The Adler Planetarium is giving kids and families the gift of exploration and adventure during winter break, with a week of interactive, thought-provoking STEM workshops. Starting on December 27, Adler will partner with Engineering for Kids, the Bronzeville Children’s Museum and organizations throughout the city to offer a variety of pop-up programs free of charge with paid admission to the museum.
Programs include workshops, experiments and activities with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math. So, help your kids avoid the winter-break lag and attend one of these other-worldly pop-up activities.
December 27
Come Fly with Us by Engineering for Kids: By constructing and flying a “Nakamura Lock” paper airplane (named after Origami artist Eiji Nakamura), kids will learn the basic mechanics of flight and aerodynamics. (10am-5pm)
December 28
Cowings Invention by Bronzeville Children’s Museum: Attendees will learn about Dr. Patricia Cowings, whose work and research has helped prevent astronauts from getting sick in outer space. Cowings is the first African American woman scientist to be trained as an astronaut by NASA. (10am-1:30pm)
Starry Stitchers by Yellow Canoe at Wishcraft Workshop: Galactic fun is in store during this program, which invites visitors to map and measure their favorite constellation and lace it up to make a greeting card or scented sachet. (2-5:30pm)
December 29
Wind-Powered Car Design Challenge by Project Syncere: Learn the engineering design process to design, construct and test your very-own wind-powered car. (11am-3pm)
December 30
Lunar Launch by Girls 4 Science: Become a NASA aerospace engineer and design, build and test a shock-absorbing system to protect marshmallow astronauts during their Moon landing. (10am-1:30pm)
December 31
Space Engineering with LEGO by Play-Well TEKnologies: Three engineering challenges await during this interactive program. Build and battle a LEGO spaceship, help create a LEGO model of the Adler Planetarium or engineer a spacecraft gondola for a supply run to a colony on Mars. (10:30am-2:30pm)
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