Explorables: Science You Can Play With
Saturdays – October 15 and December 17, 2011
11 am – 2 pm
Exploratorium Skylight Area

It’s child’s play at the Exploratorium’s new Explorables station, where activities focus on experimenting with everyday materials, discovery and toy-making – in other words, playing with science!   Explorables is a new take on the popular, 20-year old Physics of Toys program.

Youngsters can take part in activities, such as discovering the secret colors in black ink, or drumming up their own “membrane-o-phones.”   These drop-in workshops mix classic activities with open-ended investigations, encouraging young experimenters to follow their hunches all the way to aha moments of insight.

Taking place every other month, the next Explorables is Saturday, December 17, from 11 am to 2 pm. This program of hands-on activities for youngsters, ages 3 years and older, is included in the cost of admission. All materials are provided, and kids get to take home what they make. No pre-registration required.

Starting in 2013, on any given third Saturday of the month, Explorables will cycle through a potpourri of materials and multiple activities suitable for a range of younger ages. In investigating color chromatography with a black marker, paper towel and a cup of water, for example, youngsters can discover the secret colors hidden in black ink. On the way, they’ll learn something about capillary action too.  Or, they may explore the science of sound after creating a membrane-o-phone in just minutes.  Or on another day, they may create spectroscopes and compare the colorful spectra of various light sources,  and even notice the spacing between colored lines.  What’s it all mean?  Experiment and observe at Explorables – a new take on the popular, 20-year old Physics of Toys program