Play with the Laws of Motion!
In a life-sized marble run where balls cascade down ramps, roll along tracks, travel through tubes and launch overhead, children will think like Newton. Explore physical science and discover the fundamentals of forces and motion - through play. Kinetics!, our innovative science and engineering exhibit, will thrill guests of all ages as they learn firsthand that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The exhibits team worked really, really hard on this exhibit. It took 1 1/2 years to design, prototype and build. Check out the behind-the-scenes with a few prototyping videos from the workshop.
Track to the Hopper
Pin Ball Paddle
Educational Concepts and Skill Development
This Playscape is carefully designed to support the development of these important early learning principles:
- Science Content Knowledge: Explore forces and motion, momentum, gravity, speed and direction
- Science Process Skills: Observe, question, design and build, test, evaluate, reflect, compare and contrast
- Spatial Reasoning: Develop an understanding of directionality, order and position of objects
- Language and Literacy: Describe observations, communicate questions and ideas, use position vocabulary (such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, through, taller, shorter, longer, further) in meaningful context
- Mathematics: Measurement and comparison of height, distance and speed; geometry (slope, angles, symmetry, balance)
- Logic and Reasoning: Make predictions, explore cause and effect relationships, engage in creative problem-solving
- Physical Development: Large and fine motor skills
- Lifelong Learning: Develop attitudes toward learning including initiative and curiosity, persistence and attention, inventiveness and a sense of self-efficacy
Where is it?
Play & Learn Together
- Narrate your child's play and point out interesting cause and effect phenomena.
- Make simple predictions about how object will move, and then model for your child how you could test those predictions.
- Encourage your child with language: “When you have an idea and test it out, you’re doing what scientists do!”
- Explore and experiment together. Let your child see you curious, engaged and excited.
Fun for all ages but most developmentally appropriate for ages 2+.
SM Energy Company