The exploratorium

Look closely at this. Each panel is constructed using the material or technique represented by the word. For example, the word burn is burned into a piece of wood, the word sew is sewn on.

Here is a close-up of the "play" panel made out of Legos.

The Exploratorium has a new "Tinkering Studio" - a place to make things. Here Vivi is playing with circuits.

This is a pinball machine -- a table with items (wood, metal cylinders, bells, etc) that kids manipulate so that the ball will hit bells and make noises. 

This is a guitar. The wheel with the black and white stripes can be spun so that the wave motion of the guitar strings are visible.

Peg board to make your own marble roller coaster. This was huge and lots of kids were collaborating to make a great contraption. An older boy showed Vivi how to put the pegs in and set up ramps.

Vivi spent the most time at this very simple exhibit. It is a very strong magnet and a bunch of washers. She probably spent 20 minutes just putting washers on the magnet.

Air comes out of this table (the green/blue that you see in the center of the table are straws - used I suspect to focus the direction of the air). Kids (and adults!) make these contraptions and see how well they float.


Finally, there was a station to make stop-motion films. Vivi made one of her animals.