Science Games

RICHMOND - Ready. Aim. Fire. Load a ball covered with rubber filaments into a giant slingshot and let it fly. Run a relay race with a twist. Fly a paper airplane you have designed. How long it can stay in the air? Find out at the Science Museum of Virginia's Science Games on Saturday, 14 Apr 2007, 11:00am - 3:00pm.

Aim for the bull's-eye in Catapult. Use a giant slingshot to make your mark with the squishy rubber ball. Compete to see who is best at hitting the target. Turn a piece of paper and one paper clip into an airplane designed to stay in the air as long as possible. Compete with your friends to see which plane is last to stop flying.

Gather a team for a different kind of race - Twice as Fast. You can walk or run down a course, but when you turn around and come back you must move twice as fast. There's a catch - you can't use a stopwatch. Create a small barge using aluminum foil at Build a Barge. How many pennies can you put in the barge before it sinks? Use paper, string, paper clips and rubber bands to make a parachute. Test it in Parachute Drop.

Prizes are awarded at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. The highest scores determine placement. Score tracking sheets are available at the registration table. Tidewater Community College Professor David Wright and his students have designed the games as a fun way to learn physics and explore science.

Science Games is included with exhibit admission. Science Museum exhibit tickets are $9 for youth ages 4-12, seniors who are 60+ and active military, and $10 for adults ages 13-59. Tickets for Science Museum exhibits and giant screen films including Dinosaurs Alive, Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey or Coral Reef Adventure in the IMAX^® DOME Theater are $17.50 for adults and $16.50 for youth ages 4-12, seniors aged 60+ and active military. Children 3 and under are free. The Science Museum is open Monday-Saturday, 9:30am - 5:00pm and Sunday, 11:30am - 5:00pm.

For Science Museum information call (804) 864-1400 or 1-800-659-1727. Log on to www.smv.org to access the Science Museum Web site. The Science Museum is located at 2500 West Broad Street. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 9:30am - 5:00pm and Sunday, 11:30am - 5:00pm.