Head to our Facebook page for a series of online educational content. Take on engineering challenges, discover new science in your backyard, and more!
Video Series
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Simple Machines
Chances are you use simple machines every day without even thinking about it. Explore what simple machines are, learn about their history, and examine some common uses.
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Live for Little Scientists
Explore all the science you and your little scientist can do with basic household items and a little imagination.
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Put the A in STEAM
Use your science skills to make masterpieces! Paint, sculpt, and create while we learn the science behind art.
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Backyard Astronomy
Ever wondered what that bright thing is in the sky? Is it a star or a planet? Learn some basic constellations, planet identification, and other observational highlights to look for from your own backyard.
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Kid's Room Live
Get a sneak peak of our theme in the Kid's Room each month and try out an activity at home that goes along with it!
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MSC Explains
Our MSC educators explain science concepts with exciting experiments! Presented by Northrop Grumman.
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Dinosaur Tours with Maia
Go on a virtual tour around Dinosaur Mysteries at MSC with Maia the maiasaura! Join her as she learns about her ancestors.
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Maker Wednesday
Shed Staff live-streamed a sneak peek of the activity we're doing in the Shed each week after we reopened for you to try your hand at at home. Let's make something!
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Maker Monday
During our temporary closure, every Monday our Shed Staff live-streamed an at home maker activity for you to try your hand at. Let's make something!
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Animal Encounters
During our temporary closure, we're went wild on Wednesday's! Each week, we featured a new creature on our Facebook Live to tell you about what makes it unique!
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Storybook Nook
Welcome to the Storybook Nook! During our temporary closure, we got together virtually for story times and activities meant to spur little minds.
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Itsy Bitsy Sing Along
Everyone's favorite Kids Room activity is online! Sing along to our songs and join an activity to go with the theme.
Past Online Special Events
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Astro Adventure Online
Explore the universe like an astronomer by making a constellation view. Colonize the Red Planet and build your very own Martian base. Discover the wonders of meteor showers and more!
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Midnight Noon Online
Celebrate the noontime ball drop from the comfort of home! We'll be posting hands-on activities, a livestream performance by Grammy nominated Milkshake, and of course-- a countdown to the new year at noon!
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Flight Fest Online
Go sky high from the comfort of home! Create and test your own double loop glider. Blast off with DIY soda bottle stomp rockets. Explore the world of RC fliers and model planes with the Chesapeake Bay RC Club. Even take in a little bird watching with some local birds of prey from Irvine Nature Center!
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Who Dunnit Day Online
Solve the mystery of the ruined science fair project! Develop observation techniques to virtually gather clues from the mystery scene, then use forensic science right from home to determine who wrecked Josie's project. Can you piece together the clues to solve the mystery?
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Dino Day Online
Become a paleontologist right at home and roar with the dinosaurs! Go on some dinosaur adventures through videos and at-home activities. Make some dinosaur tracks, create a dino dig, study fossils and more!
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Mess Fest Online
Make a mess in the name of science! Try out some ewwy, gooey science you can do right at home with videos and Science at Home activities! Even get a peek at some of our demonstrations we’ll be doing here at MSC. Get ready for a messy day of science fun!
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Bubble Days Online
Pop in online for the best at-home bubble party with the help of science! Create your own bubble wands, bubble art, and bubble foam. Take on our bubble blowing challenges and witness some incredible bouncing bubbles! Even get a peek at some of our live demonstrations from here at the Maryland Science Center.
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Superhero Science Online
Transform into a superhero with us at Superhero Science! Learn how to embrace science as your super power with activities you can do right at home and online demonstrations and challenges!
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Magically May Online
Is it magic or is it science? Discover the science behind some tricks right at home with activities you can do right at home and online demonstrations and challenges! It might seem like magic, but we’re here to show you the science and how you can do it at home to wow your friends and family!
Mars Mission Challenge
We’re building a new community—on Mars! During our temporary closure, we introduced a new challenge about living on the red planet, and asked you to help us solve it! To view past events, click the week’s link that you are interested in. It will direct you to the Facebook event, where you can view the full description in the discussion tab.
Past Mars Mission Challenges
Community CenterLiving on Mars would be tough, and it would be important for our Mars community to have a place to come together! This week, we’ll be challenging you to create a community center.
Both Earth and Mars experience snowfall, but in very different ways. In this Mars community assignment, we’ll be challenging you to think creatively about the differences in Mars cold climate and how to study them.
We all know that Mars is reallyyyyy far away, and that could make communication between a community on Mars and Earth difficult. This week we’ll be tackling the best way to stay in touch between planets.
Over the past couple of weeks we’ve thought about housing, food, protection from dust storms, energy and even sports! Life on Mars would probably be dangerous and have a lot of unexpected challenges, including marsquakes. This week we’re asking you to think about how we can stay safe during mars quakes, just like we do here on Earth.
The Red Planet has a lot of secrets to share, but traveling on Mars could be a tricky business. This week, we’re thinking about how we could travel long distances on Mars, and what we’d need to explore it safely.
Something that we can’t forget about even while in space, is that a bunch of systems and processes necessary to human life also create waste! This week, we’re challenging you to create a solution for the waste that we create on Mars.
Over the past couple of weeks we’ve thought about housing, food, protection from dust storms, and energy. But in between all of the research and exploration, humans on Mars will also need entertainment and exercise!
For a lot of human comforts, energy is an absolute necessity. Finding and filtering water on Mars would definitely require power, and therefore we’d need a power source to live on Mars at all!
Today we’re going to need to create a way to get from place to place, despite Mars’ massive dust storms. Engineer a system that will allow us to access any part of our community, and will hold up to blowing dust storms, being covered in dust, and the extreme cold that we worked around last week.
We need you to design a Martian farm where we can cultivate delicious, nutrient rich foods. Will we need to eat new things when we make a home away from home, or can you engineer a farm that will allow you to enjoy your favorite Earth snacks in your Martian community?
Space suits make a safe bubble around humans with a good oxygen supply. However, relaxing on the couch, playing a board game in the living room, and cooking every meal in a space suit could get old fast. This week, design a house to live, and be comfortable in on Mars.
Backyard Biology Challenge
It’s time to get outside for some Backyard Biology! Check out our activities to help you explore the science of your own backyard! To view past events, click the week’s link that you are interested in. It will direct you to the Facebook event, where you can view the full description in the discussion tab.
Past Backyard Biology Challenges
RainbowsWe’re seeking out the rainbow of color in nature by making a nature color wheel. Watch the video below for instructions and then craft your own!
Join us for a Backyard Biology Challenge all about reducing waste! Learn how to set up your very own mini composting bin.
We’ve got an activity for you all about camouflage—a very important defense for a lot of backyard animals.
This Saturday, we’re blending biology with art for a fun and colorful activity!
This Saturday, we’re going to show you how to create your own sprout house and grow your own sprouts.
This Saturday, we’re going to be forming some hypotheses and conducting experiments! So what do you think—will it sink, or will it float?
Alright backyard biologists, it’s time to head outside! Today we’re creating our own naturalist guide by going outside and recording what you see.
This challenge has two parts to help you learn about plant biology! We’ll be talking about photosynthesis and transpiration—two very important life processes for plants.
We’re making unique suncatchers using items you can find in your backyard. First you’ll need need a mason jar ring (or cardboard cut in a ring if you can’t find one!), packing tape, and string.