Updated 28 Feb 2021
Parties
Science Parties
Contact me for advice on planning your own science party. I no longer give science parties myself, the only possible exception being parties in Cloverdale, where I live. I stopped around 2014, when I taught at a school in Ukiah instead. One factor was the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, which was up and running full steam, doing some of what I was doing and a lot of other wonderful things too, with a bigger staff, a bigger budget, and closer to major population centers.
Giving a science party was a lot of fun – and a lot of time packing and unpacking the car, driving, planning and rehearsing. I rarely got around to marketing, as non-business concerns competed for my time. After I finished my year teaching in a charter school, my father broke a few ribs, and I spent several months in Florida helping him. When I returned, I figured I would give a party if anyone called me up, but as my website was mostly inactive, I slipped in Google rankings, and nobody called. (Some people found their way to some of my writings, but most lived elsewhere.)
Now I have a house full of science materials for kids, and should you or anyone you know want any, please contact me. I would be happy to show you ways to use them, too.
Book Parties
I do not give these parties anymore either. I still have a couple of boxes of colorful and engaging Barefoot Books and a box of the smaller Folkmanis puppets, which I plan either to sell or donate to worthy causes one of these days. If interested, please contact me.
Historical
Below is what I wrote about science parties, which I am leaving here to inspire others. This is not rocket science – well, some of it is 😉 – and learning how to give these hands-on science experiences is not difficult. Good places to learn more are Steve Spangler’s books and website (and that is not an affiliate link; I just really admire his work. In fact, nothing on this page is an affiliate link.)
A science party is a science presentation with gifts and food added. Often it is held outside, where we can make spectacular messes that wash away easily.
The show begins with a fun concentration of magical (yet explicable) science demonstrations within a preselected theme of your choice. At the end, we pass out activities and instructions for the children to try later. At your discretion, we will even stick around afterwards for a hands-on workshop1.
Popular Science Party Activities
- Dinosaur Dig
- Dazzling Electricity Demos
- Rocketry and Fun Forces
- Clever Chemistry
- Rings of Smoke and Gaseous Eruptions
Optional add-ons2
- Food science of your choice: ice cream made with dry ice, real fruit juice with dry ice carbonation, or exploding kernels of corn. A small science lesson will accompany the creation of these delicacies. After making, we will consume the results, of course.
- Helium balloons.
- A cake or cupcakes with a science theme. We are currently working with a local baker and are negotiating available options, but possibilities are a cake made to look like a volcano, space ship or dinosaur, as well as a lower-cost stencil design.