Oftentimes, we think of science as something really smart people do in lab coats. They’re wearing safety goggles, holding test tubes, and working with some really complicated equipment. Or maybe we think of scientists exploring the furthest flung corners of the globe, but the deepest depths of the oceans to the most remote peaks atop the highest mountains. That’s all true, but it’s equally true that science is everywhere. Opportunities abound even in your own backyard, and it’s with that thought that we approached the new Backyard Adventures feature exhibition at Science World.
Backyard Adventures takes over the 5,000 square foot space previously occupied by Arctic Voices. This time, instead of visiting with polar bears and arctic foxes, we take a closer look at the fauna and flora that’s all around us. We learn more about the complex relationships between plants and insects, for example. You can even “ride” around in Nectar Collector, flying from flower to flower as a buzzing honeybee.
Science in Your Own Backyard
As you should expect with Science World, the new Backyard Adventures feature exhibition features plenty of hands-on displays and interactive exhibits. There’s a good mix of the analog and the digital here, giving kids and scientists of all ages the opportunity to “connect with nature” and “uncover a trove of scientific wonders.”
We can overlook or take for granted what happens in our backyards. This exhibit enables visitors to see details they may not otherwise be able to observe, like what the world looks like through the eyes of a bee. Or the complex math and geometry that goes into paving a driveway. I mean, look at all those parallelograms. There are some very real world applications at play here, including at the Garden Shed where visitors learn all about building stuff.
Food Web Pond – It’s All Connected
When I was younger, schools mostly taught us about the food chain. Big things eat smaller things. Then, something even bigger eats the big thing. The reality is that a food web is more representative of what actually happens in nature. The interactive Food Web Pond highlighted the biodiversity you might find at a local pond. Up to four players can control four different creatures, all trying to eat without getting eaten.
Would You Like to Grow a Pumpkin?
Perhaps one of the more timely activities at Science World’s Backyard Adventures is Farmer Mick’s Giant Pumpkin Bonanza. In this game—which you can enjoy as a single-player or versus experience—you try to grow the biggest pumpkin that you can. For each season, you choose which fertilizer to use, how much fertilizer to use, and how much water to give. Select the right combination and you’ll have a gigantic gourd for the ages. Pick unwisely and it’ll die on the vine.
You can “walk through the seasons” on a treadmill, or test your listening skills with Critter Calls. Would you be able to identify the call of a raven, differentiating it from a crow? What other creatures do you hear when you look out your back window?
Hands-on Learning at Science World
“Backyards are shared spaces and communities, and they extend beyond the reach of one’s own personal living space and perspective,” said Science World President and CEO Tracy Redies. “We hope that Backyard Adventures will inspire people to get curious, make discoveries, and explore the wonders that exist in their own backyards.”
I’m very much about instilling and nurturing this natural sense of wonder in my kids. Max is barely a year old and he’s already as curious as can be. He wanted to touch all the plants and try his tiny hands at all the exhibits. Addie had a great time with Garden Golf, not to mention all the other fun stuff she gets to enjoy at Science World. Just about everything in the Eureka! Gallery is a huge hit with her.
Lots of Backyard Adventures to Explore
“The Backyard Adventures exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to explore the science and nature that our backyards offer,” said Cathy Brown, Director of Windsor Plywood Foundation, presenting sponsor of Backyard Adventures. “As an independently owned and operated business, we love supporting Science World, an iconic Vancouver destination. Through this exhibition, we hope to nurture a love and fascination for the outdoors by all who experience it,”
Tickets with timed admission are available now at scienceworld.ca. Backyard Adventures at Science World runs daily until January 14, 2022. Science World is open from 10am to 5pm, 7 days a week. Proof of vaccination is required for all visitors aged 12 and over. Masks are required for everyone aged 6 and over. Note that the Wonder Gallery is open, but operating at a reduced capacity.
Disclosure: Science World invited me and my family to check out their new feature exhibition at no cost to us. All opinions are my own.
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