Learn how clouds form—and see it in action!—with this at-home science lesson and video demonstration.

We’ve all witnessed the reflection of light. Looking at ourselves in the mirror, seeing sunlight bounce off a pool of water, observing the moon—all of these occur because light is reflecting off of a surface. Light always reflects in the same way, following the Law of Reflection. Basically, the law of reflection says that when light hits a flat mirror, it will reflect at the same angle that it hits the mirror. We can use this law to manipulate light to make beautiful images inside a kaleidoscope! Let’s use some recycled material to make our own kaleidoscopes.

Need a fun, somewhat clean craft to do with the whole family? Make your own galaxy scratch paper! This craft can be done with items you can find around the house, so no need to brave the stores for any of these supplies! I grabbed my sisters to try out this fun craft.

Be a community scientist by logging today’s cloud cover. Learn how here!

Have you ever seen the big Newton’s Cradle at the Discovery Center? Today we’re bringing the museum to you, with a virtual exhibit! Get up close and personal with the conservation of momentum and energy in this video demo.

Can you find the celestial bodies?

Join us as we walk through the surprisingly simple process of creating your own pH indicator paper! Appropriate for all ages with adult supervision.

Part of the beauty of Calder’s mobiles is the serenity in the balance of each of the metal shapes. The visual harmony of his sculptures is the result of both Calder’s artistic vision and a basic geometric property of any object—center of gravity. Let’s use the property of center of gravity to create our own mobile like Alexander Calder!

Join one of our educators to learn more about how we test and modify the pH levels in our hydroponic vegetable garden!

Bid “happy retirement” to the Spitzer Space Telescope in this lesson all about an underappreciated substance in space (and our homes): DUST!

Includes activities appropriate for grade levels K-2 and 3-5

Hone your hands-on science skills by recording astronomical data from home

Need an enriching activity for the whole family? This ongoing project can be completed as a group! Build skills in observation, astronomical understanding, writing, sketching/fine motor skills, and more by creating a Night Sky Journal of observational fieldnotes.

Can be modified to incorporate various age/grade/skill levels.

As NASA and others talk about more, longer trips to the Moon and plans for a mission to Mars, we have to consider the hostile environments we’ll encounter and the limits on our equipment. What qualities and technological capabilities will astronauts need in order to make those journeys?

In this lesson, adapted from our 2020 Term 3 Homeschool Workshop, we practice critical thinking, analysis, and discussion skills, and ask ourselves: what does it mean to do something not in spite of it being hard, but because it is hard?

Geared toward grades 6-8.

Create a scale model of the Earth and Sun with craft supplies in your own home!

This activity is a hands-on lesson in proportions, scale, and relative sizes in the solar system.

Geared toward middle- and high schoolers due to the mathematical component.

Get to know the stars…including one very special star in particular!

Geared toward pre-K and lower-elementary level students.

In this timely multimedia lesson, we explore what causes Earth’s seasons, and what it means to experience an equinox.

Geared toward upper elementary-level students.

Density is defined as mass divided by volume. In simpler terms, density is how much stuff is in a given space.

Let’s investigate how liquids of different densities interact with each other!

In 18th century French gambling halls, people liked to play a game where they would drop a needle on a wooden floor, betting on whether or not the needle would cross the lines between the floorboards. Georges-Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon, saw this game being played and asked himself, “What is the probability of the needle crossing the line?” So he went home, dropped a needle on his floorboards over and over, and, surprisingly, found that pi involved. Run the Comte de Buffon’s simulation, and see for yourself how pi comes up!

The Discovery Center’s mission is to inspire every generation to reach for the stars, through engaging, artful and entertaining activities that explore astronomy, aviation, earth and space science. So while were closed and while our visitors are finding the best ways to learn at a distance, we’ll be posting some activities here with the goal of helping to enrich kids’ education at home.