Science in Toyland

Orlando Science Center

Remember those science classes that were practically painful to sit through? What if you had toys to learn those same scientific principles? Now children can at Science in Toyland, which opened Jan. 30 and runs until early May at the Orlando Science Center.

The exhibit features several interactive areas, all designed to bring science to the world of toys. At Bridges and Cranes, for example, youngsters can use Tinker Toys to build a bridge that spans across a “valley.” They can experiment with different construction methods and learn which combination of shapes makes a sturdy truss or tall crane. At Roller Coaster, they can learn about acceleration and momentum by adjusting the incline of a racetrack. At Catch the Wind, they can discover the Bernoulli principle at work as they position the sails of a sail boat at different angles and watch how the wind causes the boat to move.

The Bernoulli principle? This exhibit is for grown-ups, too.