The Fleet Science Center is celebrating 50 years with a blast! They’ve been celebrating science since the museum opened in 1973 in Balboa Park. Since then, 26 million people have visited the Fleet, which has interactive exhibits and an IMAX theatre. Their mission is, “to realize a San Diego where everyone is connected to the power of science.”
Today they kicked off the anniversary with a science experiment featuring liquid nitrogen (at -321 degrees F) and warm water topped with colorful playground balls. They put the liquid nitrogen in a 2-liter bottle and sealed it tightly. The pressure built and boom!
The exhibit, which focuses on the global impact of snow on climate and human culture, has 12 interactive learning opportunities.
Ours faves were a digital wall where you can “catch” crystals during different kinds of snowstorms; watching marbles fall down a mountain comparing the impact of rain versus snow and the impact that water has on climate at different times; solving a matching puzzle of snow crystals; making our own paper snowflakes; and building (and knocking over) a snowman.
I’m always telling why kids they need to learn life skills, like cooking, cleaning, finances and more. While my kids probably roll their eyes, there’s truth to this statement. Where else and when else will children learn the skills they’ll need as adults? They rely on their parents, teachers and other adults now to help them develop skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.
That’s why I pitched this article idea to my editor at San Diego Family Magazine. The resulting article breaks down the five life skills kids need to foster independence.
The article is the cover story for the October issue of San Diego Family Magazine and I’m really proud of the article. Pick up the magazine at one of over 1500 locations throughout San Diego, including local schools and libraries. Or check out this link.
Last week my sons and I got a sneak peak at “Pandas,” an IMAX movie that opens this weekend.
This documentary, which took three years to shoot, has lots of appeal. It’s educational – showing viewers the challenges pandas face in the world in terms of breeding, handling tough terrain and overall survival. Pandas are an endangered species around the world, mostly due to humans developing properties on their land, and the lack of bamboo, their primary food source.
“Pandas” grabs your heart too. It’s hard not to love these cuddling looking bears that we typically only see at the zoo.
When we first meet these cute pandas, they’re newborns, adorable and looking like stuffed animals. We see them cooing as babies and then we watch them – one panda in particular, “Qian Qian,” pronounced Chen Chen – grow up on camera and learn to navigate the world.
The pandas are born at the Chengdu Panda Base in China, a breeding center which has helped breed over 200 baby pandas. In the movie, the scientists interact with the pandas and they explain how they’re tracking the animals and helping them thrive in the wild.
The movie took three years to shoot. The Chengdu Panda Base, which has helped over 200 baby pandas born during her tenure. Viewers meet the scientists interacting with the pandas and they explain how they’re tracking the animals and helping them thrive in the wild.
We loved the movie – so fun and interesting. It’s narrated by Kristen Bell – a familiar voice for kids, who recognize her from “Frozen.”
Fun Fact: Giant pandas eat up to 30 pounds of bamboo every day!
We saw the IMAX film at Fleet Science Center in their Heikoff Giant Dome Theater, which has 76-foot wraparound movie screen and 16,000 watts of digital surround sound. Everything looks and feels so close. That experience makes you feel like you’re sitting across from the pandas in the wild in China.
My sons and I enjoyed playing with the Panda props at Fleet Science Center too!
Fun Fact: Pandas sleep 10 to 16 hours a day! That bamboo they eat isn’t very nutritious and lacks protein, so they don’t have much energy.
“Pandas,” is rated G and opened April 6, 2018. Get tickets.
My boys have always loved airplanes. They enjoy going on flights when we travel and they’re enthralled to watch planes take off and land at the airport. Every time we drive through San Diego and pass the airport, they’re fascinated.
My oldest recently did a school biography report on aviation pioneers, the Wright Brothers.
Kristen Castillo 