STEAM Expo Days

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us as we kick off the 13th annual MSU Science Festival during our STEAM Expo Weekend with musical performances, special demonstrations, and a few other surprises you won't want to miss out on!

Learn more about Science Festival Opening Celebrations

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Explore plant pathogens with S.P.O.R.E.! Michigan State University’s plant pathology graduate student organization (Student Phytopathological Organization for Research and Education) will be hosting a booth during STEAM Expo Weekend at the MSU Science Festival. All ages can observe diverse plant pathogenic microorganisms and their symptomatic host plants, while learning about the historical and agricultural importance of plant diseases in Michigan. Students are encouraged to imagine their own diseased leaves with a coloring activity.

Learn more about S.P.O.R.E. Presents: Spots, Dots, and Rots

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used for more than five decades. They are in our food packages, clothes, water, cars (including electric vehicles), food, cleaning products, and so much more. It is nearly impossible to not be exposed to PFAS, and these substances last a long time in the environment and in our bodies. Unfortunately, humans and animals can face health problems like cancer from PFAS. Learn how science can be used to remove PFAS from humans and the environment. Let us show how we solved this in dairy cattle and provide uncontaminated milk!

Learn more about Science and Zombie Molecules

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! Explore how we see and how our brains sometimes get fooled! This station features a real cow eye dissection alongside mind-bending visual illusions. Participants can examine preserved eyes, handle a foam model to identify key structures, and watch a blind spot demo that reveals where your vision literally disappears. Then, shift gears to optical illusions that challenge your perception.

Learn more about See a Cow Eye Close Up!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join the MSU Center for Advanced Microscopy for demonstrations that will unlock a whole new perspective on objects from your everyday life. Microscopes at our laboratory facility help us to "zoom in" and see what things look like at the scale of their building blocks, bringing new understanding for how everything works. At the Expo you will have the chance to see a digital microscope used to help make advances in many areas of STEM research at MSU, along with other microscopes. We’ll help you use the microscopes to explore everyday objects such as plants, rocks, bugs, fabrics, paper, pond water, but especially we’ll help you look at things you might with you or in your pockets. You'll never be able to look at your world in the same way again!

Learn more about See Your Everyday World In a New Way with Microscopes!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

We hear speech all the time, but did you know that we can also see speech? Acoustics is the scientific study of sounds, and speech acoustics allows us to measure specific properties of the sounds made when we speak. Special tools used in acoustics, known as spectrograms, not only allow us to measure speech, but actually allow us to see the speech signal. Learn how speech acoustics can be used in health care applications, such as to help in diagnosing neurological conditions that affect speech, and see your own speech live!

Learn more about Seeing Speech: Acoustics and Applications to Health Care

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

There are three basic tree measurements: height, diameter, and volume. These measurements are crucial for forestry practices. By assessing a tree’s height and diameter, we can gain insights into its volume, shape, and density. Identifying the tree species further enhances our understanding of the forest's composition, growth stages, wildlife habitats, and economic value. This demonstration will teach you how to measure tree dimensions, highlight the significance of these practices, and use an interactive application to evaluate the economic value of the trees you measure. This hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of tree measurement and its role in studying the natural world.

Learn more about Seeing the Trees for the Forest and the Forest for the Trees

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Discover which toys and other objects are located in our sensory bins! Stay and play with us for as long as you'd like.

Learn more about Sensory Bins

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

It’s time to get your hands dirty and make some artwork with soil from around Michigan! Like other materials, soil can be used as paint to make beautiful artwork. Explore the diversity of soil types, colors, and textures through this hands-on activity. Some spectacular soil scientists will guide the activity and answer questions about one of the most important natural resources.

Learn more about Soil: A Medium for Life and Art

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! At this creative station, you will explore spine and skull models, then craft a colorful bracelet that represents the central and peripheral nervous systems. As you build, you’ll learn how the spine protects the spinal cord, how nerves branch out to control movement and sensation, and how injuries can affect communication between brain and body.

Learn more about Spine Model

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in exploring STEM-based experiences! Launch a rocket, create a circuit, and so much more! Join our partners as well from the Leslie Science and Nature Center, which will feature live animals up close and other nature-based activities.

Learn more about STEM and Nature Activities with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Ever wondered what Marie Curie and Charles Darwin could do if they teamed up for science? Find out as you write your own comic story! Create a comic book, explore published comics that feature scientists and science stories, and learn about the massive comic book collection at the MSU Libraries!

Learn more about Superheroes of Science!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! Working memory is your brain’s mental workspace that helps you hold and use information in real time, like remembering a phone number while dialing or following multi-step directions. At this station, you’ll put your working memory to the test with fun challenges that ask you to observe, recall, and spot what’s missing. It’s a quick, engaging way to explore one of the brain’s most important tools and see how yours stacks up!

Learn more about Test Your Memory

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age

Explore your sense of touch by interacting with our texture wall!

Learn more about Texture Wall

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Discover how the tiny seeds that feed the world work! Explore the life cycle of a seed, from dormancy to germination, and learn what cotyledons are and why they matter. Compare monocots and dicots using real plants, seeds, and foods. See how leaf veins, roots, and nutrition differ between grains like corn and wheat and legumes like peas or soybeans. Try fun hands-on activities, seed dissections, and sorting games to uncover the science behind what we eat. Join us to explore how plant structure shapes our nutrition and everyday meals!

Learn more about The Great Seed Showdown: Monocots vs. Dicots!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

The average American uses over 2,000 gallons of water a day, but they generally only see 100 of those gallons go down the drain. What about the other 1,900 gallons? About 95% of our water usage is in "hidden water," which is the water required to produce the commodities we interact with every day, such as electricity, the clothes we wear, and even our morning coffee. In this exhibit, learn about the water footprint of everyday objects and find out how "hidden water" is essential to every aspect of our lives.

Learn more about The 'Hidden Water' We Use Every Day

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

We are surrounded by a hidden, microbial world that impacts all aspects of our lives. Indeed, our own bodies are homes to trillions of bacterial cells. Our team of microbiologists will demonstrate the magical world of microbes using hands-on examples including motile microbes, the microscopic life in pond waters, antibiotic resistance, and bioluminescent bacteria!

Learn more about The Magical World of Microbes

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! At this sensory station, you’ll explore how your brain processes your sense of smell and why smell is so closely tied to memory and emotion. Test your nose with mystery scent containers and match aromas to images. It’s a fragrant, fascinating journey into how your brain interprets the world one whiff at a time!

Learn more about The Nose Knows

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Physician assistant (PA) students will lead an interactive case study on a sprained ankle, a common sports injury. Participants will rotate through three stations: take a patient history and order an x-ray; review and compare normal vs. abnormal x-rays while learning basic foot anatomy and x-ray safety; and learn ankle care using RICE and taping techniques. Bone models and x-ray handouts will be provided. Throughout, participants will explore the PA’s role in medicine and answer basic medical recall questions.

Learn more about The PA Detective

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Explore the world of quantum technolgies with the MSU-Q! Join us for hands-on demonstrations featuring lasers, liquid nitrogen, magnetic levitation, optical fibers, a real quantum computer you can program, and more! All ages can engage in hands-on activities including the transmission of information through laser light, optical fiber guidance, and interactive water-stream demonstrations. Discover the manipulation of light through optical polarizers and grasp the basics of quantum computing, including superposition and the use of photons as quantum bits (qubits).

Learn more about The Quantum Zone: Lasers, Liquid Nitrogen, and Levitation!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Scientists use supercomputers to accelerate their research. A question that would take a decade to answer on a personal laptop can be answered much faster on a supercomputer. Join the Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research (ICER) as we take you on a journey with our graphic novel, The Story of Supercomputing, to learn how a scientist uses supercomputers to answer her super-questions. Do not miss our silicon petting zoo, where you will be able to explore parts of computers and supercomputers that you normally would not see. A supercomputing expert will be available to answer your questions!

Learn more about The Story of Supercomputing: A Graphic Novel and Silicon Petting Zoo

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

The human body is amazing. The wonders of the body, like the wonders of the world, have fascinated explorers for centuries—yet some remain shrouded in mystery. Expert explorers go by many names—physiologists, physicians, and more. But we all seek to understand what makes us function, meaning we are all explorers. How do we get big and strong? How does our heart beat continuously for our entire lives? Why do we breathe without thinking but sometimes think about it? Learn with hands-on experiments and demonstrations from expert physiology explorers!

Learn more about The Wonders of Human Physiology

Appropriate for: All Ages

This booth invites Science Festival attendees into an interactive world where nano-biosensing meets play and discovery. Kids and adults alike will become “germ detectives” through trivia games, a microscope scavenger hunt with simulated pathogens, and a hands-on magnetic nanoparticle activity that mimics real pathogen detection. Designed to make nano-science fun and accessible, the booth encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and tactile learning. By blending science with games, participants will walk away with a deeper appreciation of how scientists track down invisible germs—and have fun doing it!

Learn more about Tiny Detectives: Exploring Nano-Science to Catch Invisible Germs

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! At this interactive station, you’ll explore the incredible sensitivity of your skin and how your brain interprets touch. Try the two-point discrimination test to see which parts of your body are most precise, dive into a sensory mystery bag to identify objects using only your fingertips, and experience how your perception of temperature changes through sensory adaptation.

Learn more about Touch & Perception

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! Can you draw a triangle with knobs or trace a maze using your non-dominant hand? At this motor skills station, you’ll challenge your coordination and discover how your brain learns through practice. It’s a fun, hands-on way to explore how your brain adapts, improves, and gets better at tricky tasks over time!

Learn more about Triangle Trials: Motor Skills in Action

Appropriate for: All Ages

Imagine a health message delivered by someone you connect with—a story that resonates deeply and inspires you to take action with your adolescent on their health. That’s the power of our Storytelling Video Project, as shared by mothers who’ve experienced its impact. Or picture a health game that transforms waiting room time into moments of laughter and learning. That’s the feedback from parents and teens about our HPV Detective Game.

Join our Vaccine Health Game and Storytelling Video Project to engage with your adolescents about their health in fun, meaningful ways. Be part of a movement that makes a difference!

Learn more about Using Mobile Health Games to Boost Vaccine Education

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Neuroscience Fair! Discover how your brain makes sense of the world. Explore visual illusions that reveal the shortcuts and assumptions your brain uses and try hands‑on activities that show how your eyes and brain work together to build what you see.

Learn more about Vision and Brain Tricks

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Dive into the world of watersheds and pollution prevention with our interactive 3D EnviroScape® Watershed/Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) model! This hands-on exhibit demonstrates how everyday activities—from farming and construction to residential life and recreation—can impact water quality through stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution.

Participants of all ages will explore how pollutants travel through a watershed and discover practical ways to reduce pollution. Using simulated rain and real-world scenarios, we’ll show how contaminants move from land to water and how best management practices can help protect our lakes, rivers, and oceans. Whether you're a curious child, a concerned homeowner, or an environmental enthusiast, this engaging experience will deepen your understanding of water systems and empower you to make a difference.

Learn more about Watershed in Action: Learn Practical Ways to Reduce Pollution and Protect Our Water

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Cell phones are now part of our daily lives, but how often do we think about everything that goes into making these devices? Your phone is full of different elements that have been mined, processed, or recycled in some way. Come explore what these materials look like with hands-on samples, a tabletop periodic table, and a deconstructed phone. Share what you think a phone of the future should look like!

Learn more about What’s Inside Your Cell Phone?

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

You get a mysterious black box. What's inside? One rule: You can't open the box! How can you find out what's inside? How certain can you be? In this hands-on activity, we will ask you to reflect on what counts as a good answer, and why? For whom? And under what circumstances?

Learn more about What's in the Box? A Hands-On Investigation of Scientific Practice

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Learn how plants use physical and chemical cues to communicate and interact with other organisms in their environment. Participants will match volatile scent compounds to the plants that produce them, extract pigments from flower petals, and touch leaves covered in sticky glandular trichomes or sharp spines. Changes in understanding of the science of smell, and the influence of personal experiences on what we "like and dislike" will be assessed by asking participants questions about fragrance and food preferences before and after the activity.

Learn more about Why Are Plants so Smelly? They Just Make Scents!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Discover the hidden world of plant chemistry at our interactive outreach booth! Did you know that tiny molecules called metabolites help plants fight off pathogens, attract pollinators, and even create the delicious scents and flavors we love? Step into the shoes of a scientist to explore how these fascinating compounds work. Sniff out which scents belong to your favorite fruits, get hands-on experience with 3D models of these fascinating molecules, and put your knowledge to the test by matching metabolites to their roles in plant survival. Don’t miss this fun and engaging experience brought to you by the Plant Metabolic Network!

Learn more about Why do Bananas Smell So Good? How Plants Make Themselves A-peel-ing!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Veterinary nurses are important members of the animal health care team. Their job is to communicate with team members, advocate for the animal, and carry out various hands-on tasks involved in animal health care. Participate in hands-on activities to learn what veterinarian nurses do. Practice animal handling, look into a microscope at parasites and blood cells, learn about vaccines and preventative medicine, review X-rays, and so much more!

Learn more about You Can Be a Veterinary Nurse Too!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

How can materials help us keep buildings comfortable while saving energy and reducing waste? In Zhao Lab, we explore two innovative approaches: radiative cooling coatings that reflect sunlight and radiate heat directly to the sky, and biowaste-derived insulation materials that transform agricultural waste into natural thermal barriers.

Visitors will see real samples and demonstrations showing how the radiative cooling coating keeps surfaces cooler than the surrounding air, and how biowaste materials slow down heat transfer to maintain warmth in winter. Together, these technologies illustrate how science and sustainability meet to build greener, more energy-efficient homes.

Learn more about Zhao Lab: Building a Cooler and Greener Future with Sustainable Materials

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Most of the fossil record is dominanted by hard parts including bones, teeth, and shells. However, seaweed or macroscopic algae do not have any hard parts and do not leave behind fossils in most enviornments. Rare seaweed fossils can be found in special places around the world where they provide an important window into understanding ancient ecosystems. Come see and learn about one of the first seaweed fossils that lived in oceans almost 1 billion years old. We will explore the role of seaweed in early animal communities almost 500 million years ago and their influence on modern ocean ecosystems today.

Learn more about Searching for Seaweed in the Fossil Record

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Themes are STEAM! Practice the key social science method called thematic analysis with Ariel Cascio, anthropologist and assistant professor of bioethics and social justice. Thematic analysis involves paying close attention to pictures, words, and stories to find themes. Themes are central ideas that come up again and again. Come read and sort stories and comics featuring characters like the Hare and the Tortoise, Popeye, and Charlie Brown. What are the central ideas of these classic stories and jokes? Do they still apply to your life? Come tell us what you think.

Learn more about STEAM Themes: What Do Stories Teach Us?