Family Engineering Night
Bring The Works Museum experience to you with a Family Engineering Night!
Family Engineering Nights are typically two hours long and run in open-house format. They work well as stand-alone events or as an addition to a family event, open house, parent/teacher conferences, or science fair. The Works Museum provides family engineering activities, all the supplies needed, and orientation for volunteers.
All you provide is:
Space in gym, cafeteria, library, or classrooms (or any combination of these) for activities
Tables and chairs
Volunteers or staff to facilitate activities (orientation provided)
All Family Engineering Night activities come with written instructions in English, Spanish, and Somali.
Small Event (75-125 people)
For a total of 75-125 children and adults
Three hands-on activities
Price range $300-$400
Great for libraries, community centers, special Scout gatherings, and other small events. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (3-5 volunteers from your organization are required). One educator from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up the activities at the end of the event. Each small event package includes three activities – one of which is a team challenge families can work on together, and one includes a take-home project. Visitors will spend approximately 30-40 minutes to complete all three activities.
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Dynamic Magnetic Structures: Use magnetic rods and steel spheres to make amazing structures that spin and interact.
Fling Flyers*: Construct and launch a glider that flies an amazing distance.
Pop Fly Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams with limited materials to make a device that launches a ping-pong ball high enough for a team member to catch.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.
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Wedgits: One of the most popular building toys at The Works Museum. Use these 4-sided squares to build elegant towers.
Mini-Catapults*: Build and test a miniature catapult to fling a projectile; test and re-design to make the projectile travel farther. NOTE: This activity uses low-temp hot glue guns, and takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Super Stick Structure Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams to build amazing free-standing structures using two simple materials.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.
Choose either Package A or Package B.
Medium Event (150-250 people)
For a total of 150-250 children and adults
Five hands-on activities
Price range $550-$750
Designed for groups of 125-250 people, this option is a great complement to an open house, family night, or science fair at your school. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (5-10 volunteers from your organization are required). One educator from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up activities at the end of the event. The medium event packages offer five activities, including a team challenge families can work on together, two take-home projects, and an exploration with electrical circuits.
Choose either Package A or Package B.
-
Dynamic Magnetic Structures: Use magnetic rods and steel spheres to make amazing structures that spin and interact.
Fling Flyers*: Construct and launch a glider that flies an amazing distance.
Pop Fly Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams with limited materials to make a device that launches a ping-pong ball high enough for a team member to catch.
Circuit Play – Loads: Create circuits to power different loads such as buzzers, bulbs, and motors.
Sound Sandwiches*: Learn about sound and vibration as you make your own wind instrument that creates crazy sounds.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.
-
Wedgits: One of the most popular building toys at The Works Museum. Use these 4-sided squares to build elegant towers.
Mini-Catapults*: Build and test a miniature catapult to fling a projectile; test and re-design to make the projectile travel farther. NOTE: This activity uses low-temp hot glue guns, and takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Super Stick Structure Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams to build amazing free-standing structures using two simple materials.
Circuit Play – Switches: Create a circuit and experiment with different types of switches to control a light bulb or motor.
Rainbow Glasses*: These spectacles use light and engineered prism lenses that make spectacular rainbows.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.
Large Event (300-600 people)
For a total of 300-600 children and adults
Ten hands-on activities
Price range $1,400-$2,000
Designed for groups of 300-600 people, this option works for larger events. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (10-20 volunteers from your organization are required). Two educators from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up activities at the end of the event. The large event packages offer ten activities, including a team challenge families can work on together, a water-based activity, four take-home projects, and an exploration with electrical circuits.
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Dynamic Magnetic Structures: Use magnetic rods and steel spheres to make amazing structures that spin and interact.
Fling Flyers*: Construct and launch a glider that flies an amazing distance.
Pop Fly Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams with limited materials to make a device that launches a ping-pong ball high enough for a team member to catch.
Circuit Play – Loads: Create circuits to power different loads such as buzzers, bulbs, and motors.
Sound Sandwiches*: Learn about sound and vibration as you make your own wind instrument that creates crazy sounds.
Deep Divers: Engineer with limited materials to make a diver that hovers in a container of water. NOTE: This activity requires water access and a non-carpeted floor.
Articulated Action Figures: Work with K’Nex pieces to build figures using ball-and-socket joints.
Mini-Kaleidoscopes*: Investigate reflection, patterns, and symmetry as you build a colorful kaleidoscope to take home.
Popsicle Stick Poppers*: Weave sticks together to create an object that stores kinetic energy until it is thrown against the floor.
Dwellings: Explore traditional building materials, investigate construction techniques, then design and create your own life-size dwelling.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.
-
Wedgits: One of the most popular building toys at The Works Museum. Use these 4-sided squares to build elegant towers.
Mini-Catapults*: Build and test a miniature catapult to fling a projectile; test and re-design to make the projectile travel farther. NOTE: This activity uses low-temp hot glue guns, and takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Super Stick Structure Team Challenge: Work in adult-child teams to build amazing free-standing structures using two simple materials.
Circuit Play – Switches: Create a circuit and experiment with different types of switches to control a light bulb or motor.
Rainbow Glasses*: These spectacles use light and engineered prism lenses that make spectacular rainbows.
K’Nex Tops: Work with K’Nex pieces to engineer tops and improve them so that they spin faster, slower, or longer.
Float Your Boat: In this floating design challenge, build a boat using assorted materials and test how many “penny passengers” it can carry. Then evaluate and improve your design. NOTE: This activity requires water access and a non-carpeted floor.
Linkage Puppets*: Draw a figure or animal, then add joints to make the drawing into a moving puppet.
Ring Gliders*: Experiment with new ways to create a flying paper vehicle that zooms across the room.
Roll-Back Racers: Experiment with materials to make kinetic toys; test different components to see how they affect the toy’s movement.
* Take-home activity. No substitutions, please.