood:

Youth Ranger Fiona talks to a young visitor about the turtles in the Ranger Station.

Youth Rangers run programs each weekend and throughout school vacation weeks at the Tidepool Touch Tank and inside the Ranger Station. They facilitate visitor interaction with activity kits covering environmental themes such as animal behavior, forest and water resources, patterns in nature, food webs, and Leave No Trace principles.  Please stop by the Ranger Station and ask a Youth Ranger a science question. If they don’t have the answer, they’ll inquire and get right back in touch!

Little Youth Rangers in training and their parents can visit this website for some fun science activities to do at home!

For a full list of our 2008-2009 educational programming corporate and foundation funders, click here.