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!

Ever wonder how you can be more sustainable to help keep our earth healthy? Recycling is a great first step! Learn the basics of what it takes to become a recycling expert.

The Scientific Method is a simple, step-by step process on how scientists can best answer their questions or spark curiosity. What better way to learn about this process than through studying wildlife like snakes? Let’s go over the six basic steps to the scientific method, all while learning about a specific animal and where they are found.

Learn about the interaction of living things through an introduction to food chains! Program Manager, Lannis Smith, takes you through what an example food chain could look like, and then challenges you to create your own using different living things found in nature!

Ever wanted to create your own play dough? Not sure what ingredients to use? Join Program Manager Cristina Tamer as she takes you through the kitchen science behind making your own play dough!

Get outdoors and learn more about Spring with this fun scavenger hunt. View PDF here.

Use this scavenger hunt to find pollinators and the host plants that they're attracted to! View PDF here.

A nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust in space. It can be created by a dying star (such as a supernova) and is also where new stars are born. Learn how to make your own nebula using a salad spinner! View PDF here.

Learn about camouflage as you create your own snake with home made play dough. View our DIY Play Dough recipe here. View PDF here. 

Learn how to create your own leaf and bark rubbings and learn about the way scientists classify leaves. View PDF here and click "More Information" for examples.

Get outdoors with this fun scavenger hunt! View PDF here.

Every year, waves of butterflies make the perilous journey south for the winter. With this game, you can try your hand at surviving some of the challenges these butterflies face! Grab a dice, a sticker, and a space outdoors to play the Monarch migration game! 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.

Make magnets float in mid-air while testing their ability to attract and repel each other! Students learn all about magnetism by using a variety of materials to explore and design. Register today!

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!

Students will use tools such as lenses, flashlights and mirrors to investigate how light travels. Several interactive activities make up this exploration! 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!

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!

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!

Let’s take a virtual trip to Antarctica! Touch “blubber,” feathers and more as we learn how animals adapt to extreme weather.   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!