Spark!Lab
Included with museum admission
Ticket Information
Spark!Lab is a hands-on invention workspace where children and their families and friends can learn about and engage in the history and process of invention. It is a space to engage the entire family while presenting challenges ranging from simple to complex and allowing all visitors to recognize their inner Inventor!
- Invention is a process.
- Everyone is inventive.
- Invention and innovation have been – and continue to be – an important part of the American Experience.
History, science, engineering, and art are incorporated throughout the lab.
Activities:
- Invent-A-Vehicle Build a vehicle to be used on another planet. Vehicles are made from reusable materials, and components are on a scale that encourages collaboration and imaginative play.
- Soundscapes Use different parts and pieces to create music and pathways for marbles. See what sounds are made with different configurations.
- Marble Run Learn about geometric shapes, engineering, physics, magnets, number counting, and architectural and structural design while building a marble run.
- Hex Bugs and Kapla Blocks Design a maze for the Hex Bugs. It needs to have 3 beginnings/ending points.
- Spark!Lab Jr Read a book, measure the distance between two objects, examine bugs under a magnifying glass are just a few of the activities awaiting our younger guests.
- STEM Stencils STEM is everywhere! The Solar System. A Cheese Pizza. Music. Animals. Using the various stencils provided, create a new game. Draw a Flow Chart to describe your day. Plan your next vacation. The Universe is the limit!
Come and be an inventor with us!
July – September Activities:
- Build a Rocket – We love rockets! Over 50 years ago, NASA sent men aboard the Saturn V rocket to walk on the Moon. In 2026, NASA plans to return to the Moon and land close to the south Lunar Pole. This Orion/SLS mission will be crewed by Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman. To celebrate the past and the future, come design and build your own rocket.
- Sketch It – After learning about and exploring tardigrades (tiny microorganisms also known as water bears), sketch your idea for an invention that would remove the tardigrades from spaceships. How will it work? What will it look like?
- Books, Books, and More Books! – Check out our book stand and comfy floor chairs. We have lots of books on a variety of subjects – particularly space! This quarter’s favorites include The Three Little Tardigrades, Rocket Science for Babies, Have You Thanked a Kidventor, and Tangled.
Spark!Lab is open daily from 9:00 – 4:00.
Click here for more information about Spark!lab.
STEAM Literature Series (SLS)
Click here for more information about our SLS program.
Join us Thursdays at 10:00 for stories and hands-on activities!
Content of schedule subject to change