Children's Museum debuts new Science Shack

By: GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Saturday, June 9, 2007 11:48 PM PDT ∞

ESCONDIDO ---- A visit to the Escondido's Children's Museum was a hair-raising experience for some on Saturday.

"My ponytail's all standing up," Merkai Russell, 8, said in amazement, as she placed her hands on an electronic ball in the museum's new Science Shack.

Merkai watched herself in a mirror inside the shack, which had its debut as the newest addition to the museum that afternoon.

"I could feel the static on my arm and stuff," she said later. "I was scared at first, but it wasn't too scary. I figured that out at the end."

The museum opened in 2001 and has been at its Grape Day Park site next to the California Center for the Arts for the past three years. Trisha James, operations coordinator at the museum, said the addition reflects the new science initiative at the museum.

"Our programs and future exhibits will focus on science literacy," she said. "We learned from teachers and educators that science is something they need extra help with."

The science shack contains several hands-on exhibits for children, all with fun in mind. Just inside the entrance is a "topsey turney" round window that, as the sign says, is to "See things in a new direction."

Visitors also can play with a Euler's disk, which is flat and round and spins without slipping. As visitors gave it a whirl they could hear the pitch of the whirring disc change as it gradually slowed.

A "Magic butterfly" spinner started clicking and flapping when it was activated by noise, while real ants were busy tunneling in a "space age ant farm" on another counter.

Children also could play at a desk with a drawer filled with magnetics, peer through a microscope, touch a lightning plasma ball and learn about color spectrums.

The Science Shack debut coincided with the regularly scheduled Second Saturday event. This month's activities had children making their own ice cream, blowing bubbles and creating "gooey goop," a white sticky substance from paper glue and starch.

"This is so gross," father and volunteer Gary Hanna said while helping children, who seemed to be in agreement.

"Ewww," one little girl said, fingering the goo. But with enough kneading, the goo began to take shape and finally became a solid, not-quite-so-sticky glob.

"This is a great science experiment," mom and volunteer Lisa Hurst said to daughter Lydia. As Lydia kept working at the goo, a friend next to her complained that hers was "not really cooperating."

Meanwhile, Dallas Brown, 10, had found the secret to the bubble tower. Standing over a pool of soapy water, Dallas yanked on a cord that sent a hoop over her head, surrounding her entire body with a bubble.

"I got it all the way to the top!" she said to a friend.

Most of the visitors who tried the bubble tower saw their efforts burst before their eyes, but Dallas had found a way of coaxing the hoop to the top of the tower without the bubble breaking.

"I hadn't been very good at it, but the past few times I've been practicing," she said, revealing her secret. "'You pull fast, but not too fast."

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Admission costs $4.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.

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