Lego is still the most popular toy ever. Even though their patent recently ran out, resulting in a spate of competition, the quality control and sheer "cool factor" of Lego still makes it the 800 Pound Gorilla of the Building Toy World: Check out this must-see behind the scenes video!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Bed Bugs-Not just for the New York Carriage Trade! $8.95 & Free Shipping!
Lately you've heard about bed bugs showing up in posh (and not so posh) locations countrywide, notably in Manhattan.
Well, even if your address isn't fancy, you can have a Bedbug all your own from Pow!Science...but ours are the cute cuddly kind and come with Free Shipping as a bonus!
Giant Microbes Bedbug: $8.95 shipped
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Fun Free Experiment from Pow!Science
If you couldn't make it to this month's Family Science Night at either Pow!Science! Location, here's a little taste of what went down last night in Providence. Gather some simple materials and perform two quick, easy & fun experiments at home!
Experiment ONE: BALL LIFTER
Get This Stuff Ready:
• Marble
• Rubber Ball (like a super ball, no more than 1 inch diameter)
• Empty Spool or an empty toilet/paper towel roll (you’ll need a longer string if you use a paper towel roll)
• String
• Tape
Do This:
1) Tape one end of the string to the marble (use plenty of tape to make sure it’s secure).
2) Thread the string through the spool, and then tape the other end of the string to the rubber ball.
3) Even though the ball is heavier than the marble, you can use the marble to support and even lift up the ball by holding the spool and spinning the marble around like a lasso.
Experiment TWO: Up Against the Wall!
Get This Ready:
A Paper Towel
A Partner
Do This:
1) Stand with your heels right up against a wall.
2) Have your partner place the paper towel about 30 centimeters in front of your toes.
3) Try and bend down WITHOUT BENDING YOUR KNEES and pick up the paper towel. PARTNER: Be ready to help keep experimenter from falling!
What Happened?
4) Now stand about 60 centimeters away from the wall, and repeat the experiment with the paper towel.
What happened this time?
Pow!Science! offers free, fun Family Science Nights every month at both our Wakefield and Providence Locations. Check our online Events Calendar to learn about this and other Pow!Science Workshops & Activities.
Experiment ONE: BALL LIFTER
Get This Stuff Ready:
• Marble
• Rubber Ball (like a super ball, no more than 1 inch diameter)
• Empty Spool or an empty toilet/paper towel roll (you’ll need a longer string if you use a paper towel roll)
• String
• Tape
Do This:
1) Tape one end of the string to the marble (use plenty of tape to make sure it’s secure).
2) Thread the string through the spool, and then tape the other end of the string to the rubber ball.
3) Even though the ball is heavier than the marble, you can use the marble to support and even lift up the ball by holding the spool and spinning the marble around like a lasso.
Experiment TWO: Up Against the Wall!
Get This Ready:
A Paper Towel
A Partner
Do This:
1) Stand with your heels right up against a wall.
2) Have your partner place the paper towel about 30 centimeters in front of your toes.
3) Try and bend down WITHOUT BENDING YOUR KNEES and pick up the paper towel. PARTNER: Be ready to help keep experimenter from falling!
What Happened?
4) Now stand about 60 centimeters away from the wall, and repeat the experiment with the paper towel.
What happened this time?
Pow!Science! offers free, fun Family Science Nights every month at both our Wakefield and Providence Locations. Check our online Events Calendar to learn about this and other Pow!Science Workshops & Activities.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Classic Slime!
Parents: Read it through before performing this experiment!
Purpose: To create a fun-to-play with polymer
Materials:
Bowl
2 400ml Beakers (or 2 glasses/cups/empty jars of equal size)
Spoon
White Glue
Borax
Water
Food Coloring
Zip-lock style plastic bag
Funnel (optional)
Procedure:
1) Fill one beaker about halfway with glue. Add water until the beaker is nearly full, and gently stir until the water and glue are thoroughly mixed.
2) Add 4 or 5 drops of food coloring to the glue/water mixture and stir until the color is evenly distributed.
3) Pour your colored glue mixture into the bowl.
3) Fill the other beaker halfway with water. Add 4 heaping spoonfuls of Borax and stir gently until the water looks gray. Some Borax will settle onto the bottom of the beaker. That’s fine. Pour the gray water into the colored glue, being careful not to let the Borax that is still powdered plop in. Stir the contents of the bowl and watch what happens!
4) After gently but thoroughly stirring the glue/borax mixture, pick up the bowl and using your fingers as a strainer, pour the liquid portion back into one of the beakers while leaving just the gooey blob in the bowl.
5) Pick up the gooey blob and squeeze & squish it (use the same motion as if you were making a snowball). In a few moments, the wetness will disappear, leaving you with a cool ball of colored slime! Stretch it! Roll it! Bounce it! It's awesome!
6) Store your slime in the plastic bag when not in use.
Try This!
Put a funnel into one of the beakers (or an empty jar, if you don’t have a beaker). Roll the slime into a nice, round ball and plop the ball into the funnel. Observe the funnel/slime setup every ten minutes or so. Does anything change?
What’s Going On?
Mixing with Borax causes the glue to polymerize, or convert into an amorphous (“shape changing") solid. Since this is a chemical change, the slime cannot be converted back into glue.
Caution: Do not leave slime on carpets, furniture or anything made of cloth, as it may stain such items. Only play with it on hard, smooth surfaces! Hot water will dissolve hardened slime.
©2010 Pow!Science!
Parents: Read it through before performing this experiment!
Purpose: To create a fun-to-play with polymer
Materials:
Bowl
2 400ml Beakers (or 2 glasses/cups/empty jars of equal size)
Spoon
White Glue
Borax
Water
Food Coloring
Zip-lock style plastic bag
Funnel (optional)
Procedure:
1) Fill one beaker about halfway with glue. Add water until the beaker is nearly full, and gently stir until the water and glue are thoroughly mixed.
2) Add 4 or 5 drops of food coloring to the glue/water mixture and stir until the color is evenly distributed.
3) Pour your colored glue mixture into the bowl.
3) Fill the other beaker halfway with water. Add 4 heaping spoonfuls of Borax and stir gently until the water looks gray. Some Borax will settle onto the bottom of the beaker. That’s fine. Pour the gray water into the colored glue, being careful not to let the Borax that is still powdered plop in. Stir the contents of the bowl and watch what happens!
4) After gently but thoroughly stirring the glue/borax mixture, pick up the bowl and using your fingers as a strainer, pour the liquid portion back into one of the beakers while leaving just the gooey blob in the bowl.
5) Pick up the gooey blob and squeeze & squish it (use the same motion as if you were making a snowball). In a few moments, the wetness will disappear, leaving you with a cool ball of colored slime! Stretch it! Roll it! Bounce it! It's awesome!
6) Store your slime in the plastic bag when not in use.
Try This!
Put a funnel into one of the beakers (or an empty jar, if you don’t have a beaker). Roll the slime into a nice, round ball and plop the ball into the funnel. Observe the funnel/slime setup every ten minutes or so. Does anything change?
What’s Going On?
Mixing with Borax causes the glue to polymerize, or convert into an amorphous (“shape changing") solid. Since this is a chemical change, the slime cannot be converted back into glue.
Caution: Do not leave slime on carpets, furniture or anything made of cloth, as it may stain such items. Only play with it on hard, smooth surfaces! Hot water will dissolve hardened slime.
©2010 Pow!Science!
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