Learning through play: 'Magnets, Motors and the Mind' mixes science, fun

Magnets. There's something very magical for kids about magnets and the invisible power that picks up and moves things, causes needles to spin and creates art out of iron filings.

Motors. There's something very engaging for kids about motors that make things turn and move and maybe blow air.

The mind. A child's mind may be the most amazing thing of all. Childhood is such an exciting time of exploration, discovery, stretching, learning.

Combine these three things — magnets, motors and the mind — and you have the newest exhibit to open at Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life.

Though this show is rather small on it own, it represents a huge new initiative at the museum, says Adam Peterson, chief marketing officer at Thanksgiving Point.

The museum has signed a five-year exclusive agreement with the Exploratorium Network (ExNet). "It's a prestigious national partnership that provides traveling hands-on exhibits to engage children and adults in the areas of science, art and human perception," adds Erica Brown, director of communications at Thanksgiving Point.

The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco, she explains, "full of hundreds of hands-on exhibits that mix science and art."

The partnership will not only bring increasingly larger exhibits to the Thanksgiving Point, it also provides a forum for it and the other 13 museums and universities that are part of ExNet to share ideas for creative education and research and development of interactive exhibits, says Peterson.

"Our mission has always been learning through play," he says. "We want people to come here and have so much fun, they don't realize they are learning. Kids don't want to 'be educated,' but they love these interactive exhibits."

Each of the ExNet exhibits will be in place for a year. "This one and the next one will be at the Museum of Ancient Life. By 2011, we hope to have our new Museum of Natural Curiosity finished. Exhibits 3, 4 and 5 will be there," he says.

"Magnets, Motors and the Mind" offers 12 stations where kids can learn about magnetism and perception and participate in hand-on activities that include black sand, blind spots, magnetic waves and motor effects.

One of the most popular is proving to be the wind tunnels, where a stream of air pushed by a simple motor can send a variety of materials soaring up through the tubes. Kids can compare the differences in how things like paper cups and cupcake cups travel, or what ping-pong balls can do. But they can also make their own creations with paper and pipe cleaners and such. "They've come up with come creative inventions," says Peterson, "and they've had some competitions — even among the adults."