Spring Break Adventure: the California Science Center

Let's get back to the events of spring break, now that we're a mere 5 weeks from summer vacation. The girls had the day after Easter off, so we drove to L.A. to the California Science Center. That place is incredible. I'd wanted to go there after seeing in a magazine that is one of the top 10 children's museum's in the country, and it lived up to the hype. Here are my girls with my cousin Alec, visiting from Utah with the rest of his family. This contraption behind them is one of those things you talk into on one end and listen on the other, which we've seen at many a playground, only it was ginormous and swirly, which made it all the more fun.

The museum had an impressive aquarium, which delighted Gwen. She loves fish.

The "desert room" recreated a desert habitat, complete with tortoise, scorpions, lizards, and a simulated rainstorm and flash flood every 10 minutes. Here Brenna gets hit by the water.

The "arctic room" had an ice wall. Ava was using two pads to see which type of animal insulation was better, fat or feathers. Fat won.

Still in the arctic room, Brenna rode the snowmobile.

Outside you could look at the aquarium from above, touch sea creatures such as starfish and sea cucumbers, and see what it's like for a barnacle to try to catch food. This box had ping pong balls flying around in it and you could reach through the stationary arm with limited mobility and try to catch the food (balls). Here's Brenna being a barnacle.

Nate goofed off during our lunch break.

Other cool things at the museum included earthquake simulators and construction labs, creating "snowstorms", seeing jellyfish, exploring the little kids' playspace, and learning all about animals and their habitats.

We only visited a fraction of the museum and look forward to going back this summer!