Creative Play: Science

Note: This is an ongoing project. Check back for new stuff.

Okay, I admit it. I was an art and english major, raised by and artist and a writer, so science wasn't necessarily one of my strong suits. At least science not covered by National Geographic. If the science kits that are around now were around then and the internet had existed, I might have been far more inclined to play with physics and chemistry.

There are some great sites online that should spark the interest of any child, and some adults, and might help solve the problem of what do you do when the school system has declared a "lousy weather" day. If you are more adventurous and feel like tracking down the required materials, then check out these sites.

Start with the number 1 site for hands-on science:

The San Francisco Exploratorium. We carry the Explora Book, written by Exploritorium staff, in the Cambria Toy Station, but their website has some truly amazing stuff, including experiments, videos, activites, and a wealth of information on a very broad range of topics. The Exploratorium was the original interactive science and art museum, and if practice makes perfect, they have it down to an art form.

Wikipedia includes a rather nice list of science museums world-wide. Not all of them include online interactive materials, but most have at least some online content.

Don't overlook the broad range of govenment science websites your tax dollars are helping to fund. There is some amaing stuff on a lot of these sites. Below is a very partial list!

• The National Science Center. (Fort Gordon, Georgia)
• NASA Science.
• NASA's Space Place.
• NASA's SkyJinks.
• The Smithsonian (and all of their related programs, projects, and locations, including the National Zoo). The Smithsonian encompasses 19 museums, 17 research facilities, and one zoo.
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Kid's Home Page)
• Excite! (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Bobber, the Water Safety Dog (Army Corp of Engineers)
• EPA Water Sense Kids (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Sci4Kids (US Department of Agriculture)
• Neighborhood Explorers (Department of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service)
• Climate Kids (NASA)
• Energy Kids (Energy Information Administration)
• WebRangers (National Park Service)
• Planet Arcade (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• Everyday Mysteries (Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress)
• CryptoKids (National Security Agency)
• Students for the Environment (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Tox Town (National Library of Medicine)
• Ocean Explorer (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• Smithsonian Kids (Smithsonian)
• AIRNow: Why is Coco Orange? (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Drinking Water: Games and Activities (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Conservation Central (National Zoo)

There are probably 10 times this number of sites, but this is a pretty good starting list.

And, of course, there are plenty of non-government sites from individuals, businesses, and universities....

• Science Toy Maker (created by a Pennsylvania Science Teacher) He also has an excellent links page that will provide you with access to a lot more materials.
• Kids' Do-It-Yourself Science (Links list from ScienceClub.org)
• Bill, the Science Guy (this guy is just way too cool)

To be continued....