Kids' Quest Newsletter June 2009

Take a Road Trip and See Our Latest Exhibits!

We've got exhibits opening all over Arkansas this year! Take a Road Trip and see one this weekend!

GPS Adventures Arkansas Open NOW!

Do you like solving puzzles and finding hidden treasures? If so, you'll love GPS Adventures Arkansas, which opened at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, AR on May 16.

Set Up Your Own Mapping Challenge
Materials: Paper, pencil, yarn or string, stakes or ground posts, stickers.
Choose 5-10 stations or “critter corners” within your backyard. Place a sticker and a clue about a mystery bug for your hunters to discover. Next, draw a simple map of your yard with the stations. Use ground posts or stakes and yarn, connect the path between stations for your hunters to follow along. (This will help young children remain on course with their maps.) At each station, your hunters will write the mystery bug clue and mark the station by placing the sticker on their map. Make it a contest and see who can find all the clues and figure out what the mystery bug is!

Pics of GPS Adventures Arkansas

Backyard Science Opens June 20!

From bugs to rainbows to stars, there’s a world of discovery in your backyard. “Backyard Science” opens June 20 at the Museum of Discovery. Be amazed at all the science that is right there in front of you all the time! Step into our backyard explore the sky, rainbows, weather, geology, bugs, patterns in nature, and latitude.

Backyard Science is sponsored by the Bank of America.

Check out these interactive games about weather!

Astronomy: It's A Blast Open Now!

In this out-of-this-world exhibit now open at Discovery Place Children's Museum, you are transported to outer space to discover how high a space shuttle can fly. Race to launch water-powered rockets, and touchdown a space shuttle on a runway. Experience for yourself the physics of how we get to space and back.

Create your very own indoor constellation!
Materials: Flashlight, dark-colored paper, pencil, scissors
Trace around the head of your flashlight onto your dark-colored paper, then cut out the circle. Use your pencil to poke holes into the circle to mimic the look of stars. Place your constellation on top of the flashlight lens and project your starry sky onto your ceiling. Turn off the lights and enjoy! Get creative by tracing objects or using stencils to create planets, comets, and more! See this activity in more detail and find other fun, educational, out-of-this-world activities!

Pics of Arkansas Museum Road Trip Exhibits • Arkansas Museums Road Trip Info

Last Chance to See Mayan Medallion in Jonesboro

The secrets of an ancient world await as you enter the ancient world of Palenque, Mexico, where the Maya prospered for thousands of years — but if you don’t get to the ASU Museum by June 14th, the whole exhibition will disappear! Thousands of visitors have enjoyed this fun and interactive exhibition during its tour of Arkansas Discovery Network partners. The exhibition is free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday; 9:00-4:00 and Saturday; 1:00-5:00 Sunday. Bring the family, learn to count in Mayan, solve the mystery, and enjoy an educational experience that is disguised as fun!

Pics of Mystery of the Mayan Medallion • Mystery of the Mayan Medallion Info


Arkansas Discovery Network Kids' Quest June 2009 Museum of Discovery • Mid-America Science Museum • Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas • Texarkana Museums System • Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources • Arkansas State University Museum • University of Arkansas Center for Math & Science Education
Kids' Quest Parties Kids' Quest members have been partying across Arkansas. See what's been happening and find out what's coming next! Party Schedule Student explorers are battling Dr. Nogood in The Race for Planet 'X' across Arkansas now. Find out all about it here! Exhibit Schedule Now until June 14, 2009 Mystery of the Mayan Medallion Arkansas State University Museum A portion of this exhibit can now be seen at the Cox Center in Little Rock Good Vibrations Exhibit Museum of Discovery Now until August 9 Museum of Discovery Now until Spring 2009 Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources June 20 - Spring 2009 Museum of Discovery Now until Spring 2009 Texarkana Museums System July 16-18 Arkansas State University Museum July 23-25 Museum of Discovery Find out what else is happening at our partner museums Explore the state of Arkansas and become a master geologist! Play it Here! Explore the Ancient Mayan Ruins and discover treasures! Play Now! If you've played the Mayan Challenge, please let us know what you think! Tell us what you want to see in upcoming newsletters!
	Take a Road Trip and See Our Latest Exhibits! We've got exhibits opening all over Arkansas this year! Take a Road Trip and see one this weekend! GPS Adventures Arkansas Open NOW! Do you like solving puzzles and finding hidden treasures? If so, you'll love GPS Adventures Arkansas, which opened at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, AR on May 16. Set Up Your Own Mapping Challenge Materials: Paper, pencil, yarn or string, stakes or ground posts, stickers. Choose 5-10 stations or “critter corners” within your backyard. Place a sticker and a clue about a mystery bug for your hunters to discover. Next, draw a simple map of your yard with the stations. Use ground posts or stakes and yarn, connect the path between stations for your hunters to follow along. (This will help young children remain on course with their maps.) At each station, your hunters will write the mystery bug clue and mark the station by placing the sticker on their map. Make it a contest and see who can find all the clues and figure out what the mystery bug is! Pics of GPS Adventures Arkansas Backyard Science Opens June 20! From bugs to rainbows to stars, there’s a world of discovery in your backyard. “Backyard Science” opens June 20 at the Museum of Discovery. Be amazed at all the science that is right there in front of you all the time! Step into our backyard explore the sky, rainbows, weather, geology, bugs, patterns in nature, and latitude. Backyard Science is sponsored by the Bank of America. Check out these interactive games about weather! Astronomy: It's A Blast Open Now! In this out-of-this-world exhibit now open at Discovery Place Children's Museum, you are transported to outer space to discover how high a space shuttle can fly. Race to launch water-powered rockets, and touchdown a space shuttle on a runway. Experience for yourself the physics of how we get to space and back. Create your very own indoor constellation! Materials: Flashlight, dark-colored paper, pencil, scissors Trace around the head of your flashlight onto your dark-colored paper, then cut out the circle. Use your pencil to poke holes into the circle to mimic the look of stars. Place your constellation on top of the flashlight lens and project your starry sky onto your ceiling. Turn off the lights and enjoy! Get creative by tracing objects or using stencils to create planets, comets, and more! See this activity in more detail and find other fun, educational, out-of-this-world activities! Pics of Arkansas Museum Road Trip Exhibits • Arkansas Museums Road Trip Info Last Chance to See Mayan Medallion in Jonesboro The secrets of an ancient world await as you enter the ancient world of Palenque, Mexico, where the Maya prospered for thousands of years — but if you don’t get to the ASU Museum by June 14th, the whole exhibition will disappear! Thousands of visitors have enjoyed this fun and interactive exhibition during its tour of Arkansas Discovery Network partners. The exhibition is free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday; 9:00-4:00 and Saturday; 1:00-5:00 Sunday. Bring the family, learn to count in Mayan, solve the mystery, and enjoy an educational experience that is disguised as fun! Pics of Mystery of the Mayan Medallion • Mystery of the Mayan Medallion Info
	What's Happening Around Arkansas Museum of Discovery, Little Rock Space Adventures exhibit opens June 6 Go up, up and away! The Science of Superheroes June 18-20 Create your own superhero, see action figure collections and more. Summer camps start June 8 Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff 701 Main St., Pine Bluff Summer Scholars: Mad Labs 1-4 p.m. June 15-19 Mixing, fizzing and foaming fun. Ages K-6th. Cost: $120/members, $150/non-members. ARTshop: Mixed Media Collage 1-5 p.m. June 22-26 Create art collages out of everyday items. Ages 8-18. Cost: $120/members, $150/non-members. Illusion Confusion opens mid-June Newest hands-on science exhibit looks at the oddities of science. Children learn how to be discerning about what their senses tell them. More information at www.artssciencecenter.org or our Facebook page. Mid-America Science Museum Engineer It! Summer Science Day Camps, June 15 – July 23, Monday – Thursday, 9am – 12 noon Exciting and educational hands-on science for kids with a different engineering theme each week, and a different topic each day.Campers aged 6 – 11 can join for one day, one week, all five weeks, or any combination. Build mountains and tear them down. Build water-power rockets. Build bridges, robots and boats. Feel what it’s like to be an airplane. Build a tower and test in on a walk-on earthquake platform. Parents and Grandparents are invited to participate.Great for summer family vacations – kids can learn, and adults can explore scenic Hot Springs, or just relax! Some scholarships are available; call for specific information. More info… Registration Form Arkansas State University Museum, Jonesboro HiStory Time June 6, 2:00 pm Bring the family to HiStory Time at the ASU Museum on Saturday, June 6th at 2:00 p.m. Featuring a story and hands-on activities, this is a great family outing. Free and open to the public, HiStory Time is a great educational opportunity disguised as play! More information: http://museum.astate.edu Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources Sports: The American Obsession Chautauqua June 4-6 Starting at 7:00 p.m. nightly. Thursday’s performance is Chuck Chalberg as Bobby Jones the golfer, Friday is Hasan Davis as Joe Lewis, Saturday Gene Worthington will portray Babe Ruth. Admission is free and concession stand opens at 6:00 p.m. Lost in Space Camp June 22-24 Children ages 8-12, join the fun in learning about space. This 3-day camp will include a visit to the mobile museum, The Race for Planet 'X', crafts, and other learning experiences. Each child will bring their lunch. Snacks will be furnished for each session. Space is limited and reservations are required. The cost is $40 and begins at 9:00 a.m. and concludes daily at 2:00. Kids' Quest Party June 23 from 10 - 11 a.m. Kids' Quest members are invited to tour GPS Adventures Arkansas and the mobile museum, Race for Planet 'X'. Enjoy refreshments and games. Please RSVP if you plan to attend. University of Arkansas Center for Math and Science Education COMING SOON to CMASE! Stay tuned for Super News from CMASE! Something’s about to happen this summer and you won’t want to miss out on the announcement! To see what else is going on at our partner sites across the state, see our Events page.
	Attention Parents! The Arkansas Discovery Network would like to keep you informed about everything going on in the Network, including where we've been and our plans for the future. If you'd like to keep informed on the more "grown-up" side of what we're doing, you can sign up for our monthly Grown-Up E-Newsletter. If you'd like to see some of our past Grown-Up E-Newsletters, go to http://www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org/grown-ups/newsletter.html
	Find out more about the museum network across the state of Arkansas, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and our club exclusively for children, Kids' Quest. To keep up on the latest events and a behind-the-scenes look every now and then, check out our blog, our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.
	If you have trouble viewing this newsletter, or if you want to forward it to someone you know, use this link: http://www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org/kids-quest/ kq_newsletter_0609/kidsquest_0609.html. Arkansas Discovery Network Kids' Quest, c/o Museum of Discovery, 500 President Clinton Ave., Suite 150, Little Rock, AR 72201 This message has been sent because you are a member of the Arkansas Discovery Network Kids' Quest. If you have any concerns, comments or suggestions, please contact: kidsquest@arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org. This offer is brought to you as a valued member of Kids' Quest. We respect your privacy. If you would prefer not to receive further e-mail mailings from Arkansas Discovery Network, please send your request via e-mail, with "E-mail Opt Out" in the subject line and mail to: kidsquest@arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org.