Spark!Lab
Included with museum admission
Spark!Lab is a hands-on invention workspace where children and their families and friends can learn about and engage in the history and process of invention. It is a space to engage the entire family while presenting challenges ranging from simple to complex and allowing all visitors to recognize their inner Inventor! W
- Invention is a process.
- Everyone is inventive.
- Invention and innovation have been – and continue to be – an important part of the American Experience.
History, science, engineering, and art are incorporated throughout the lab.
activities
- Invent-A-Vehicle: Build a vehicle to be used on another planet. Vehicles are made from reusable materials, and components are on a scale that encourages collaboration and imaginative play.
- Soundscapes: Use different parts and pieces to create music and pathways for marbles. See what sounds are made with different configurations.
- Marble Run: Learn about geometric shapes, engineering, physics, magnets, number counting, and architectural and structural design while building a marble run.
- Hex Bugs and Kapla Blocks: Design a maze for the Hex Bugs. It needs to have 3 beginnings/ending points.
- Spark!Lab Jr: Read a book, measure the distance between two objects, and examine bugs under a magnifying glass are just a few of the activities awaiting our younger guests.
- STEM Stencils: STEM is everywhere! The Solar System. A Cheese Pizza. Music. Animals. Using the various stencils provided, create a new game. Draw a Flow Chart to describe your day. Plan your next vacation. The Universe is the limit!
October Spark!Lab History Month Theme:
S!L Theme: Spooky Science
- Bulletin Board 1: Creepy Cosmic Creatures; Spooky animals that went to Space
- Bulletin Board 2: Spooky Stellar Stars
Spark!Lab Hands-on Learning Activities
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Each event is within Spark!Lab. Spark!Lab hours of operation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m)
Mondays – Hands-on Learning – Botley the Spider: code Botley and catch as many bugs as you can.
Tardigrade Thursdays: Come learn and observe tardigrades under the microscope.
Fridays – Pumpkin Parachutes: Using geometric shapes, build your own pumpkin parachute to float in the wind tunnel.
November Spark!Lab History Month Theme:
S!L Theme: Stars, Space, and Beyond
- Bulletin Board 1: NASA’s Voyager 1 & 2 Space Probes
- Bulletin Board 2: Astronaut Spotlight: Dr. Andre Douglas, Artemis III Mission Specialist
Spark!Lab Hands-on Learning Activities
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Each event is within Spark!Lab. Spark!Lab hours of operation 10 am to 4 pm)
- Monthly Activity: The Turkey has Landed: Build a flying turkey helicopter to land on the Moon map.
- Mondays (Hands-on Learning): Voyager I: Celebrating over 15 billion miles of exploration by NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe.
- Fridays: Wind Tunnel Science: Learn how helicopters fly by building paper turkey helicopters and testing them in the wind tunnel.
- November 14: The Day Stars Fell on Alabama (Guided Demonstration): Discover the history of the November 1833 meteor storm and the science behind meteor showers! Spark Lab Family Demonstration Times: 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm.
- November 23: Fibonacci Day: Learn about the Fibonacci sequence by using custom 3D-designed stencils to create your own math-inspired artwork.
STEAM Literature Series (SLS)
Click here for more information about our SLS program.
Join us Thursdays at 10:00 for stories and hands-on activities!
The content of the schedule is subject to change
Museum STEM Carts
Hands-On Artifacts: Anatomy of a Spacesuit: Explore genuine spacesuit and space related artifacts up close! Discover the life-support tech and extreme armor that keeps astronauts safe while working in outer space.
- Times: Sunday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Museum Main Atrium
Stars Fell on Alabama: Explore the science of meteor showers and find out what causes falling stars to glow in brilliant colors.
Location: Davidson Center Lobby
Times: Thursdays 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.