Museums – Momgineering the Future

Art Crafting, Book Review, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Zoological Society, Great Lakes Science Center, Museums, STEM Resources, STEM toys

S.T.E.A.M. Themed Easter Basket Gifts

April 15, 2019 momgineeringthefuture

DISCLAIMER: I am an Amazon Associate and may earn from qualifying purchases made from the links in this post at no additional cost to you.

Also, be sure to measure the size of your Easter basket and compare it to the items listed below to ensure proper fit. All items would fit in a large size Easter basket.

With Easter (and probably many birthday parties) quickly approaching, you might be left wondering, what to get for your kids. Here’s a list to help those looking for S.T.E.A.M. themed (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) gifts that could fit inside of an Easter basket.

Memberships to Local Museums, Centers and Parks: My kids love going to the local Zoo, Science Center, History Museum, MetroParks, Aquarium, etc. These would be perfect gifts to explore and appreciate S.T.E.A.M. Membership cards or registration forms fit perfectly inside an Easter basket.

Paid S.T.E.A.M. Classes / Courses / Camps: Check around at your local centers for classes and courses that allow your child to explore and appreciate S.T.E.A.M. You could add a pamphlet or certificate to their basket indicating their enrollment. In Northeast Ohio some great places to look for S.T.E.A.M. activities, events and camps would be Cleveland MetroParks Zoo, Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Lake MetroParks, Geauga Park District, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Akron Art Museum, Fine Arts Association, Center for Arts-Inspired Learning and Art House, Inc.. Also, check out the 2019 Northeast Ohio Summer Camp Guide provided by Northeast Ohio Family Fun or the 2019 Summer Camp Guide provided by Northeast Ohio Parent Magazine.

Make a Tinker Basket: Fill a basket with all kinds of items that kids can create with like pipe cleaners, buttons, pom pom’s, glue, tape, card stock, crayons (check out these fun confetti crayons!), colored pencils, markers, popsicle sticks, clay, play-doh, ribbon, ruler, scissors, feathers, stickers, stencils, stamps and stamp pads, yarn, fake flowers, cardboard pieces (from all those deliveries you get at your door), glitter, etc.

Membership to Mail Delivery Activities or Magazines that specialize in STEAM:

We hold two memberships through Kiwi Co. They ship age appropriate hands on science and art projects each month. My girls love them! Click here to get 60% off your first crate!

(Disclaimer: I earn $10 off a future order for every Kiwi Co. crate ordered through my link above.)

Other subscription ideas to check out include: ToucanBox, Highlights for Children Magazine, National Geographic for Kids, National Geographic for Little Kids, Muse Magazine, Ranger Rick, Ranger Rick Jr. and Ask.

(Disclaimer: I have not personally reviewed all of the subscriptions above but I have researched the reviews of others, so please be sure to complete your own research before purchase to ensure they are appropriate for your child. My children have personally enjoyed Highlights and National Geographic.)

My Recommended S.T.E.A.M. Toys: Check out my list below as well as my Complete List of STEM Buy for Kids Under 12 that I posted right before Christmas for additional ideas.

The Original Buddha Board: Relaxing Water Drawing, Painting & Writing Board with Bamboo Brush & Stand – Kids can paint with water to create an image. The image dries and then they can paint again. My kids love this so much, I had to purchase two of them. It’s great for learning how to use a brush, it keeps messes down, it’s great for fine motor skill development and creativity.

Dicfeos Shatterproof 3.5X Magnifying Glass for Reading and Hobbies, 75mm Non-Scratch Glass Lens, Thickened Rubbery Frame, 4.3oz Lightweight, Perfect for Seniors & Kids – Magnifying glasses will always be on my top list of favorite gifts for kids. My children bring them outside on warmer days and examine nature – fallen leaves, flowers, grass, tree nuts, bark, insects, etc. They also uses it inside, for example, to examine clothes, books, toys and the floor. They pretend to be a detectives too. We’ve pretended to be underwater divers looking for “treasure” with it also. If you get one of these, watch your child’s imagination take over.

Jiusion 40 to 1000x Magnification Endoscope, 8 LED USB 2.0 Digital Microscope, Mini Camera with OTG Adapter and Metal Stand, Compatible with Mac Window 7 8 10 Android Linux – If you already have a magnifying glass for your child, I recommend this miniature microscope that is easy to transport and hooks up for your phone so your child can view items up-close. It’s fun for adults too. Don’t forget the carrying case for protection too.

Bee-Bot (AA Battery Powered with Batteries Included) – Bee-Bot’s are robot’s designed to introduce the concepts of coding and problem solving to young children. Children use the arrows to code the robot to move and turn, then press GO and they watch it move. Children and adults can set up obstacle courses and allow kids to determine how to code the Bee-Bot. We do not have one of these at home, but we’ve played with them at our local science center and love them. A similar toy that we have at home is the Code-a-Pillar.

Awesome Science Experiments for Kids: 100+ Fun STEM / STEAM Projects and Why They Work – This book is filled with many easy to do home science experiments. We received this book as a gift for my daughter’s birthday and we’ve tried out many of the experiments. The experiments are easy to follow, use common household items and give great explanations to the science behind the experiment for kids and adults to understand easily.

Learning Resources LER2779 Jumbo Eyedroppers, Set of 6 with Stand – These eyedroppers are fun for use in the bath tub. We’ve also used them for our home science experiments. They are great for fine motor skill development and when pretending to be a scientist!

Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Box of Rainbow Mini Notes, Arts & Crafts, Wooden Stylus, 125 Count, 3.75” H x 3.75” W x 1.75” L – These scratch pads are fun for children, help with motor skills and are fun for adults too.

Play-Doh Party Bag Dough, 15 Count (Assorted Colors) – Play-Doh is a great tactile toy that allows for endless hours of exploration, design and creativity. I picked this party pack because the size of the play-doh containers are definitely small enough to fit into an Easter basket.

Bug Viewer Box – Bug Jar for Children – Plastic Transparent Insect Catcher Kit with 3X Magnifying Lens, 2.5 x 3.1 x 2.5 Inches, Red and Green – If you children enjoy being outside and exploring, a bug viewer magnifying jar may be perfect for them to explore nature more closely. This jar is transparent and the lid has a magnifying lens for closer viewing.

Summer Gardening Tools – What is better in Spring time than getting outside and working in the garden. My children LOVE working in our garden. They love digging for worms and planting seeds and plants. Gardening is an excellent way to teach your children and immerse them in nature.

Cincinnati Museum Center, Dinosaurs, Experiments, Holiday, Museums, Nature, STEM Resources

The Cincinnati Museum Center has re-opened!

December 5, 2018December 6, 2018 momgineeringthefuture

20181119_100114 — An inside look of the front of the Cincinnati Museum Center.

When I walked inside the newly preserved Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC, previously Union Terminal), the dome inside literally took my breath away. I grew up in this city. I walked through these doors NUMOROUS times in my lifetime but I had never seen it look this beautiful.

After more than two years of the main building being closed to the public for historical restoration and preservation, it recently reopened (in November 2018) and I got my first glimpse inside over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The CMC houses the Museum of Natural History and Science, the Cincinnati History Museum, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX theater, the Duke Energy Children’s Museum, as well as numerous other special exhibits.

Historical Significance

Every city has at least one old building that serves some historical, architectural and engineering significance to its city. This building is one of those for Cincinnati. Union Terminal was built and dedicated in 1933. It was opened as a train station to unite all the railroads to one location in Cincinnati. It is still the largest half dome structure in the western hemisphere and if you walk inside, your breath will be taken away at its beauty. It has absolutely stunning art deco architectural design, which includes several original large glass tile mosaics by Winold Reiss (seen in the photos below), which were carefully and intricately cleaned to bring out the marvelous details in the pieces.

Mosaics across the dome on the inside of the museum.

20181119_113043 — Checking out an old style 1930s telephone booth.

The amount of architecture and engineering used to build and restore this building over its 85 years is just phenomenal. Our family spent so much time just exploring and marveling at the building itself – its engineering design and layout as well as it’s art deco style.

It was almost demolished many times, in fact, (unfortunately) its concourse was demolished years ago.

Historical Restoration and Reopening

The restoration was a $225 million project that was primarily funded by local tax payers over the course of a 5 year levy and additional funding was provided by federal and state historical tax credits as well as a capital grant from the state of Ohio. It was completed on budget.

Personal Connection

Grandpa WWII — Photo of my Grandfather from serving in WWII.

This particular building also has many personal connections to me and my family. My great grandfather worked on the railroads and took my grandmother to the station many times as a young girl. My grandfather walked through the doors as young teen to head off to fight in the Air Force in WWII and also returned to this station after the war. (I couldn’t help but imagine myself in his shoes as a young soldier walking through the doors to and from a war that is still marked as the biggest event in human history.)

One of my uncles helped preserve the beautiful glass tile mosaics that were moved from the demolished concourse to the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport. My parents came to the terminal for field trips as children when it was still a train station, converted to a science center, a shopping plaza and then took my brother and I to the Cincinnati Museum Center once it opened in the 1990s. I made many trips there as a child to view the exhibits and OMNIMAX films with my family and for school field trips. I also used to go downtown every year as a child to see the Duke Energy Holiday Train display which is now in the museum for Holiday Junction. This display has been part of Cincinnati since 1946!

This place holds a special place in my heart with countless happy memories from childhood and its historical connection to my family.

The Museum of Natural History and Science: Newly Opened Dinosaur Hall

20181119_100703 — The signs above the entrance to the Museum of Natural History and Science at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

The Museum of Natural History and Science reopened with a new Dinosaur Hall. It is located to the right of the main doors as you walk into the Museum Center. (It still has the original sign a top the doors indicating the location for incoming taxis and motor coaches!) As we walked through the doors, we were greeted by 6 ginormous dinosaur specimens!

20181119_102528 — Standing next to a dinosaur leg.

My three year old daughter was absolutely amazed by their size. She (and I) gained a better appreciation for paleontologists and the scientific work that they perform. We loved using the microscopes to look at some of the prehistoric pieces up close. The special effects inside the hall were so fun! It made it feel like we were truly walking among the dinosaurs in the museum!

This exciting interactive globe allows guests to see how the Earth transformed from prehistoric ages until now! There is a tiny star on it that represents Cincinnati. Did you know that Cincinnati was located on a coast at one time?

20181119_105011 — Virtual reality experience

While we were there, I decided to test out the Jurassic Flight Virtual Reality Experience where I was transformed into a Pterodactyl and glided across prehistoric landscapes. It was SO much fun and a little ptero-ffying at times!! This part of the exhibit is an extra cost to visitors (it cost $6 for me as a non-member) and you must be at least 58 inches tall. It was worth it! Afterwards, I pointed out to my daughter that virtual reality systems are made by many different scientists!

The Cincinnati History Museum: Re-imagined Public Landing

20181119_100349 — The main entrance of the Cincinnati History Museum also still has the original Union Terminal signs on top the doors indicating the location for outgoing taxis and motor coaches!

20181119_123219 — Queen of the West boat we boarded.

The Cincinnati History Museum has reopened with one of it’s original exhibits – the reimagined Public Landing. Public Landing is a recreation of 1850s Cincinnati Public Landing. We walked along the city cobbled streets, visited several makeshift shops and storefronts including an old style photography studio where we were able to take a family photo.

We walked across the gang plank aboard the “Queen of the West”. Inside we learned about how steam boats pushed across the Ohio river, what it was like to be a guest on the boat and how the boat business affected the local Cincinnati economy at that time.

Holiday Junction

Another exhibit, Holiday Junction, which is open for the holidays was a really fun place for the kids to go and explore.

We first walked through the new William L. Mallory, Sr. exhibition gallery which currently has a winter wonderland LEGO gallery on display. My three year old particularly loved the Disney themed LEGO displays and my one year old loved the LEGO train that ran through the middle of the exhibit hall.

My daughter almost quite literally walked through a winter wonderland, watched Thomas and friends train layout, built a snowman under the Northern Lights and rode a toddler sized train. To build the snowman, my girls were able to select various snowman pieces (eyes, various fruits / vegetables for noses, hats, scarf, mouth, coal buttons, etc.) and they magnetically connected them to the life sized snowman.

Below you will see the two snowmen they created… The first snowman they made was pretty fun and goofy. They loved sticking eyes all over the snowman to make him look silly and finished off his look with a banana on his head!!

We probably spent 20 minutes in this area alone because they were having so much fun! This really brought out their creative side and they had a small lesson in magnetism (which I plan to cover as a future topic)! The magnetic pieces only ‘stuck’ to certain areas of the snowman, so we had a great talk about why that was happening.

Next, we viewed the Duke Energy Holiday Trains. Upon entering, this space has a dramatic birds eye view of the entire space (which is ginormous!). My photo doesn’t even do it justice!

There are literally hundreds of trains flying around on tracks through a historic layout of Cincinnati. There are also trains in display cases along the walls for guests to view up close. This area was a dream for my three year old who is completely mesmerized by trains right now. She was so excited to name the parts of the trains that she recognized and loved telling us when one was zipping down the track nearby!

My daughters also loved being able to “make their own storybook”. Children are able to select magnetic words and photos and place them on a giant storybook to make their own story.

Again, this was wonderful for building creativity and learning a bit more about magnetism.

The Duke Energy Children’s Museum

By the time we reached the Children’s Museum, we were tired. Although we didn’t check out this space for long, we have spent hours here in past visits. It definitely receives my STEM stamp of approval and my kids thumbs up for fun!

Kids can learn about complex machines in Energy Zone, experiment with water, play pretend careers in several areas (veterinary, mechanic, etc.), climb and explore the wilderness, practice being a dentist and explore a giant set of teeth, etc. They also have a nature trading post where kids can bring in objects they’ve found outside and explain what they’ve learned about it for points. Those points can be used to select some type of scientific item for them to take home like a magnifying glass, rocks, etc.

Lunch at the Museum

We ate lunch at the museum and we were highly impressed by the cleanliness and the delicious, healthy and allergy friendly food options! If you are gluten free or have nut allergy, they definitely have you covered!

This was the lunch I shared with my husband – turkey avocado sandwich (optional gluten free bread) with tater tots! It was served on a real ceramic plate too. And my daughters had macaroni and cheese with goldfish crackers and applesauce.

The photo on the left is the dining room we ate in. It was so clean and well staffed. It had beautiful art deco design and murals on the walls. Very 1930s style for sure.

The museum is reimagining the exhibit spaces and experiences for guests and reopening the new permanent exhibits and galleries in phases. We viewed all of the new permanent exhibits and galleries that were available at the time of our visit.

We are greatly looking forward to the next phases opening up at the museum and can not wait to return!

Please follow the Cincinnati Museum Center @cincymuseum on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to stay up-to-date on the latest news and permanent exhibits being opened to the public.

Additional Areas Explored

I posted additional photos from the museum that we checked out in the bottom of this post – the Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor, a Newsreel theater, more dining rooms, bulletin board, waiting area, STEM classrooms and more photos of the dome and outside. There is so much more to explore in this building than what we were able to see during our visit. We can’t wait to get back to explore more!

You can get more information on it’s history and restoration from this documentary recently broadcast by Cincinnati’s local WCPO news station.

DISCLAIMER: I received 4 complimentary passes to the Cincinnati Museum Holiday Junction, Museum of Natural History and Science, the Cincinnati History Museum and the Duke Energy Children’s Museum on the day of our visit. I was asked to help promote the updates we enjoyed at the museum on my social media pages and my blog. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Museums, Nature, Uncategorized

Built to Survive: Biomechanics at Cleveland Natural History Museum

November 9, 2018November 13, 2018 momgineeringthefuture

We went to the Cleveland Natural History Museum on Sunday, October 21 to view their newest exhibit – Built to Survive: Biomechanics.

Many (if not all) scientific inventions, ideas and theories originate because scientists have observed the incredible way nature functions around us. This exhibit left me with a feeling of wonder and amazement and both girls came out excited and ready to continue exploring the museum.

When we walked in, there were four display cases that explained how nature works mechanically to push (i.e. snot pushes out dirt and germs from your body), distort (i.e. gravity distorts the discs in your spine but lie down and they expand), bend (collagen, cellulose and/or keratin in nature gives strength to hollow objects in nature like feathers) and press (i.e. coral can withstand pounding waves because it’s made of very hard calcium carbonate).

Near this area was a game called,“PUSH THEM TO THEIR LIMITS!”. My 3 year old loved this area! She could select two objects and then decide which one would win in compression, tension and bending tests. Then she was able to push a button to run the test and see how each object performed for each test. I personally loved this game too because it brought me back to my materials engineering roots.

Next we moved on to learn about the “circulatory” systems in various animals and also in trees. Did you know that trees use xylem in each ring of the tree to pump up nutrients to the rest of the tree? We were able to see through a microscope what the xylem looks like.

The highlight in this area for the kids was pumping “blood” from the heart of a giraffe all the way up it’s neck – it helped explain the concept of blood pressure and how hard a giraffes heart must pump in order to get blood all the way to it’s brain. I personally was shocked at how hard I had to pump the heart to get it to reach the top.

We learned about why the size of a deer ranges depending on the climate it lives in, we watched a video on how animals survive in the dessert, learned about ‘levers’ in the human body and how they function mechanically, I was able to test my own grip strength (no wonder I need my husband to open those jars for me… haha…), gain more insight into prosthetics (and robots) and we were able to become birds and flap our wings!

They also had a neat area that explained heat loss and insulation of the body and we were able to stand in front of an infrared camera to see how “hot” or “cold” we were. Check out this “HOT” couple! Haha!

There was SO MUCH to explore and learn in this exhibit! I know if I made another trip, I would find even more to learn and understand.

At times, it was a bit of a challenge to make it through the exhibit with two very young children – 1 and 3 years old – but we managed ok. I would recommend that if you have more than one young child, to be sure that you have another adult with you and try to choose times when the exhibit won’t be too busy. Sunday afternoon was perfect for us. The girls were so excited to play with the interactive pieces and they seemed perfectly spaced throughout.

This exhibit will be available at the Cleveland Natural History Museum until April 28, 2019! So you will have plenty of time to plan your trip. Admission to this exhibit is included with general admission and members get in FREE. There is so much more to explore in this museum!! Check out their admissions page on their website for more information on hours and pricing.

We have a membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and attended out of our own interest. This post was not a request from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and I received no compensation for this post.

Experiments, Great Lakes Science Center, Movies, Museums, Nature

GLSC Great Barrier Reef Movie Proves to be Turtle-tastic!!

November 2, 2018November 28, 2018 momgineeringthefuture

Are you looking for some place warmer to explore this Fall?

Don’t miss the showing of Great Barrier Reef at the Cleveland Clinic DOME theater at the Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) this November!

The Premiere:

Last evening (November 1, 2018), my daughter and I were privileged to be invited as VIP guests to view the premiere of Great Barrier Reef at the DOME theater at the GLSC located in Cleveland, Ohio.

When we arrived, we were greeted so kindly and felt like movie stars as we walked the red carpet together and posed for photos. This was especially fun for my 3 year old daughter. She had been talking about going to the science center all day long. She loves this place!

We walked upstairs and we were greeted by more amazingly kind and excited staff from the science center where they had popcorn and refreshments available. (How did they know that my daughters favorite snack of all-time is POPCORN? Haha! She happily polished off 3 bags of it that night.)

In addition to popcorn, they had a fun interactive table center piece for the kids to build their own underwater turtle habitat. My daughter was gifted an adorable small plush turtle to take home that night. Did you know that you can get your own stuffed turtle too?? Be one of the first 100 ticket purchasers for the new showing and you will receive one!

We learned about the importance of water pH for the health of various fish and how researchers can test pH. Did you know that those annoying midges that we get every year in Cleveland actually mean that Lake Erie is well balanced and healthy? I didn’t!

They had a brief presentation prior to the premiere by GLSC President and CEO, Kirsten Ellenbogen and a trivia game about the Great Barrier Reef. Ms. Ellenbogen shared some VERY exciting changes coming to the GLSC very soon. More on those at the end of this post. I want to first share information about the movie itself!
Great Barrier Reef Movie:

The images in this film, especially of the Great Barrier Reef underwater, are absolutely stunning and the movie is impressive! The movie follows Jemma Craig, an underwater photographer, reef native and founder of Islandjems Imagery, on an expedition to learn and document the work being done by various volunteers, researchers and scientists to save the reef and keep it healthy.

The storyline was relatively easy for my 3 year old to follow and understand. She was especially excited and interested about the work that was done to save a turtle from the reef at the Fitzroy Island Turtle Rehabilitation Center. After the movie, she surprised me with her take away – don’t throw trash in the ocean or it will hurt the sea animals!

We also learned about how the reef changes at night, how the reef is changing with climate change and the incredible cutting edge research being done by scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Life to save the reef. This is a really great, informative and inspirational family-friendly film.
More from the GLSC:
2:1 Grant for Renovations:

Kirsten Ellenbogen (pictured above), CEO and President of the GLSC, shared some very exciting news last night. The GLSC received a 2:1 Challenge Grant from their anonymous donor.

The funds will be used to update the Second Floor Science Phenomena area. This area of the museum has ranked as one of the top favorites by visitors. The improvements will allow for bigger exhibits, more hands on features and some new areas. These new areas will be prototyped by guests over the next six months. So if you visit, you might be pulled aside to check out the new areas!

The GLSC has been challenged to raise $250,000 in donations by December 31, 2018. The donor will make a $2 donation for every $1 raised (i.e. gift of $30 gives $90 and $2000 becomes $6000). For more information on how to donate to this incredible grant, call 216-696-4260 or email development@glsc.org.

Great Science Academy:

In addition, the GLSC had launched the Great Science Academy, which is an immersive program for children in grades 6-9. Kids gather twice a month on Saturdays to explore STEM careers in a fun, creative environment. The topics for each grade are as follows: grade 6 is Sustainability, grade 7 is Mars and Space, grade 8 is Biomechanics and grade 9 is Entrepreneurship.

If you are interested in learning more or sending your children to the Great Science Academy, check out the website link above and contact them directly. They are also always looking for professional volunteers to help with the Great Science Academy. If you are interested, they would love for you to contact them directly!
Check out the Movie!!

I highly recommend that you take your family to see this movie – IT IS EXCELLENT. You can follow this link to the list of showtimes and ticket prices! It launches tomorrow, November 3, 2018 at the GLSC!!!

Check out Grossology while you are there too! Grossology lasts until January and then will be replaced by an exhibit designed by the GLSC on automobiles!

I want to thank the Great Lakes Science Center for allowing me and my daughter the opportunity to attend the premiere of Great Barrier Reef. We had so much fun and learned so many new facts about the reef and marine life. It was exciting for me, as a parent, to see my daughters excitement over this movie and listening to her talk about what she learned afterwards. I learned some really amazing facts too. It made me want to visit Australia!

DISCLAIMER: My daughter and I received exclusive access to the GLSC VIP event for the premiere of the Great Barrier Reef movie at the GLSC. In exchange, I was asked to promote the launch of this movie on my social media platform and blog. I am also a member of the GLSC. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. If you have any questions, please contact me at momgineeringthefuture@gmail.com.

Great Lakes Science Center, Museums

Grossology Exhibit Exceeds Gross-ness Expectations! Don’t miss it!

October 18, 2018October 19, 2018 momgineeringthefuture

The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio has truly out done themselves with their latest exhibit, “Grossology: The Impolite Science of the Human Body”.

Anyone passing through Cleveland, Ohio from now until January 6, 2019 needs to check this out. This exhibit is included in general admission price! So you can check out the rest of the museum and the exhibit for one price! And members can get in FREE.

My husband and I took the two girls the day after it opened on October 13. It definitely exceeded our expectations. Our whole family loved it – it’s an exhibit for all ages.

The first thing that surprised me was that the exhibit is based on a book with the same name. It was written by Sylvia Branzei in conjunction with Science World and Advanced Exhibits. They wanted to make science fun. (The book is for sale in the science center gift shop.)

When we first walked inside the exhibit, we learned about allergies and colds from a really charming animatronic named Nigel-Nose-It-All. The girls loved pushing the buttons and listening to him explain various reasons why their noses run and why. The highlight for them was watching the ginormous snot ball fall from his faucet nose.

Next there was a huge wall of skin to climb. Kids could climb up the wall by holding onto and stepping on pimples, warts, moles, hair, etc. My daughter said that it was “too gross to play on that”, so we moved on! Haha! I would definitely say THAT was a complement to the exhibit creators!

We explored the inside of the nose, sounds of the human body, climbed through the digestive system, learned why we vomit, removed waste from a kidney, and we even played on a giant game of “Operation”!

My one year old’s favorite was exploring the science behind tooting at the “Toot Toot” station. She learned about it with the air running through rubber tubing and using her fingers to release the air. Apparently, the sound of a toot is very dependent on the shape of your anus! Who knew? Haha!

20181013_121005 — My 3 year old with Burp Man

My 3 year old was able to play her first pinball machine while learning about which foods create more gas in her body. The more gassy the food that the pinball hit, the higher her score climbed!

My 3 year old was also intrigued by burp man! She was able to pump pop into his stomach to build up pressure and then listen to him release the burp.

This exhibit will be open over the holidays except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Ohio teachers receive FREE admission. For more information on admission and discounts available, please see the GLSC Admissions page.

Check out the rest of the museum while you are there too!

We have a membership to the Great Lakes Science Center and attended out of our own interest. This post was not a request from the Great Lakes Science Center and I received no compensation for this post.