Marilynne Eichinger wondered why science classes in school weren't much fun. She knew there must be better ways to engage and interest young children in learning about the world around them and set out to do something about it.
Eichinger gathered a few friends to construct some fun experiments and exhibits, which they packed up in their station wagons and began ferrying around town, doing science shows and demonstrations in area schools.
Eichinger and her crew established the Impression 5 Science Center in 1972, which continues to enthrall, engage each of the five senses and educate 100,000 visitors each year and introduce scientific fun to another 25,000 participants throughout the year in community outreach events.
The hands-on science center, located in a former lumber factory in downtown Lansing's museum district and a short distance from Michigan's State Capitol, offers an unstructured and open environment that encourages families to explore, play, create and learn about science together.
The 25,000-square-foot building's main floor offers plenty of wide open spaces for kids to freely roam and try out more than 150 different activities among the dozen or so learner-directed exhibits.
The center also has plenty of space to host groups or special events like class field trips, homeschooling events or birthday parties.
What is your child's interest? Chances are you'll find some great activities to encourage their interest in scientific subjects.
The museum's staff builds most of the exhibits on-site in the museum's lower level.
Check out the Build Zone, where aspiring architects and engineers can suit up in hard hats and construction vests to create buildings, bridges and other structures from blocks and other building materials.
Little naturalists will love donning the appropriate explorers' gear and exploring Michigan's natural environments.
I got a kick out of walking into a 7-foot model of a giant eyeball and a big mouth model to learn about the human body from the inside.
Other exhibits currently at the museum cover subjects like electricity, magnetism, light and color, music, simple machinery, and Pop!, an exhibit where I found myself inside of a giant soap bubble!
The youngest explorers have a place of their own at the museum called the First Impression Room, where children from birth to 5 years old can enjoy special exhibits and play areas. The area also features amenities like a family restroom, private nursing area, and spaces for kids to store their belongings or share a snack with their families.
Hours for the Impression 5 Science Center are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Adults and children 1 year and older pay $5 for a day of unlimited play and creativity. Admission is $4.50 for seniors and free for children under younger than one. Family memberships are $75 and offer admission for two adults and all of their children or grandchildren under the age of 18 for the entire year.
Be sure to also check out my story, Science for girls...and everyone else...at Michigan's Cranbrook Institute of Science, to learn about another great Michigan science center.
Thanks to the Greater Lansing Michigan Convention and Visitors Bureau for sponsoring my visit to Lansing, providing lodging, meals and a tour of Lansing area attractions for my review during my recent visit there, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinions about the stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
Additional photos courtesy of Tim Marks, © 2013, all rights reserved, used with permission
we LOVE this place!
Posted by: wanderingeducators | March 04, 2014 at 01:53 PM