Fun at OMSI

    On our recent trip we spent a fun afternoon at OMSI. An inexpensive membership to a museum where we live gets us free admission, so we don't feel the need to "make a day" of going there. Instead, we can enjoy a couple hours of play when we're in Portland without having to see everything. This time we headed straight for the hands-on hall to let the kids play and explore. They had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back. I firmly believe that children learn best by playing and doing things, and so this, as much as reading and studying, is an essential part of their education. 

Raphael was captivated in "the ball room". There are hundreds of lightweight balls,  and air blowing through tubes and pipes makes for lots of fun. Here he was delighted at watching the ball "float" on top of an air current. 

By putting a ball inside the cone and pulling down on the stretchy material,  Erik launched them high into the air. Both Raphael and Pearl loved this.

Peregrine spent a long time working on building contraptions and ball launchers.

Poppy was equally in awe of the floating ball!

Peregrine got to help launch the fog cannon.

Fog ring heading straight for Poppy!

Boat building.

Magnetism.

Poppy and the Van de Graaf generator. I think this is my favorite picture from our trip.

Playing with electricity inside a tube.

Little Pearl playing with gears. 

Peregrine working the crane at the docks.