Early Childhood Zone

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

Blow bubbles and see if you can balance them on your hands!

Learn more about Bouncing Bubbles

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

Use your creativity and build with us!

Learn more about Building Station

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

Explore color mixing by seeing what happens when you add water to art! Create beautiful butterflies using markers and coffee filters.

Learn more about Chromatography Butterflies

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

Draw your own creature, and give them adaptations to survive in the wild! How powerful can you make your critter?

Learn more about Create a Critter

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

How do researchers collect their study animals? They head into the field and get hands-on! This program introduces kids to different types of organisms and the methods scientists use to gather them. Learn how to spot a squid hidden in the sand and capture it with a net. Try collecting insects from plants using specialized tools. Explore the world of anemones under a microscope. Through these activities, kids will discover how researchers find and study animals in the wild while gaining a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Learn more about Critter Collectors: Fieldwork Exploration Zone

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

At the Moral Minds Lab, we study how we become moral beings. Using insights and techniques from social and developmental psychology, we conduct fun, game-like studies with children (ages 3-12) and adults to explore how our social environments and culture shape our morals.

Learn more about Discover How Children Think with the Moral Minds Lab!

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

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint of life. DNA carries the genetic code that determines how every organism develops, functions, and reproduces. In this interactive activity, participants will extract DNA from strawberries, a fruit that has eight sets of chromosomes, making it possible to observe the DNA without a microscope. Along with the hands-on activity, we will explore why DNA is essential for life, how it functions, and how scientists utilize it today in various fields, including disease research, ancestry testing, and genetic engineering.

Learn more about DNA: The Microscopic, But Berry Important Molecule

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

Build your favorite shape using marshmallows and toothpicks!

Learn more about Marshmallow Structures

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

Play a game of Safety Bingo! There are many things kept in the laboratory in order to keep scientists safe. Learn about lab coats, goggles, gloves and more by playing a round of Safety Bingo. Hosted by the Research Safety Team (RST) from the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University.

Learn more about Play Bingo to Learn About Lab Safety

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

Help your children experience the joys of scientific exploration through a ramp and roll activity you can re-create at home!

Playing with ramps and things that roll helps children learn simple principles of physical science and engineering. A ramp is an example of a simple machine called an inclined plane.

“Work” has a specific meaning in physics involving the transfer of energy to an object and making it move. We don’t expect young children to know this. When we say that “simple machines make work easier,” we are using an accurate but child-friendly description of what simple machines do and how they help people.

Learn more about Ramp and Roll

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

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

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

Learn more about Texture Wall