Discovery Lab Teaches Children Science With Educational Experiments

Discovery Lab at the Gathering Place is all about learning through play and making it fun.

At the Science Lab, kids get educational experiences through experiments.

"One of the things that we love to do in the Science Lab here at Discovery Lab is we look at ordinary things under extraordinary circumstances. And so here in the lab, we're able to reduce the pressure or chill things down using liquid nitrogen,” said Director of Education Chip Lindsey.

Lindsey says pressure is all around us, most of the time we don't realize it.

"The interesting thing is that we live at the bottom of a giant ocean of air,” Lindsey said.

One experiment shows air sucked out of a jar with a vacuum device. A beaker inside the jar is sealed with a plastic glove, so when the air is removed from the jar, it inflates the plastic glove.

Lindsey says the properties of water are another science theme this week.

He says it's a relevant topic with this week's changing weather. The sun is the main energy source.

"But the engine that really drives it is the water that’s on the planet,” Lindsey said.

The experiment uses a pot of boiling water. Then, the pot is sealed at the top to trap steam.

“When you change it from a gas to liquid, it releases that heat energy,” Lindsey said.

Ice cubes placed outside the pot cool down the steam, changing it back to water and causing it to boil again.

Lindsey says it's not magic, it's just science.

"Each of those takes normal things like water and subjects it to this really extraordinary experience,” he said.