stem Archives - Project Refined Life

21
Jul
2016

All About Snakes

categories: Explore

OC Parks invites you to join local herpetologist Steve Bledsoe at O’Neill Regional Park to learn all about snakes that can be found in Orange County.

This family-friendly event will feature a live reptile display with local snake species. Come learn how to identify snakes, where they live and what to do when you encounter one on park trails.

There will also be an informative presentation on rattlesnakes of Orange County.

When: Saturday, July 23, 2016 from 7:15 – 8:30 pm
Where: O’Neil Regional Park, 30892 Trabuco Canyon Rd, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678 – Meet at the O’Neill Nature Center and Amphitheater. Parking at the O’Neill Nature Center lot.
Cost: The event is free event, parking feess apply. .

16
Dec
2015

Star Wars Days

categories: STEM/STEAM

Image courtesy of columbiaspacescience.org

Calling all Jr Star Wars fans….Jedi, Sith Lords, and Padawans included! Join Columbia Memorial Space Center this Friday, December 18th and Saturday, December 19th for Star Wars days!!

These are some of the out of world Star Wars take home activities you can look forward to: How to build a lightsaber, How to program a robot or droid, Build a Force glove, Make your phone a hologram projector & Star Wars snowflakes.

They will also be handing out free pop corn tickets for the new Cinemark XD that just opened up across the street! Please come dressed in your favorite Star Wars costume!

When: Friday, December 18t, 2015 and Saturday, December 19, 2015 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Columbia Memorial Space Center, 12400 Columbia Way
Downey, California 90242
Cost: Adults and Children 4 years and older: $5.00, Children 3 years and younger: FREE, CMSC & ASTC Members: FREE

01
Dec
2015

The Science of Gingerbread

categories: STEM/STEAM

What a tasty treat going to the Discovery Cube during the Science of Gingerbread exhibition is! The cube is completely transformed into a sweet STEAM city covered in gum drops and icing. This year the 10th annual Science of Gingerbread exhibit runs through January 3, 2015.

Children, schools, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troop collaborate to design and build their gingerbread houses then submit them in the Ginberhouse competition. It truly does require science, technology, engineering, art and math skills to build some of these amazing displays.

The Science of Gingerbread is filled with innovation and great hands-on activities designed to celebrate the holiday season.

This sweet STEAM event is filled with great hands-on activities designed to bring families together this holiday season.

Activities include:

Gingerbread Derby Competition (11am, 1pm, & 3pm)
Kitchen Chemistry Learning Station
Gingerbread Spices Learning Station
Build a House Learning Station
Hall of Traditions
3D Printing of a gingerbread house
Do You Want To Build A Snowman? Science of Snow Stage Show (on select dates only)
Cookie Decorating in the Healthy Kitchen (on select dates only)
Santa Meet & Greet (on select dates only – please see schedule below)

Boys and Girls bring you list because Santa will be on hand to meet and take pictures. Santa will be visiting and available 11am-3pm on the following dates:

December

Saturday, 12/5/2015 – Sunday, 12/6/2015

Saturday, 12/12/2015 – Sunday, 12/13/2015

Saturday, 12/19/2015 – Thursday, 12/24/2015

It should no surprise that some of my favorite entries into the competition are the those submitted by our local Girl Scout Troops. Hopefully my troop will submit an entry next year!

Discovery Cube is located at 2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705

For more information on hours and admission please check their website.

25
Nov
2015

Family Science Sundays

categories: Explore

Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center, Newport Beach, CA

Come to the Muth Interpretive Center at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Center for Family Science Sundays. Once a month, families enjoy FREE activities with a different educational theme to explore inside the Muth Interpretive Center classroom.

All the activities are self guided and may include hands on exhibits, outside hikes, crafts and more. The classroom has plenty for your children to explore: live animals, puzzles, games, puppets and the most lovely tree house that the kids adore.

Be sure to ask the front desk about the 12 minute movie in the theater. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.

When: Sunday, November 29, 2015 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Upper Newport Bay Nature Center/Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Cost: FREE

13
Nov
2015

Family Night

categories: STEM/STEAM

Join Columbia Memorial Space Center for Family Night! Bring the family for night filled with games for the entire family.

You can form a team or enter alone to participate in dozens of games throughout the space center. As participants play they will continue to gain points. As they gain more points their team will climb the leader board.

At the end of the night the top 3 players will win a prize and the top player(s) will be posted on our website/social media as the “ULTIMATE Gamer”.

Participants will play games and solve scavenger hunts and puzzles that will challenge any age. Expect super-sized games, group activates, robotic challenges and other family friendly competitions.

When: Saturday, November 14, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Columbia Memorial Space Center is located at: 12400 Columbia Way, Downey, CA 90242
Cost: Admission is $5 per per person

15
Oct
2015

Insect Fair

categories: STEM/STEAM

Interested in creepie crawlies? Come and see over 500,000 live and preserved exotic insects from around the world at the annual Insect Fair at Cal Poly Pomona. This showcase features thousands of live and preserved insects and other arthropods from around the world at the Bronco Student Center.

Kids (or you) can touch a millipede or a Madagascar Hissing cockroach while learning how insects impact our lives and how you can make a career as an insect expert.

Some of the insects on display include:

Vibrant moths and butterflies from around the world.
Beautiful cicadas from Asia . . . many having unique wing patterns and colors. These insects are the loudest on the planet!
A colorful array of exotic grasshoppers and katydids. Many displayed to show patterned underwings.
Beetles! These are the largest, most diverse group of insects. Make sure to look closely because many displayed are small but full of color, texture, and unique patterns.

Vendors sell insect-related wares at the fair, ranging from jewelry that looks like insects or has insect parts in them, to live insects for sale, including millipedes that are easy for children to care for, spiders and scorpions. In addition, display cases, frame boxes and other supplies are for sale for insect collectors.

Hey Girl Scouts – You might to consider this event for your Bugs Badge!!!

When: Saturday October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2015 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where: Cal Poly Pomona – Bronco Student Center, 3801 W Temple Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
Cost: $5 per person, $4 for students and free for kids 2 and under.

While your there – visit the Pumpkin Festival at the Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch.

09
Oct
2015

Prehistoric OC

categories: STEM/STEAM

It’s time to celebrate the history and roots of Orange County at Prehistoric OC! This FREE annual family fun event that is a joint celebration of: International Archaeology Day (October 18th) and National Fossil day (October 15th).

My family and I loved attending this event last year! You’ll see an explosive Volcano demonstrations, listen to the captivating storyteller Jacque Tahuka Nunez of Journeys to the Past.

See Native American and natural history exhibitors, take part in a Junior Scientist Camp, demonstrations, lectures, hands-on activities, food and tons of FUN!

Kids learn what it’s like to be a paleontologist or archaeologist. Kids will be able to wear hats and decorate their own field vests. They’ll be able to “dig out” artifacts/fossils in two plastic pools filled with “sand” with Docents on hand to help identify their finds. The area will be set up like a field camp, with tents and photographs of real field localities.

Some of the Junior Scientist Camp & other activities include:

Make Your Own Fossil: Kids make impressions of shells in clay that will harden so they can take home a souvenir.
Make Your Own Shell Necklace (or bracelet): Kids will make a real shell bead necklace or bracelet.
Rock Art project: Kids will create their own rock art on sheets of brown paper bags with charcoal. They can be painted will watercolors. Area will be decorated with photos of real Native American rock art for inspiration.
Treking the Fossil Beds of Clark Park: Talk A guided walk among the geologic formations that have yielded fossils in Clark Park. Each tour will last about 40 minutes. See schedule of events.

Make sure to visit Los Coyotes Paleontology Museum as well. The Museum will host guided tours to showcase its extensive fossil collection from Orange County. This dinosaur museum features dinosaurs found in Orange County, it’s absolutely awesome!

When: Saturday, October 10, 2014 from 10:00 am – 3: 00 pm
Where: Clark Regional Park, 8800 Rosecrans Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621
Cost: The event is FREE, there may be activities which require a minimal fee. Parking is FREE.

29
Sep
2015

Spooky Science

categories: STEM/STEAM

Are you ready to become a Mad Scientist at the Discovery Cube OC? Spooky Science is creeping into town, be prepared to see bugs, bones, x-rays, holograms and view live demonstrations with dry ice.

This spooky exhibit begin October 3 and runs through November 1, 2015. Enjoy weekend costume parties and take home goodie-bags!

Don’t miss these festive activities on the weekends:

Monster Mash Parade
Thor’s Bug Safari
Dr. Sue’s Traveling Insects and Arthropod Zoo
Rat and Mouse Club of America

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, 10/3 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)

Sunday, 10/4 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm), Thor’s Bug Safari (12pm-1pm & 1pm-2pm)

Saturday, 10/10 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)

Sunday, 10/11 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm), Dr. Sue’s Arthropod and Bug Zoo (11am-3pm)

Saturday, 10/17 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)
OC Vector Control (9am-5pm)

Sunday, 10/18 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)
Thor’s Bug Safari (12pm-1pm & 1pm-2pm), OC Vector Control (9am-5pm)

Saturday, 10/24 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)

Sunday, 10/25 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm), Dr. Sue’s Arthropod and Bug Zoo (11am-3pm)

Saturday, 10/31 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)Thor’s Bug Safari (12pm-1pm & 1pm-2pm)

Sunday, 11/1 – Rat and Mouse Club of America (11am-3pm)

Discovery Cube Orange County is located at 2500 N. Main Street,
Santa Ana, CA 92705

Check their website for admission fees & hours of operation.

26
Sep
2015

Don’t Miss it!

categories: STEM/STEAM

Your mission today – go to the market stock up on some Moon Pies, dust off your lawn chairs and be ready to witness the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse on tomorrow evening. Don’t miss it, the last occurrence was over 30 years ago and it won’t happen again until 2033.

The lunar perigee can be seen in North and South America, Europe, Africa, parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific. For those us in the Orange County area, you can start watching the night sky at 7:00 pm.. It will begin around 7:10pm and should be at its peak about 7:47 pm. The show should last about an hour and 12 minutes. The dramatic event will bring the Supermoon to a reddish, copper glow.

The awesome thing about this event is that you will be able to view it with the naked eye. We will be keeping my girls up past their bedtime for this event. If you’re looking a good spot to view this event consider viewing it from your backyard, a park or a local pier. If you want to attend an event here’s a couple to consider:

OC Telescope has a viewing event at the store on Sunday night from 6:00 pm till 9:00 pm for the Total Lunar Eclipse. If you name a unique not already named Lunar feature, you can win a Moon Pie, supplies limited to 24, one pie to a contestant, if you’re under 12 pronunciation does not count! OC Telescope is located at 2220 N Main St., Santa Ana, CA.
Griffith Observatory is hosting a FREE event. The event will include live piano music provided by Steinway & Sons and The Los Angeles Philharmonic as part of its Immortal Beethoven program. Music performed by Ray Ushikubo of the Colburn School. The event is from 6:30 pm – 9:45 pm. Griffith Observatory is located at 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA

Nasa will provide online viewing starting at 8:00 pm ET or check with your local park and planetarium for viewing parties. If you know of any events please share it by listing it in the comments.

Make sure to share your pictures on social media by using #SuperBloodMoo, twitter and enter Nasa’s photo contest on their facebook page.

22
Sep
2015

Wolf Corp. Robotics

categories: STEM/STEAM

Image from Columbia Memorial Space Center

Kids of all ages come to a Robotics Demonstration at Columbia Memorial Space Center by Wolf Corp. Robotics team from Walnut, California, one of the Google Lunar XPRIZE Challenge for kids Phase I Winners (2015 Moonbots) & FLL award winners including the 2015 California Cup Champion at Legoland.

Demonstration with lots of hands-on activities:

First Lego Leauge (FLL) robotics competition Information
Interact with the Meccanoid Robot
Activate our competition robot
Presentation at 11:30 am
Learn how to win a robot set
Questions & Answers

The Demonstration takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Columbia Memorial Space Center from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm., Admission is $5.00 for Adults and Children 4 years and older, Children 3 years and younger: FREE, CMSC & ASTC Members are also FREE.

Tag: stem

OC Parks invites you to join local herpetologist Steve Bledsoe at O’Neill Regional Park to learn all about snakes that can be found in Orange County.

This family-friendly event will feature a live reptile display with local snake species. Come learn how to identify snakes, where they live and what to do when you encounter one on park trails.

There will also be an informative presentation on rattlesnakes of Orange County.

Calling all Jr Star Wars fans….Jedi, Sith Lords, and Padawans included! Join Columbia Memorial Space Center this Friday, December 18th and Saturday, December 19th for Star Wars days!!

These are some of the out of world Star Wars take home activities you can look forward to: How to build a lightsaber, How to program a robot or droid, Build a Force glove, Make your phone a hologram projector & Star Wars snowflakes.

They will also be handing out free pop corn tickets for the new Cinemark XD that just opened up across the street! Please come dressed in your favorite Star Wars costume!

What a tasty treat going to the Discovery Cube during the Science of Gingerbread exhibition is! The cube is completely transformed into a sweet STEAM city covered in gum drops and icing. This year the 10th annual Science of Gingerbread exhibit runs through January 3, 2015.

Children, schools, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troop collaborate to design and build their gingerbread houses then submit them in the Ginberhouse competition. It truly does require science, technology, engineering, art and math skills to build some of these amazing displays.

The Science of Gingerbread is filled with innovation and great hands-on activities designed to celebrate the holiday season.

This sweet STEAM event is filled with great hands-on activities designed to bring families together this holiday season.

Activities include:

Boys and Girls bring you list because Santa will be on hand to meet and take pictures. Santa will be visiting and available 11am-3pm on the following dates:

December

It should no surprise that some of my favorite entries into the competition are the those submitted by our local Girl Scout Troops. Hopefully my troop will submit an entry next year!

Discovery Cube is located at 2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705

For more information on hours and admission please check their website.

Come to the Muth Interpretive Center at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Center for Family Science Sundays. Once a month, families enjoy FREE activities with a different educational theme to explore inside the Muth Interpretive Center classroom.

All the activities are self guided and may include hands on exhibits, outside hikes, crafts and more. The classroom has plenty for your children to explore: live animals, puzzles, games, puppets and the most lovely tree house that the kids adore.

Be sure to ask the front desk about the 12 minute movie in the theater. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.

Join Columbia Memorial Space Center for Family Night! Bring the family for night filled with games for the entire family.

You can form a team or enter alone to participate in dozens of games throughout the space center. As participants play they will continue to gain points. As they gain more points their team will climb the leader board.

At the end of the night the top 3 players will win a prize and the top player(s) will be posted on our website/social media as the “ULTIMATE Gamer”.

Participants will play games and solve scavenger hunts and puzzles that will challenge any age. Expect super-sized games, group activates, robotic challenges and other family friendly competitions.

Interested in creepie crawlies? Come and see over 500,000 live and preserved exotic insects from around the world at the annual Insect Fair at Cal Poly Pomona. This showcase features thousands of live and preserved insects and other arthropods from around the world at the Bronco Student Center.

Kids (or you) can touch a millipede or a Madagascar Hissing cockroach while learning how insects impact our lives and how you can make a career as an insect expert.

Some of the insects on display include:

Hey Girl Scouts – You might to consider this event for your Bugs Badge!!!

While your there – visit the Pumpkin Festival at the Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch.

It’s time to celebrate the history and roots of Orange County at Prehistoric OC! This FREE annual family fun event that is a joint celebration of: International Archaeology Day (October 18th) and National Fossil day (October 15th).

My family and I loved attending this event last year! You’ll see an explosive Volcano demonstrations, listen to the captivating storyteller Jacque Tahuka Nunez of Journeys to the Past.

See Native American and natural history exhibitors, take part in a Junior Scientist Camp, demonstrations, lectures, hands-on activities, food and tons of FUN!

Some of the Junior Scientist Camp & other activities include:

Make sure to visit Los Coyotes Paleontology Museum as well. The Museum will host guided tours to showcase its extensive fossil collection from Orange County. This dinosaur museum features dinosaurs found in Orange County, it’s absolutely awesome!

Are you ready to become a Mad Scientist at the Discovery Cube OC? Spooky Science is creeping into town, be prepared to see bugs, bones, x-rays, holograms and view live demonstrations with dry ice.

This spooky exhibit begin October 3 and runs through November 1, 2015. Enjoy weekend costume parties and take home goodie-bags!

Don’t miss these festive activities on the weekends:

Discovery Cube Orange County is located at 2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Check their website for admission fees & hours of operation.

Your mission today – go to the market stock up on some Moon Pies, dust off your lawn chairs and be ready to witness the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse on tomorrow evening. Don’t miss it, the last occurrence was over 30 years ago and it won’t happen again until 2033.

Nasa will provide online viewing starting at 8:00 pm ET or check with your local park and planetarium for viewing parties. If you know of any events please share it by listing it in the comments.

Make sure to share your pictures on social media by using #SuperBloodMoo, twitter and enter Nasa’s photo contest on their facebook page.

Kids of all ages come to a Robotics Demonstration at Columbia Memorial Space Center by Wolf Corp. Robotics team from Walnut, California, one of the Google Lunar XPRIZE Challenge for kids Phase I Winners (2015 Moonbots) & FLL award winners including the 2015 California Cup Champion at Legoland.

Demonstration with lots of hands-on activities:

The Demonstration takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Columbia Memorial Space Center from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm., Admission is $5.00 for Adults and Children 4 years and older, Children 3 years and younger: FREE, CMSC & ASTC Members are also FREE.

Columbia Memorial Space Center is located at 12400 Columbia Way, Downey, California 90242

Discovery Cube Orange County is located at 2500 N. Main Street,
Santa Ana, CA 92705