Science, Science, Science.... Oh, yeah, and Science

Wednesday, I took the kids to the somewhat local (1.5 hours away) science museum. I was a little hesitant about braving the journey solo, but I did a quick cost-benefit analysis and decided to go ahead and proceed.

The kids were in great moods while getting ready in the morning, helping out and being extra-obedient. K helped make sandwiches for lunch and helped dress H. AJ didn't dilly-dally around getting ready, and we made it out of the house only a little past our target time.

Upon our arrival, we unbundled ourselves (the outdoor temperatures were subzero -- Fahrenheit), shoved everything in a locker, and commenced our day.



H had been surrounded by a bubble a split second before this photo was snapped




K making a huge bubble




K and the wave-maker







A very crooked picture of an old American clock they had mounted on the wall




All three kids spinning




H and K learning about gears and differentials




AJ examining the engine, and H unsure of what to do next.





H driving the big semi-truck -- with AJ's help





H was loving that steering wheel



AJ trying out the buttons



AJ and H converting the rear axle into a jungle gym



AJ wanted to sit on a tire



Then K wanted a turn




AJ holding himself up in the chair lift




K pulling herself up



K pulling AJ on this Chinese chariot.



K and H playing with the marble bench

A fun elevator



The water section



H walking over a bridge that teaches about keystones.



Sitting on the bridge. That's AJ in the background climbing on something he should not have been climbing on.



H discovered some mirrors



The boys looking at themselves



K and H looking at themselves and each other



These look like roller-racers



My silhouette as I took a picture in this room



H enjoying looking at the fish




AJ and H




Lights and music.  If the light is blocked from the spot, music plays.




More lights and music. I thought this was pretty cool, and the adults were having more fun that the kids at this exhibit.



The track for some pool balls. They go all around the ceiling of the second floor. This is where they start.



K watching the ball go down the track. You can see it near the ceiling, below the pipes.

 Right after this, I experienced one of the worst moments of my life. K was going down the stairs, and H decided to follow her. He lost his grip on the railing he was holding, and fell down the stairs. I was so close to catching him, but not close enough. Then, as I watched him, I was so horrified, I was frozen. And screaming. K caught him before he got all the way down, but he fell a long ways. I couldn't believe no one came to help me or see what I was screaming about except a girl who was, perhaps, seven or eight years old. With all the people around, I was more than a little disturbed about that. Then, I was sitting on the stairs with a screaming baby, and people were just walking by, some trying to get by me on the stairs. So they were basically ignoring me. Timo pointed out it isn't the Swedish way to anything in a situation like that, but I find that somewhat infuriating. Thankfully, H is fine. He has a couple of bumps and bruises, but that image is seared in my memory permanently.

After that experience, I needed a break. So, we took an ice cream break. I didn't eat any, but K and AJ did.

Ice cream break!

 

K finishing up her ice cream bar



AJ pushing the ball off of the air that was keeping it up. The air came from that hole near AJ's feet.



H and the elevated ball. That sun was pretty bright, poor little guy.



AJ and H on the giant chair

Overall, our experience was a good one. We didn't get past the second floor, which means we only saw half the exhibits. We will have to return to explore the third and fourth floors another day. Perhaps with another adult along.

Blowing Bubbles

It's science time again. This afternoon, we played catch-up on the science experiments that we haven't done since we returned. We talked about Plimsoll lines in salt vs. fresh water, how submarines work, and surface tension. After floating a needle on water, then sinking it by adding a drop of dish detergent, it was bubble time. This was the most fun by far -- blowing bubbles through our hands. I tried to capture Kristen in action, but the bubbles pop so quickly that it was difficult to get the camera focused on the right spot. Maybe I should have used manual focus instead of relying on the auto-focus feature. Anyway, here she is.

Science and Solenoids

Even though my older two are in preschool, I try to get some homeschooling in during the time they are home. We have been studying magnets and doing regular simple experiments to teach them about the various kinds of magnets and magnetic properties. Today, in between loads of laundry and nursing Hunter, we performed our weekly experiment. Today's lesson: solenoids.

We first taped three 1.5v batteries together to make a 4.5 volt battery. Then, we wound some wire around a straw three times to make a little solenoid.

We stripped the ends of the wire, and taped them to the ends of the batteries. Then we placed a needle part-way inside the straw.

When Kristen pushed on the batteries, the needle was pulled inside by the electromagnetic force. You can see in this picture that the needle is no longer visible. That is because it is inside the straw solenoid.

The second part of the experiement was to use the solenoid to make a train signal.

Here is the train signal in the neutral position.

Here, the needle has been pulled into the solenoid again, causing the signal to go up. I probably could have had a more dramatic result if I had cut the signal arm longer. You can see in Kristen's eyes that she thought this was pretty cool. Her mom thought it was pretty cool, too. I don't remember doing anything this fun in first-grade science.