Birthday Parties

Here's what you need to know!

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Ages: 5-12 years old (choice of projects will vary based on age of participants)

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Scheduling: Most parties take place on Saturdays 

• 10:00 AM - Noon

• 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Other times may be available upon request (email us at party@rockvillesciencecenter.org to inquire)

Cost: The base rate for a 2-hour party for up to 6 children is $200. Additional guests are $25 each (maximum of 25 children). Adults don’t count towards the total. A $75 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. That amount will be applied to the total cost. The balance will be due on the day of the party.

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What's Included: Your 2 hour party will include a 90-100 minute science project of your choice led by one of our instructors. After the project is completed, you'll have 20-30 minutes for any refreshments that you'd like to bring in for your guests. Rockville Science Center provides the following supplies - project materials, paper plates, napkins, cups, forks, spoons, and tablecloth for refreshment table. Feel free to bring decorations, birthday cake, drinks, pizza, or other snacks.

Party Projects: Please select a project from the list below. Be sure to consider the age of the birthday child and the majority of their guests as you make your selection. We welcome guests under the recommended age to participate in the chosen project, but ask that a parent or other adult be available to assist them. A Lego corner will be available for younger guests who prefer to enjoy free play. Note: some projects result in a product that children may take home (ie, slime, catapults, 3D printing), while others (Lego robotics, Arduino) are for use at the Science Center only.

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Party Projects

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Ages 5 & older

• The Art of Science: Learn about surface tension and make your own creative marbling designs on milk or paper using food colorants and milk or water and acrylic paint. 

• Make Your Own Oobleck & Slime:  Make some magic ooey, gooey Oobleck and slime. Are these materials liquid or are they solid? Make your own and find out!

• Make a Lava Lamp & a Density Rainbow: Make a mini-lava lamp in a test tube that is activated by a chemical reaction and create colorful rainbow layers using substances that have different densities.

Ages 6 & older...all projects listed above, plus:

• Bath Bombs: Learn the chemistry behind the bubbly bath bomb and create your own to take home

• Fruit DNA extraction:  Extract DNA from fruit, learn about genotypes and phenotypes using our “monster DNA sequencer"

• Fruit Batteries: Learn how to build a battery with fruits and vegetables and challenge yourself to see which one generates the most power.

• Clay Brains - How the Human Brain Works: Make and color clay brains of insects, reptiles, fish, birds, mice, cats, and humans and learn how the human brain evolved. Make a human brain hat to take home!

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Ages 7 & older...all projects listed above, plus:

• Lego WeDo Robotics:  Build two projects (an airplane and a smart spinner or dancing birds) that include the use of sensors to make realistic sounds (note: party-goers will not bring Lego projects home) 

• Catapult Challenge:  Learn about stored energy and build a catapult. Participants will have the opportunity to test the accuracy and reproducibility of their catapults by competing to accurately hurl a projectile into a target. 

• 3D Design & Print - Lithophane: Learn how to 3D design basic shapes/objects and how to convert any picture into lithophane. 

• Electromagnetic Motors: Build a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy using the principles of electromagnetism and learn how this principle is used in our household appliances and electric vehicles.

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Ages 8 – 12...all projects listed above, plus:

• Lego Robotics Challenge: Build, program, and battle robots. Participants will design their robots to solve a series of real-world challenges, culminating in a friendly competition at the end of the party! (note: party-goers will not bring robots home). 

• All About Earthquakes: Learn all about earthquakes, create LEGO buildings and use a shake table to explore survivable solutions 

• Arduino Projects & Electronic Circuits: Learn how to program an Arduino to control basic electronic circuits 

• Laser Cutting & Engraving: Create a design using Inkscape and engrave and cut your design on leather, wood or plexiglass. The Science Center can provide 5"x6" wood board or 6"x6" leather hide for each participant. You can also choose to bring your own materials (max size: 8"x11") such as a wood or leather keychain fob for guests to engrave. Please check with us first to ensure that the item you’d like to use is suitable (for example, no compacted wood that contains glue).

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Reserve your date: You can reserve your party date by selecting your desired time below. You will be directed to complete an information form, noting your chosen project type and expected number of guests. We also require a $75 non-refundable deposit to hold the date. The remaining balance will be due on the day of the party. We ask that you provide a final number of participants at least 2 days prior to the party, so our instructor can plan accordingly. If you'd like to schedule a party on an alternate day not posted, you can email us to check availability.

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Still have questions? Contact us at party@rockvillesciencecenter.org.