Did you know that there are a variety of add-ons to make your Play Street party truly memorable?  This cat-tastic party theme stole the show with cheetah spots, accents of pink, and an artistic add-on, canvas painting! Canvas painting can  be added on to any birthday party or special event. We provide the canvas, easels, and paint and your kiddo and their friends bring the creativity. The canvas that is painted makes a great keepsake for your child to remember their special day. If you love to have your birthday at Play Street year after year, an add-on like this is a great way to mi ..read more

There are 8 planets in our solar system but most of them are very far away. Astronauts haven’t been able to travel to most of the planets but we know what they look like because of the images we have seen that were taken by the Hubble Space telescope. We know that Mars is mostly red because of the gasses that it is made of. We know that Venus is yellow because of the sulfuric acid that makes up its atmosphere. Earth is called the blue planet, can you guess why? (hint: we are the only planet that we know of that you can swim on). Have fun reinforcing this concept with this exciting swirling ear ..read more

Children love to help their grown ups and the garden is the perfect place to do so. Whether you’ve got a large backyard garden or just one pot and a small amount of soil, don’t underestimate the benefits of getting your child in on the gardening fun. As children help to dig in the soil, drop in a seed, water a plant, and watch it grow, they get an up-close look at nature in action. This process can also help them develop an appreciation for planet Earth while building both their fine and gross motor skills. Grab your Earth Activity Kit from Play Street Museum for only $4. Inside you’ll find th ..read more

Recycling is a great way to show the earth some love. When you recycle, you convert something old that you might think of as trash into something new, that you can use again. You can recycle paper, cardboard, and plastic items by placing them in a recycling bin or taking them to a recycling center. Did you know that you can also recycle crayons? Check out the easy directions below to make your own recycled crayons. Materials Old, broken crayons- wrappers removed Muffin Tin Cupcake Liners Procedure: Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners Add a fe ..read more

Bees play an important role on planet Earth. They are pollinators which means that they help other plants to grow. As bees buzz around your garden, they pick up and transfer pollen from plant to plant. This helps to fertilize the plants that they touch which allows the plants to produce new ones. Without bees, the diversity of the types of plants and flowers that we have on planet Earth would greatly decrease and humans wouldn’t have the same foods to eat. Additionally, animals that rely on plants for their food would suffer too. This easy-to-do science experiment will give you an up close loo ..read more

Sink and float science experiments are so much fun for both younger and older children to explore. Have you ever tried experimenting to see what happens when you mix water of different temperatures? You might find that objects aren’t the only things that sink and float. Try this colorful activity out for a fun twist on the classic sink and float experiment!  Materials: Water 2 colors of food coloring Clear bowl or tub Procedure: Fill a cup with warm water and a couple drops of food coloring. Fill a cup with cold water and a couple drops of food coloring. Make a prediction, W ..read more

Chromatography is a science technique for separating a mixture- and it’s a really big and fun word to say! Grab your little scientist and prepare your lab for a fun and colorful science activity. Get ready to experiment with nature and have fun with chromatography! Materials: Leaves- find an assortment of colored leaves in the shades of red, orange, yellow or green. Dried, brown leaves will not work for this experiment. Rubbing Alcohol Cups Paper Towel- cut into strips Procedure: Prepare your cups- you will need one for each leaf. Crunch up or tear your leaf into small pieces and ..read more

Experimenting with baking soda and vinegar is a staple in early childhood science. As children experiment with these materials, they are observing a chemical reaction. When the vinegar is dropped onto the baking soda, the two mix to form carbon dioxide. You will see this create bubbles that pop and fizz. If your child loves the fizzy fun that mixing baking soda and vinegar provides, here is a fun twist for you to try!  Materials: Baking tray or pie pan Baking soda Vinegar Dropper Food coloring Procedure: Cover your baking sheet or pie pan with a thin layer of baking soda ..read more

Symmetry is a term that refers to two sides of an object being made of similar parts. The line that divides the two parts of an object is called an axis. On items that are symmetric, both sides of the axis look almost exactly alike. You can find examples of symmetry all throughout nature. Starfish, snowflakes, and sunflowers are all symmetric.  Bugs often display symmetry as well. You can see examples of this on a butterfly’s wings, the legs of a spider, and even a lady bug’s spots. This week at Play Street Museum we’ve got the cutest kit for insect enthusiasts. Stop by for play time and ..read more

It’s probably safe to say that most of us don’t want to cuddle up next to a bug, even if they are beneficial to our planet. They can be great teaching tools for kiddos however, and are often a favorite topic for children to explore. When learning about bugs, children can gain an appreciation for the environment and can begin to understand how a little thing can make a big impact. Scientists theorize that one third of the world’s food production depends on bees. Spiders are said to be essential predators as they control the population of insects that threaten crops and vegetation. As children l ..read more