Explore with math manipulatives, fun games, and hands-on activities while learning new math skills.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
Bring your favorite stuffed friend for a teddy bear picnic in the Longway Planetarium garden! Go on a garden hunt, make lemonade to drink, and play teddy bear games.
Location: Longway Planetarium
1st-3rd grades
Measure, mix, and create your own soda pop recipe! Participate in a catapult battle and make an explosion in a plastic bag!
Date: Monday, July 29 – Friday, August 2
Time: 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4th-6th grades
Explore the great state of Michigan! Learn about Michigan’s rich history and historical landmarks through hands-on science activities. Create a state passport as you discover the wonderful opportunities Michigan has to offer.
Date: Monday, July 22–Friday, July 26
Time: 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4th-6th grades
Kids will explore these exciting science, technology, engineering, and math topics:
Kites, Copters, and Paper Planes: Build and fly an assortment of paper planes, spinners, and kites while exploring the properties of air.
Chemical Investigations: Build molecule models and investigate physical and chemical changes in this introduction to the elements and the periodic table.
Food Webs: Dissect owl pellets and build a model food web.
Planet Earth: Explore the hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere while building an earth model, sculpting landforms, and cleaning water.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
One, two, buckle my shoe. How many shoes does it take to get to the door? Create non-traditional tools to measure length, width, and height.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
Find out what the buzz is all about in the Longway Planetarium garden! Discover why the garden needs bugs to help the plants. Look at bugs up close and see why they are so special.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
Have fun with vinegar and baking soda rockets! Kids will get creative while exploring foundational science concepts.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
Have fun with no-mess color blending and create your very own unique paint color. Learn how and why various colors mix with fun activities.
Date: Monday, July 29–Wednesday, July 31
Time: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4-5 year-olds
Find out how you can have fun with scientific processes like osmosis! Use your art skills to capture the beautiful world of life science, and get hands-on with pouring and scooping in multiple sensory tables.
Location: Longway Planetarium
1st-3rd grades
What kind of hero are you? Are you a genius scientist or as fast as lightening? Join forces with the heroes of Longway Planetarium to build an incredible chair for a gamma-irradiated hero. Use balloon rockets to fly your hero, and design your own cape and heroic vehicle to catch the bad guys.
Location: Longway Planetarium
1st-3rd grades
Discover fascinating myths dating back to the beginning of US history. Learn how Amelia Earhart to took the sky, find out if George Washington chopped down a cherry tree, and solve the mystery of Longway Planetarium.
Location: Longway Planetarium
1st-3rd grades
Listen to some of your favorite stories while exploring STEM. Build a home and see if the Big Bad Wolf can huff and puff and blow it down. Build a chair that’s just right for Baby Bear, plant your own beanstalk, and see if you can design a suit to help Humpty Dumpty survive his great fall!
The creative world of engineering and construction is at your fingertips! Learn how to use hand-power tools and build whatever your mind can imagine. Measure, cut, and drill your way to discovery. Attend one or both Maker Space sessions and create something new each time!
Location: Longway Planetarium
4th-6th grades
Tap your foot to the rhythm and beat of unconventional instruments as you learn about pitch, harmony, and melodies. Experiment with vibrations and create your own musical masterpiece. Families are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes prior to the end of class to enjoy a live performance by the Science of Sound Musical Ensemble.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4th-6th grades
Delve into the captivating history of Greek mythology! Learn about Greek gods, goddesses, and mythical creatures. Make your own Medusa head and create your own mythical monster.
Location: Longway Planetarium
4th-6th grades
Turn Longway Planetarium’s Jupiter Room into a life-sized board game. Work with a team to design a space vehicle game piece, and work through a series of challenges to move your team’s piece around the board. Will your team be the first to make it to mission base?
Location: Longway Planetarium
5th-8th grades
Learn how to sew a button, mend a tear, and basic sewing skills on a sewing machine. Design and make a quilt square pillow using geometric shape patterns. Put together a sewing kit to keep at home.
Location: Longway Planetarium
5th-8th grades
Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and wild weather pose serious threats to lives, property, and ecosystems. Explore these natural hazards while engineering solutions to lessen the impact of these deadly events.
Location: Longway Planetarium
5th-8th grades
Push that, to pull this, to toss that… and then what happens? Learn about cause and effect by building Rube Goldberg devices. Use a series of simple machines and your imagination to accomplish one small task.