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Exhibit-Based Snacks

Science Snacks are hands-on, teacher-tested activities that bring explorations of natural phenomena into the classroom and home. Many of our Snacks are bite-sized versions of Exploratorium exhibits. If you can't make it to the museum, check these activities out and learn how to reproduce them yourself.

Science activity that demonstrates lateral inhibition in perception of boundaries

Gray Step

Without a boundary, it’s hard to distinguish different shades of gray.

Science activity that uses gravity to turn soap film into an ever-shifting array of colors

Soap Film Painting

Gravity turns soap film into an ever-shifting, colorful masterpiece.

Science activity that uses a pendulum and a marker to create beautiful designs

Drawing Board

A pendulum moving in two directions creates beautiful designs.

Science activity investigating electromagnetics and motors

Stripped-Down Motor

Make a simple mini-motor.

Science activity that demonstrates electrostatic charge

Charge and Carry

Store up an electric charge, then make sparks.

Science activity that demonstrates the angle of repose

Avalanche

Find order in well-mixed chaos.

Science activity that demonstrates charge in a battery

Hand Battery

Use your skin and different metals to create a battery.

Science activity that demonstrates resonance in a pendulum

Coupled Resonant Pendulums

Two pendulums influence each other’s motion to create Intriguing patterns.

The Exploratorium, established in 1969, is an internationally renowned museum of art, science, and human perception located in San Francisco, California. Its hundreds of hands-on exhibits are designed to promote science discovery.

The Exploratorium Teacher Institute has supported middle and high school math and science teachers to incorporate hands-on, inquiry-rich experiences into their classrooms since 1984.

Cook up over 100 hands-on science exhibits from everyday materials!
Buy the Exploratorium Science Snackbook.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Attribution: Exploratorium Teacher Institute