Education Programs at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

How many? What’s a bit? How big? Will it fit? Learn to make estimates about the world around you in this lab. You don’t always have to be exact to be correct. 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!

Investigate the states of matter by measuring and mixing ingredients for two types of slime. Is it a solid, a liquid or something in between? Use your senses to find out and get ready to get messy! 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!

Discover the energy in sound waves and make waves that travel through different states of matter. Listen for pitch and frequency, and discover the amazing physics of sound. Register today!

Students will experiment with momentum, kinetic and potential energy by building roller coasters in teams. Let the forces of physics take you for a ride! 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!

Mix your way to new states of matter, heat things up with an exothermic reaction, and discover the difference between chemical and physical change. Register today!

Invite the whole school to an evening of intriguing, technology-based fun! Learn how a 3D printer works! Make your own stop motion animation film! Explore our 10 technology themed activities in this program. Educators and families love this casual, self-directed evening of fun and learning. All activities are linked to the Michigan Science Standards. Discount coupons for a visit to the Museum for all participants! Register today!

Get your preschoolers engaged in science. This collection of 15 activities is great for the youngest of scientists. Activities include measurement, animal adaptations, mixing colors, magnets and more.  Register today!

Invite the whole school to an evening of fantastic, STEM-based fun and see why this is such a popular program. Make a mini wind mill and test out its power! Want to know how windy it is in your neighborhood? Make your own anemometer and take it home to test! 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!

The classic egg drop experiment! Students are given credits to purchase materials to protect their egg from damage in freefall. Concepts in this workshop range from gravity to economics.  Register today!

What’s the smallest thing you can think of?  We’ll learn about the science of the teeny tiny with activities that discuss scale, nano in nature and nanotechnology. Register today!

Now your littlest students can explore the wonders of the universe. You choose two activities from our selection to explore as a class. Register today!

Study the lives of seeds, frogs and insects in this dynamic workshop. We’ll identify the stages of the life cycle using live beetles, start seeds and discover the order of different kinds of life cycles. Register today!

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

Take a look at surface tension in this interactive, bubble adventure. Students will learn how to make and measure different bubbles.  Register today!

Discover how wind can be harnessed to make electricity and build a working wind turbine! Experiment with blade design and other variables to find the most efficient design for a wind power generator. Register today!

Push and pull your way through this interactive workshop about Force and Motion. We'll talk about a force's strength, direction, and how things act when they collide. Your students can also discover how a simple machine makes work easier by experimenting with our giant fulcrum. Register today!

Is it a solid? A liquid? A gas? Your students will discover the properties of each state of matter by making our ooey, gooey slime. We’ll also discuss how molecules look and act when changing between states of matter. Students will get to take home their slime as well as a recipe to make it again at home. Register today!

This new workshop is designed just for your youngest learners. Using the story Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh, students will discover the joys of balance. We’ll use levers and fulcrums to see if we 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!

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!

Includes activities from biology, ecology, physics, chemistry, math. We can customize this to fit your needs.  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!

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!

Our most popular program goes PRESCHOOL! We talk about using your senses, making observations and Solids, Liquids and Gasses in this fun program for PreK students. Make one slime on camera with our educators, and we'll send you the supplies needed for a second slime sensory bin and further exploration.   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!