Monday, February 8, 2010

The World through Kids' Eyes

Luggage room was at a premium when I went home for winter break from school so I couldn't bring back good kid gifts.  Instead, I took my friend Kandy and her boys, Brandon and Dillon, to the Science Center of Iowa

Kandy, Brandon, Dillon


We did all sorts of exploring - watching a ball roll along roller coaster tracks


 
Tugging a rope strung through pulleys to lift a large tire

Watching balls travel through a maze of fans and obstacles


There was a small replica of a cave in the Iowa nature room.  The boys were a little scared to go into the dark cave and they really didn't want anything to do with this (fake) bat!  I told them it wasn't real, but Brandon informed me that since it was making noise, it had to be real.  I didn't bother to point out the speakers playing the noise.  Later Brandon said the cave was his favorite part of the trip.  :)


 
Kandy's favorite part was the (real) snapping turtle!  He's friendly and comes up to greet you through the glass hoping for treats.

Watching the pendulum.  Due to the Earth's magnetic force, it naturally swings to one side enough to knock over a peg every five minutes.


 
The staff at the center were great with the kids.  It helped that we went during a blizzard so there was a lot of individual attention!  Brandon got to pet a box turtle and when Dillon touched a wet salamander, he said it felt like soap!

Oh those dimples!


Lunchtime!


 



This is always one of my favorite parts.


The bubble area was fun.  Color inspiration for a pastel line in the near future...


Self portraits on my iPhone.




We went to Under the Sea, an IMAX movie, while we were at the Science Center.  Kandy wasn't sure how the boys would do since they haven't really done movies in theaters.  This was a short documentary film with beautiful cinematography of underwater life narrated by Jim Carrey.  The theater surrounds you like a dome so it feels like you are really IN the movie.  I told Brandon and Dillon that there would be loud noises, but they don't have to be scared.  Well... as soon as the movie started with the loud music and overwhelming visuals, Brandon said (loud enough for most people there to hear), "I never even wanted to come here!"  Oh, I about died.  Great, my gift will be remembered as that scary place that Bree took us.  Ha!  Dillon was quiet, but he had a death grip on his chair because he felt like he was falling out since the action felt like real movement!  Brandon thought the titles were coming straight at him too.  We got through the initial fears though, and surprisingly, when scary sharks and fish snapped up others as a quick meal, the boys jumped but didn't seem too scared.  I was impressed.  Brandon asked a couple times when we could go home, but amazingly they made it through the movie!

Overall it was a really fun day and pretty exhausting for someone not used to full kid-speed!  The boys discussed the good stuff on the way home (maybe they'll block the bad memories of the scary movie!)  I was glad to spend some time with them.