Sci-Quest opens Fall Break camps for youngsters

A Sci-Quest camper performs a chemistry experiment. (CONTRIBUTED)

HUNTSVILLE – During Fall Break this week, Sci-Quest Hands-on Science Center will offer a menu of camps to attend on one day … or all week.

“These camps are full of experiments and hands-on activities to explore the science behind all things spooky,” Sci-Quest Development and Marketing Director Jennifer Deermer said.

“Campers will investigate the creatures that haunt Halloween — from spiders to skeletons. They will tap into their inner mad scientist,” Deermer said.

Morning sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and afternoon sessions from 1 to 4 p.m. will be held separately for children in grades K-2 and grades 3-5.

On Oct. 7 for grades K-2, “Wacky Weather” will transform kids into meteorologists, learning about causes for lightning and thunder. “They will venture into the eye of the most dangerous of storms by making their very own tornado to take home,” Deermer said.

Other morning sessions for these youngsters include “Balance It” to calculate center of mass and build a take-home toy. Campers also will use microscopes, test parachutes and experiment with chemical properties of chocolate.

Third- through fifth-graders can learn about “Amazing Animals” and “will discover creepy crawlies, crazy reptiles and other cute critters,” Deermer said. “We’ll introduce you to animals that live in your own backyard and some that live at Sci-Quest.”

This age group also can attend “Lanterns and Firecrackers” to explore the ancient science of fireworks. “Why do some fly in the air and others stay on the ground? How do they get to be such different colors?” Deermer said.

The third- through fifth-graders can be “Bone Detectives” to see the structural engineering of the human skeleton. “Our amazing bones are even stronger than wood, concrete or steel,” Deermer said.

Other camps for this group are “Race Car Engineer,” “Haunted Electricity” and “Glow Potions” that uses ultraviolet light to examine rocks, minerals and liquids.

Cost is $20 per camp session, with 10-percent discounts for Sci-Quest members. For a complete listing of Fall Break Camps, visit sci-quest.org/learn-us/fall-break-camps-2014.