Education Programs at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

How well does our brain process different information at once? How about information that has no relation to each other? Join Senior Program Manager Andrea Reynolds as she takes you the steps of a Stroop Test, and see how these different exercises test how our brain processes different information!

Understand the adaptations plants possess for their seeds to spread, thrive, and grow. Program Manager Andrea Reynold takes you through some common adaptations, as well as a way to make your own seed helicopter right at home!

Magnets are all around us, but how do they work? We’ll challenge each other to find magnetic and non-magnetic materials, talk about magnet strength, and find ways we can study magnetism right at home.

Have you ever wondered how lava lamps work? Want to make one of your very own? Learn how to make your own lava lamp using simple materials at home, all while exploring the science behind the chemical reactions that make the lava inside the lamp move!

What is a life cycle? Do all living things have one? Join us as we go through how living things look different throughout their life cycle and why. We'll also learn more about three main components to a life cycle: The stages, the traits, and why it's all about survival!

Join us as we explore different natural areas in Michigan to ID some common, native wildflowers! Enjoy this year's Mother's Day with this virtual experience, and we hope those that are watching get the chance to take their own outdoor wildflower hike!

Which ones will sink and which ones will float? Will they sink quickly or float down gently? Will the floaters stay floating the whole time? Why do you think that? View PDF here.

Find as many items as you can as you explore your local ecosystem. View PDF here.

Can you think of any plants or animals on Earth that live in extreme environments? Learn all about extremeophiles as you imagine your very own world and the life that could live there. View PDF here.

Learn about constellations and stars with this easy and fun activity. View PDF here.

Learn about how colors mix and create beautiful designs. View PDF here.

See if you can find all these insects in your backyard! View PDF here.

We get a lot of resources from rainforests all over the world. Can you find items in your house that might have come from a rainforest? View PDF here.

Extension Activities for Kindergarten Forces and Motion. View PDF here.

Extension Activities for 4th Grade Sound Energy. View PDF here.

List of Video Resources for teachers. 

Learn all about Kenyan Sand Boas. View PDF here.

Learn all about Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. View PDF here.

Bat Biology Echolocation Activity for 4th Grade. View PDF here.

Engineer your way through multiple problems. Design solutions while you experience the engineering process through questioning, planning, building, testing, and analyzing your creation. Register today!

Is it a solid, a liquid, or a gas? Investigate the three states of matter by measuring and mixing ingredients for two types of slime. Students are encouraged to dive hands-first into this interactive lab! Register today!

Push and pull your way through this experiment! Discover how force affects motion and how simple machines make our lives easier. Register today!

Discover the amazing physics of sound. Make waves that travel through different states of matter and explore how pitch relates to frequency. Register today!

Experiment with momentum by collaborating with your peers and designing your own roller coaster. Discover how kinetic and potential energy work within the realm of physics and let the forces take you for a ride! Register today!

Invite the whole school to an evening of interactive, math and engineering fun! Family members can work together or compete with each other to be the math and engineering champion! You provide 20 volunteers and we’ll fill 20 of your tables with creative hands-on activities. Educators and families love this casual, self-directed evening of fun science activities. All activities are linked to the Michigan Science Standards. Discount coupons for a visit to the Museum for all participants! Register today!

These science and math programs are specially designed with your preschool scientists in mind!  Register today!

Shed new light on science as we discover how light travels, reflects, and refracts through the world. Register today!

We’ll take a look at actual fossils and learn about life millions of years ago. Students will get to invent their own prehistoric animals, follow along in the story of fossilization, and learn about how a paleontologist pieces together the clues hidden among the fossil record.Register today!

Explore the wonders of space with a workshop that is out of this world! We will work on their engineering skills as we build our own paper rockets to launch across the classroom, then we'll emphasize the A in STEAM to imagine and paint our own planets and the creatures who might live there. Register today!

Design, build, and test your way through understanding circuits and electricity. We'll practice our engineering skills and teamwork using our snap together circuit kits. Register today!

Using the story Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh, students will use levers and fulcrums to see if they can find the perfect balance. Each 30-minute workshop will include an interactive story-time, an explorative hands-on activity, and group reflection time. Register today!

Push and pull your way through an exploration of force and simple machines as we explore how levers and inclined planes can make your work easier. Register today!

Pop in for a bubble adventure! We'll explore the properties of bubbles, what makes them pop, and measure the biggest bubbles we can blow. Register today!

Using the story Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen, students will make and test their predictions about what objects sink and float. Each workshop will include an interactive story time, and explorative hands-on activity, and group reflection time. Register today!

While there are no tights or capes involved here, these programs highlight the heroic in science and math. Register today!

Together with the Leslie Science & Nature Center, we will create a food chain using LIVE animals (hawk/owl, snake, frog, spider and roach). Along the way we will discuss how they survive in the wild. Register today!

Meet up to three live bats with the Leslie Science & Nature Center! Join in as we take an up close look into the wondrous world of bats! Explore what makes bats so unique, why they're important across the globe and try your hand at being an expert echo-locator using a simple tool to understand sound! Register today!

Explore the three states of matter by making two types of slime. Get up and moving to determine what state your matter is in!   Award-winning program!   Register today!

Take a look at actual fossils, discover the clues that they hide, and learn how to interpret their stories which unfolded millions of years ago.   Award-winning program! Register today!

Leslie Science & Nature Center brings LIVE owls to you as we explore predatory adaptations and behavior. We dissect owl pellets and identify owls’ favorite prey.   Award-winning program! Register today!