Friday, January 11, 2008

Fun at the Science Center

This afternoon we had fun going to our local science center. Every month in the school year the local home school group signs up to go to one of the classes held there. I have only gone once before but my older kids have gone quite a bit with a friend. (It is held during our normal nap time which is why I haven't necessarily wanted to go all of the time.) Today we took naps early so that we could all go.


The class today was on combustion. It was a quite entertaining class. He had the kids take a pledge not to do any of the things he did at home but I am sure he made everybody a lot more interested in fire over all. The first "trick" he did was to soak a donated dollar bill in 70% rubbing alcohol and 30% water. Then he held it with a tongs over a flame where it promptly ignited and had quite a merry flame. After a second or so he shook out the flame and there was the dollar bill as good as new. The water had protected the dollar bill from bursting into flames. I personally would like to try that at home. He did lots of other fun stuff. Above he is making a fire tornado of sorts.



This picture is a beautiful one of Mara where she held a pile of bubbles that were blown up using a balloon full of hydrogen. When he held a flame up to it, it burst into flame for just a second and burned up the bubbles but didn't hurt her hand.
After the class we had fun playing on the main science center area. (We were blessed with the gift of a family membership this year.) Above Jonathan is holding down a button which makes a flame go which makes the hot air balloon rise.
Here are the kids in front of a cute nature area.
Here is Megan in front of a fun echo tube.

Here is a picture of Mara at the science center last year. This is a small boa and it still gives me the creeps knowing that she held it. I wasn't there when she did it. It didn't bother her at all, she just said that it was a little heavy.

Anyway science centers are great fun. I am hoping we will be able to go fairly often, but no holding of snakes for me!!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is great you have such a fun and educational resource so close to home. I grew up in Arizona and every year the we got a visit from some desert zoo people (I was 6-10 so I have no recollection of the proper place they came from lol).

I was about your daughter's age, holding lizards, petting/holding snakes, and its a fun memory for me because as an adult, I've never been afraid of reptiles. I believe fully that it is from these experiences as a child that I have no phobia of snakes, lizards, etc..

Martha said...

I like the pictures of Maranatha. I am glad she has not inherited the phobia of reptiles. also she looks so funny in the bubble holding picture.:)

AnnaMarie said...

Abbi, are you really afraid of snakes? When we were kids we handled them and I don't remember you being scared then. Your science museum looks really cool. His program would be fun. Does he do that every month?

Abbi said...

Yes I am afraid of snakes. I am not really afraid of the snakes that we have up here (little garter snakes) but they still startle me if I come on them unexpectedly. (Like the big one in my compost pile this past summer that I almost speared with my potato fork.) I could (I think) even pick up a garter snake if there was a need but bigger ones really give me the willies and I am very thankful that there aren't poisonous ones where we live. I am afraid I would be one of those over careful moms that tend to bug me.

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