vasc logo header
visit vasc capital campaign exhibits teachers corner get involved party rentals contact us
imax shop vasc memberships science camps
   
Visit braincake.org
Cosmic Kids Club


From space to geology, explore your world and beyond, meet special guests and make some really cool things!

Join Today!

Ages 6-10
Cosmic Kids Club meets every first Saturday of the month
9 a.m. to noon
Membership is only $65.00 a year

(some camps may require a minimal materials fee)
Call (757) 727-0900, ext. 718 for more information
or to become a Cosmic Kids Club member!


Cosmic Kids receive:
A stellar Science Kit
Cool NASA stuff
Monthly newsletter on-line
Discounts in museum store, cafe', science camps and birthday parties
Special Kids Club membership card signed by Apollo XI astronaut Buzz Aldrin!
Special discount coupons for far-out fun
Free Museum exhibit admission for a year!

Click here to register online!

2009 Schedule of Meetings
January 10 - Science Rocks
Find out why science rocks when you explore the world of geology! Study the many types of rocks, and learn about the rock cycle. Explore the Earth's many layers and construct an edible model you can take home to eat! Create sedimentary rock out of peanut butter and chocolate. Conduct cool experiments when you test objects for different minerals. Make a geode in an egg shell and a volcano!
February 7 - Celebrate Black History Month!
Learn about famous African-American inventors and pioneers who have help shaped the way we live today. Discover how Benjamin Banneker's love for astronomy led him to create an almanac. Learn more about astronomy and create your own constellation. See if you can invent something to enhance public safety, just like Garrett Morgan who created the traffic signal. Explore other great inventors when you make your own soap, dust for fingerprints and investigate the many uses of the peanut. Plant your own peanut plant, just like George Washington Carver. Meet Astronaut Guy Bluford, the first African-American to fly in space.
March 7 - Risky Business
How do you know if you are a risk taker? Take a "crash-course' in risk management with RISK, the new hands-on exhibit that explores life experiences, decision-making, and the science, mathematics, and technology that support it. Play the probability game to learn how math can influence the way you make decisions. Play games based on decisions and your comfort for risk. Try walking across a construction beam 17 stories high or lying on a bed of nails! Create your own Rube Goldberg contraption to test cause and effect.
.
April 4 - Monsters Vs. Aliens
Enjoy a number of activities based on the new animated IMAX film Monsters vs Aliens. Have a monstrous good time when you take an exciting journey around the world to investigate legendary "monsters!" Examine the incredible stories of "Bigfoot" in the United States, "mermaids" in the North Atlantic, "Nessie" the Loch Ness monster in Scotland, Mummies in Egypt and more. Draw your own fantastic monster and create a monster magnet. Explore alien lifeforms when you play the "Alien Scramble" game and make an "yarn bug." Construct an alien spacecraft using recycled materials and receive an IMAX ticket to see Monsters vs Aliens on the giant IMAX screen!
May 2 - Space Invasion
Celebrate International Space Day with a space invasion that's out-of-this-world! Meet a NASA astronaut to learn about space exploration from a pro! Play an exciting game of Meteor Tag. Practice with thrust and make simple rockets. Discover why stars are different colors and construct a star clock. Make a simple model of the solar system and use a scale to experiment with the distances of the planets from the sun. Build a model of Saturn and create craters using bubble wrap and plaster of paris.
June 6 - Piratical Adventures
Ahoy, mateys! Prepare for a piratical adventure on the high seas of Hampton and celebrate the 10th Annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival! Travel back in time at the Hampton History Museum and hear tales of treacherous pirates and their plundering ways. Discover the challenges of living on the high seas in the 1700's through hands-on activities. Examine how Hampton served as an important gateway to the British Colonies. Use your swashbuckling skills to make your own pirate hat and flag.
July 11 - Taking Flight
Take a crash course in the history of aviation from the first flight to future aircraft. Explore the design challenges,
financial risks and many lessons learned from a century of aviation trial and error with the new IMAX film Legends of the Sky! Make a model of an airplane wing and demonstrate how airplane wings can lift heavy planes. Construct cool airplanes from paper, Styrofoam and candy! Meet an F-22 pilot from Langley Air force base to learn about the latest technology in fighter jets. Explore the mystery of Amelia Earhart and her disappearance. Could a plane go missing today with our modern technology?
August 1 - Solar Powered
Catch some rays and discover how the sun's energy can bee seen or felt through light and heat. Learn how we can harness that energy and put it to good use. Use a radiometer to see how the sun can turn light and heat into motion. Identify the colors in white light by playing with a prism and discover what colors can reflect and absorb when you conduct a bottle/balloon experiment. Explore how heat insulators work and use your new solar skills to create a S'mores solar oven.
September 5 - Science in Art
Investigate how science and art overlap, and how artists and scientists are similar. Discover how Leonardo da Vinci used art and scientific investigation in his work, and then draw a diagram of an invention and its parts to illustrate how it works. Create a Venn diagram and make zoetropes. Explore the use of technology in the creation of art from photography to animation. Examine art from space and art created by NASA astronauts. Using science and technology as inspiration create your own artwork of the Earth or space.
October 3 - King Arthur's Kastle
Join King Arthur's round table when you learn all about life in Medieval Europe. Examine the different parts of a knight's armor and make your own helmet. Create your own tabard and design a family crest. Learn about the history of the Black Plague and play The Black Plague game. Explore the ins and outs of a castle and design your own. Create a castle structure out of cardboard.

November 7 - Easy Bake Science
Cook up a batch of science and sprinkle it with fun! Create a no-bake ornament and participate in an Egg Drop Contest. Sample a little space food and discuss the challenges of creating meals for astronauts in space. Discover what makes bread rise and test your theory with dough. Conduct an experiment to learn what household items can make a penny shiny again and examine why. Mix different household items together and observe their chemical reactions. Make a paper pizza using paper plates, paper and beads.

DECEMBER Saturday Holiday Camps - Club members get $5 off.
There will NOT be a regular club meeting.
Register online or call (757) 727-0900, ext. 718 for more information,
or to become a Cosmic Kids Club member!


*Indicates 2nd Saturday of the Month instead of 1st.