I love taking the kids to science museums, where they have so much
fun they don't even realize they're learning, so I knew a visit to
Science World at TELUS World of Science was a must for our trip to Vancouver.
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So much to do at Science World! |
Highlights of Our Visit
Housed in
an eye-catching geodesic dome, Science World offers visitors a number
of different galleries and exhibits that educate, engage, and inspire.
We were able to interact with exhibits that taught us about energy, recycling, the body, light, sound, water, and so much more!
My
kids enjoyed playing a recycling game, watching balls move through the
Dyson Airflow Wall Exhibit, and making music on a gigantic keyboard.
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Recycling Game |
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Dyson Airflow Wall Exhibit |
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Making music on a giant keyboard |
One of our family's favorite exhibits was in Science of Sports, where my kids could race against a cheetah!
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Racing against a cheetah |
There was also a room where we could see neat objects built with KEVA planks, and kids could create their own objects using KEVA planks as well.
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KEVA Plank Creations |
My youngest two kids loved the Kidspace (designed for kids ages 1-6), where they could build, climb, and even sit in a spaceship!
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Gravitram |
Throughout the day there were also numerous shows that kids could watch and participate in.
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Air Show |
My oldest son also participated in the Living lab, where students from the
Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia conduct research on cognitive development.
It was such a fun day of learning and play!
Dining
On site is
Triple O's, where we had a quick and satisfying lunch, as well as the Snack Lab, where you can grab some sweet or salty treats!
Our Experience Visiting as a Special-Needs Family
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know
kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various
environments, I always try to share our personal experience when
visiting attractions.
Fortunately on the day we went (a
weekday) the crowd was not too overwhelming, and even though there were
a variety of different types of exhibits, he did not seem to get
overstimulated by all that there was to see and do.
He
found several exhibits that he loved, particularly those that involved
balls or water, and whenever he seemed to get anxious we'd simply take
him back to those exhibits.
Although he usually does well watching shows, he did not want to watch
any of the shows that were going on throughout the day, and there were
some exhibits he was a bit afraid of (e.g. the Electric Hands exhibit,
which used currents to power a speaker that made a startling sound),
fortunately there were many other exhibits he enjoyed.
Since he also really loves tunnels and enclosed
spaces, he loved the Sara Stern Gallery, where he could crawl through a
beaver's lodge, as well as climb up into a tree.
I was
also very impressed with all the new activities he tried, such as
balancing on a beam, and jumping off a platform, however, he'd always
want to go back to the Dyson Airflow Wall or the Waterplay station, where he was always calm and content.
Although
he did experience moments of anxiety, there were numerous areas
throughout the museum to sit for rest breaks, and there were areas, like
at the puzzle and brain-teaser stations, where it was a lot quieter
than other areas.
Overall he did very well, and he simply loved interacting with so many different exhibits.
Final Thoughts
We had an amazing time at Science World, and it is easily one of the best, if not
the best, science museum we have ever visited.
I
love that there were so many different interactive and engaging
exhibits for visitors of all ages, and that we were able to learn so
much while having fun at the same time.
We spent nearly the entire day there, and I know there was still so much more we could've learned and discovered.
A visit to Science World is a great way to spend the day with family!
Science World at TELUS World of Science
1455 Quebec St
Vancouver, BC V6A 3Z7, Canada
604-443-7440
Click
here for hours and rates; click
here for parking information.
Thank you to Science World for hosting my children's visit. Admission for two adults, as well as lunch, was paid on our own.