Spend Spring Break Tinkering at the Space Foundation Discovery Center March 24-28

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 16, 2015) – The Space Foundation Discovery Center is preparing to spend spring break with the public by exploring science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) in a week filled with “tinkering” activities.

A variety of activities are planned which are appropriate for children ages 4-8 with an adult helper and ages 9-17 on their own. Each day of the event will provide a new hands-on activity to engage students in the STEAM subjects. The week-long event will wrap-up with the construction of a Chain Reaction Machine, also known as a Rube Goldberg Machine, which will be launched at noon on Saturday, March 28.

The following activities* are included in the daily admission price to the Discovery Center:

Tuesday - Friday activities are offered from 11:00 a.m. - noon and from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

• Tuesday, March 24 - Junk Art Creations: Take recycled material and make a space-themed art product
• Wednesday, March 25 - Spray Paint Space Art: Enjoy making outrageous works of art with a cool spray painting technique
• Thursday, March 26 - Create an Automaton: Enjoy a playful way of exploring simple mechanical elements with a personalized creative machine
• Friday, March 27- Make Photograms: Enjoy creating photographic images with light sensitive paper

• Saturday, March 28 – (10:00 – noon) - Chain Reaction Machine (Rube Goldberg Machine): Show off your best science and engineering skills and help the Space Foundation create one massive Chain Reaction Machine. Bring your own materials or your own chain reaction machine and add it to everyone else's to create one huge machine. We'll launch our Chain Reaction Machine at noon on Saturday, March 28. 

Other featured activities included in Discovery Center admission, March 24-28

In our Lockheed Martin Space Education Center:

• Tuesday and Thursday, Minecraft from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., in our AGI Space Missions Simulation Laboratory
• Wednesday and Friday, Kerbal  from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., in our AGI Space Missions Simulation Laboratory
• Saturday, Mars Robotics Laboratory activities, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

 Tinkering Stations available throughout the week:

• Light Boxes
• K'NEX toys for build and exploring
• Windtubes
• Marble Maze
• Cloud Chamber

Online registration available here.

*Activities are subject to change, and parents/guardian must accompany children.  

About the Space Foundation Discovery Center
The Space Foundation Discovery Center is the region's only space, science and technology attraction, and is located at 4425 Arrowswest Drive in Colorado Springs, just off of Garden of the Gods Road. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Discovery Center daily admission fees are $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors (age 65+), $7.50 for college students with I.D., $4.50 for children ages 4-17. Children age three years and younger are admitted free. Military rates are $5.00 for adults with I.D., and $4.00 for military children ages 4-17 with I.D. Military includes active duty, guard, reserve or retiree with I.D.

The Discovery Center is closed during holiday breaks and extreme weather. For more information, please visit www.spacefoundation.org/museum, or call the Space Foundation at 719.576.8000.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium, in support of its mission "to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity." Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston and conducts government affairs from its Washington, D.C., office. It annually publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit www.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us on Facebook, Instagram,LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube, and read our e-newsletter Space Watch.