Education Programs at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Explore four of the five senses. Can you see a sound? Smell a color? Come play with us and explore sight, sound, smell and touch. Register today!

Learn about magnets as we sort materials into magnetic and non-magnetic groups. Explore whether all metals are magnetic, make magnets attract and repel, even get them to float in mid-air! Register today!

Push and pull your way through an exploration of force and simple machines. We’ll learn the golden rule of simple machines and explore how levers and inclined planes can make your work easier! Register today!

Look beyond the four stages of the water cycle and get a first-hand look at the many paths of a water molecule. Where does the rain come from and where does it go after it hits the ground? With activities and movement, students begin to answer these and other questions about water. Register today!

Students will be “wired” after this electrifying introduction to circuits. They will explore the two types of circuits and the parts that make them work. Then they will have the chance to build a three-way switch and more with our safe, interlocking electronic components. Register today!

Investigate how the eye works by dissecting a real cow eye. Students connect the functions observed to the structures within the eye. Register today!

Discover how wind can be harnessed to produce electricity and build a working wind turbine! Explore the transformation of energy between kinetic, potential, mechanical, and electrical. Register today!

Invite the whole school to an evening of fantastic, STEM-based fun and see why this is our most popular program. We offer you a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and math activities. We even have a STEM for middle school audiences. 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!

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!

Explore the physics of sound as we experiment with waves and vibration and discover how sound travels through different substances. Register today!

Look beyond the four stages of the water cycle and get a first-hand look at the many paths of a water molecule. Where does the rain come from and where does it go after it hits the ground? 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!

Learn about the physics of energy, force, and motion by designing, building, and testing your own roller coaster. 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!

Activities include measurement, magnets, animal adaptations, mixing colors and more.  Register today!

Math activities for elementary or middle school students.  Register today!

Catch some air as you learn about the history of the parachute! See examples of early and modern parachutes, then create and test your very own! Register today!

Ever wonder why you can smell, hear, taste, see, and feel? Come find out how your senses help you to discover the world around you. Students will explore their senses with 5 hands-on activities. Register today!

We will explore our smoky cauldron and mysterious concoctions as we make two types of slime with students. Younger students use their slime to investigate three states of matter. Older students investigate the properties of polymers. Gooey concoctions are perfect for Halloween fun!    Award-winning program! Register today!

Behave like molecules in solids, liquids and gases. Explore three states of matter by making two types of slime. Older students will learn about the properties of polymers.   Award-winning program!   Register today!

Together we’ll take a look at actual fossils and discuss how you can find the clues that they hide and how to interpret their stories that unfolded millions of years ago. Invent your own prehistoric animals, follow along in the story of fossilization, and discuss fossil finds like real paleontologists.    Award-winning program! Register today!

Get up close to owls as an avian expert from Leslie Science & Nature Center (Ann Arbor, MI) uses live birds to compare and contrast the characteristics of different owl species. Learn how owls have adapted to a predatory way of life. Dissect real owl pellets to investigate the diet of a barn owl. Learn about food chains and the role of avian predators in an ecosystem. Gain an introduction to skeletal anatomy and prey identification.    Award-winning program! Register today!