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Tinkering Tuesday

The Museum’s Tinkering Tuesday program encourages children to do what they do best – let their curiosity take over! Explore the world of engineering by building machines and creating processes, and then explore what happens when you make changes or do things differently. Programming takes place approximately every other Tuesday from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. on the Museum’s STEAM Cart at announced locations in the Museum exhibits. Photo courtesy of Anixter

Tinkering Tuesday underwritten by
 

January 8, January 22: Igloo Challenge

Put your building skills to the test and construct your own igloo or winter house out of different kinds of blocks.

February 5, February 19: Let them Roll!

How can you create something that maneuvers and moves the same way a roller coaster does? Design a ball run by setting up cardboard tubes in different ways to make the balls roll at different speeds.

March 5, March 19: What Pet Should I Get?

Help Emma get her newly rescued puppy from the animal shelter to her home. Design and construct the best way to carry animals to and from a shelter.

Lesson Plans:

  • A-Maze-Ing Magnets Lesson: Build a maze and test it out using a magnet to move your car through its twists & turns.
  • Buoy, Oh Buoyancy! Lesson: Put your engineer caps on and help us test different materials to design a boat that stays afloat.
  • Graphite Circuits Lesson: Circuits don’t have to be hard wired. You can draw your own! Use pencils to explore how you create a circuit to power a light.
  • Paper Bridges Lesson: Help get our animal friends across the rivers safely by constructing paper bridges and testing the strength of your design.
  • Scribble Bots Lesson: Construct a vibrating scribble machine and watch it bounce, spin, and bump on paper making a unique colorful design.