Education Programs at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Young children explore science and music through pitch, tempo, beat and dynamics and learn how these blend to create music. 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!

Explore light and optics as we learn how light travels, the difference between reflection and refraction. Discover what color light really is using flashlights, lenses, special glasses and more. 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!

Explore the science of flight by designing and creating flying toys. Participants will learn all about flying while making a variety of airborne toys.  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, science-based fun! We mix Natural and Physical Sciences to give you a unique look into how the world works. 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!

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!

Meld your science and literacy curriculum together with this new Premium Family Night! We'll bring a series of interactive, dynamic activities that can serve your whole school population. To integrate writing and literacy, students will also receive an Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum pencil and Scientist Journal with writing prompts that will link to each of the twenty science and math-centered activities. Students will be able to take these journals home with them or use them in the classroom to extend their Family Night Experience long after we leave. Register today!

Experience the alien world of arthropods through this special, interactive workshop. Fun activities and lively demonstrations give students a first-hand look at insects, arachnids and more with plenty to touch!  Register today!

Have you ever wondered how many footsteps tall you are? Using the story Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni, your preschoolers will explore measurement using silly objects. We’ll discover how big, long, short, and small objects in the world around us are. Each 30-minute workshop will include an interactive story-time, an explorative hands-on activity, and group reflection time. Register today!

You provide the floor space and we’ll provide the excitement and learning. What better way to learn about the physics of energy, force and motion than through hands-on science?  Register today!

Introduces information on the principles of electricity and circuits. Test these principles by using interlocking components to build your own circuits.  Register today!

Learn all about flying in this aerodynamic workshop! Participants will make a variety of airborne toys and explore the physics of flight.  Register today!

Students are immersed in the intriguing world of forensics as they work together to solve a mock crime.  Register today!

Use magnets to perform tasks and learn basic magnet vocabulary. Explore how magnets work and how we use them in our daily lives.  Register today!

The program begins with an astronomy "orientation" that features lively demonstrations to illustrate the concepts that are important to understanding the study of the stars and ends inside our portable, inflatable planetarium known as StarLab.  Register today!

Explore the different properties of sound. Experiment with waves and vibration. How does sound travel through different substances? Test out your hypotheses!  Register today!

Shed a new light on science in this interactive workshop. Learn how to use the scientific method to explore what we know about the nature of light.  Register today!

All we see and hear come together as one in this workshop. Discover the similarities between sound and light.  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 many questions about water.  Register today!

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

Math activities for elementary or middle school students.  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!

Can you catch the wind? Discover how wind is harnessed and transformed electricity! In this workshop students will build a hand turbine and anemometer to help understand effective design for wind power generators. Topics covered include potential and kinetic energy, electrical energy and energy transformation. 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!