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Learners compare the properties and solubilities of Styrofoam (TM), ecofoam packing peanuts, and popcorn. First, the solubility of each substance is tested in water.

In this activity, learners explore the many uses of periscopes and how this simple device was designed and is used in many applications.

In this activity, learners test the Law of Reflection based on experimental evidence. Learners produce raw data and explanations based on their data: pencil tracings of incident and reflection rays.

In this hands-on activity, children create their own kites that can fly indoors. Learners are exposed to basic concepts of gravity and air resistance.

Make a model city happier with LEDs, circuits, motors, and batteries! Groups can think, discuss, design, and build what would make a community happy. Kids can work as part of a team or on their own.

In this two part activity, learners work in pairs or individually to discover how vectoring the thrust from a jet engine affects movement of an airplane.

In this activity, learners explore how engineers develop pipeline systems to transport oil, water, gas, and other materials over very long distances.

In this activity, learners explore the design of rubber band powered cars. Learners work in teams of "engineers" to design and build their own rubber band cars out of everyday items.

Make a cuíca (“kwee-ka”), a traditional Brazilian musical instrument that originated in Africa. Played primarily in Brazil, now you can play it at home, too, with this Exploratorium produced activity.

In this activity, learners use a compass, powerful magnet, and copper magnet wire to build a special generator known as a dynamo.

Are balloons porous or non-porous? In this activity, learners watch an entertaining Mr. O video and conduct a simple experiment to find out.

In this activity, learners will engineer three different parachutes to test how well each one works.

Learners place water and part of an antacid tablet in a film canister. The reaction creates a gas reaction that launches the film canister like a rocket.

In this activity, learners demonstrate the effects of cold-working (strain-hardening) and annealing. Learners discover that these processes change the load that a wire can support.

Learners follow the template to build and fly a paper helicopter.

In this design challenge activity, learners use two helium-filled balloons to build a blimp that can travel in a straight path across the room.

In this activity, challenge learners to keep an ice cube from completely melting in 30 minutes. Learners engineer a box or wrap to prevent an ice cube from melting.

In this engineering activity, challenge learners to make a "grabber" that can pick up trash. Learners use simple materials to create pinchers that can grab small items.

In this activity, learners build large-scale structures and cantilevers in a series of "building out" challenges with garden poles and tape.

In this inquiry-based activity, learners investigate the basic forces of flight as they construct their own paper glider that represents a rainforest creature from Borneo (large, tropical island in So