Scienceworks Hot day out

When the temperatures soar, and the North winds blow, we leave home. Our little town is situated in one of the most bushfire prone areas of the planet. Rather than be grim and worried about it, I try to turn these scorching days into an adventure.  Over summer we went to the movies, the Melbourne Museum, visited friends and cousins, went shopping, and had a lovely Vietnamese lunch with Mr Bowerbird. It can be exhausting, and not always cheap or practical, but at least we are safe. I am very ready for some rain and a little less of the feeling of living on a box of matches. There is a limit to how many things you can do with three children on a hot day.

On this particular day it was a searing 42 degrees in Melbourne, we wilted getting from the car to the foyer of Scienceworks, but it was worth the walk.  The air was so delightfully cool we were immediately content and required nothing more to enjoy our day. 

Instead we were greeted with the Carnival of Science exhibition, and quite the carnival it was.

A hall of mirrors

Puzzles

Laying on a bed of nails - the machine weighs you and then the nails emerge, not for the faint hearted.

Balls that leap back at you if not thrown on the right angle

A chance to try some circus tricks

I put my head in here and then backed out at the last minute, I could not face my fear, unlike the brave Big Bowerbird!

Well worth a visit, but I'm a sucker for a bit of science.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Type: Temporary Exhibition

Daily, Until 13 Oct 2013
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

SCIENCEWORKS

Wallace & Gromit at Scienceworks

We visited Scienceworks last week as part of a members opening to the Wallace and Gromit Exhibition. I am a fan of Wallace and Gromit, and their quirky dead pan humour, but you don't have to be a devotee to enjoy the exhibition.

I adored the 50s sets, how cool is that mirror, and the wallpaper.

There was heaps of hands on activities with the theme of invention, and the kids dived into them with the enthusiasm of mad scientists.  The exhibition was given an Australian flavour by pointing out some of the wonderful things Australians have invented, like the electric drill, and Internet WiFi. Here's a more extensive list if you are interested.


Other more global inventions on display included the telephone, and Wellington boots. I tried reading some Braille with the oldest Bowerbird, we were totally amazed at the skill in learning to read dots with your finger, and managed to decipher nothing of what was written. Below they are making wallpaper and designing a logo.

      

The Bowerbirds made their own clay models and enjoyed adding them to a communal scene. A great insight into the world of clay animation and the skill required to create it.

 My favourite bit, the vegie wonderland of course. Someone must have had a great time making those sets!

Wish there was a real Anti- pesto service, we could have done with their help last summer.


The kids favourite bit - when the power unexpectedly went out, especially the middle Bowerbird, who enjoyed the thrill of being inside a tunnel slide in the dark. 


Up there with my favourites of the museums exhibitions, we could easily visit it again. Somehow I missed the karaoke shower, that sounds like a must.