House of General Science's Science Playground

The House of General Science (HoGS) would like to present its Science Playground! Here, visitors can go from table to table, learning about science through interactive activities. This event is designed for kids, but parents and adults can have just as much fun! The activities at the tables will include: Building Marshmallow Catapults; Participants will construct catapults using popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon. By pulling back the spoon, they will launch marshmallows at a target, demonstrating the conversion of elastic potential energy into kinetic energy. Laser Maze in a Box; A demonstration of reflection and refraction using small mirrors and a laser pointer inside a dark box. Baby powder will be used to reveal the path of the laser beam. Take-Home Lava Lamps; Using Alka-Seltzer tablets, students will create bubbling lava lamp effects by mixing oil, water, and food coloring in a small bottle. This demonstrates density differences and layer separation in liquids. Milk and Soap Experiment; Students will add food coloring to milk and then touch the surface with a soap-covered Q-tip. The colors will swirl and spread, illustrating how soap's surfactant properties interact with fat molecules in milk. Paper Rockets; Participants will design and build a paper rocket, then launch it using compressed air by stomping on an air pump. They will also troubleshoot design modifications to maximize the rocket's height. Simple Hydraulic Arm; This activity demonstrates how fluid pressure enables movement. A cardboard arm with rotating joints will be controlled by two syringes connected by tubing. When one syringe is pushed, the other extends, manipulating a joint. Robert Hooke's Microscope; Students will build a simple microscope using two tubes and convex lenses. By focusing light from an iPhone, they will magnify small objects such as leaf veins, exploring how light refraction allows us to study microscopic structures.