Photo courtesy of Science Museum of Minnesota
Bee on a flower
Man, boy, and dog in the wilderness
Orient Yourself
Break out the compass and learn how to navigate from here to there with help from the Minnesota Orienteering Club. Its website offers the basics of map reading and maps of orienteering courses at parks, such as the Tamarack Nature Center in White Bear Lake, Afton State Park in Hastings, and Lake Elmo Park Reserve. mnoc.org
Girl with static hair
Spark Your Imagination
Get charged up with a hair-raising adventure at Ben Franklin’s Electricity Party at the Bakken Museum. Curious scientists can crank up an electrostatic generator, light a sparking sign, and charge a Leyden jar capacitor to make Franklin’s bells ring. Shock your friends and family when you bring the Bakken home with a virtual experience that allows you to build your own electric and enlightening gadgets. 3537 Zenith Ave. S., Mpls., 612-926-3878, thebakken.org
Become an Engineer
Join the ranks of Ada Twist, Scientist and Rosie Revere, Engineer at The Works, a hands-on, engineering-focused wonderland. Then, show off your skills with the at-home engineering kit, which you can use to create a circuit using a motor, wires, and a battery. 9740 Grand Ave. S., Bloomington, 952-888-4262, theworks.org
Photo courtesy of Science Museum of Minnesota
Woman and children performing science experiments
Be a Scientist
You haven’t really lived until you’ve been sneezed on in the Human Body Gallery at the Science Museum of Minnesota. After you run through the museum’s greatest hits, visit its website for detailed instructions on crafty experiments, like testing the strength of a crocodile’s jaw with paper and scissors or creating an archaeological dig from your trash. 120 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, 651-221-9444, new.smm.org
Scale a Helix
Test your speed and agility as you soar the twisted ladder of the three-dimensional vertical helix exhibit at Spark Children’s Museum of Rochester. The 16-foot maze, sponsored by Mayo Clinic, is part of a 7,000-square-foot space of interactive exhibits that focus on health, well-being, and a whole lot of dizzying fun. 1201 SW 12th St., Ste. 632, Rochester, 507-218-3100, sparkrochestermn.org
Plant a Bee Lawn
The folks at the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab give you the lowdown on anything from picking up the best pollinator-friendly plants to creating the right conditions for wild bee nests. beelab.umn.edu
