Children’s Museum of Atlanta to send families ‘From Here to There,’ January 28 –May 29

How are objects transported across land, sea and air? Families are invited to find out during Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s latest feature exhibit “From Here to There,” moving into Atlanta January 28 –May 29! Developed by the Sciencenter in New York, this traveling educational exhibit will showcase 12 interactive stations and teach children about gravity, friction, the laws of motions and more physics-filled fun!How are objects transported across land, sea and air? Families are invited to find out during Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s latest feature exhibit “From Here to There,” moving into Atlanta January 28 –May 29! Developed by the Sciencenter in New York, this traveling educational exhibit will showcase 12 interactive stations and teach children about gravity, friction, the laws of motions and more physics-filled fun!  

“One of the reasons we love this exhibit is the many interactive components it offers for children and families,” said Jane Turner, executive director of The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. “It complements our Power of Play philosophy while speaking to the innate curiosity in all of us—answering the question of how things like planes, trains and cars work.”

The 2,000-square foot transportation exhibit will feature a variety of hands-on activities for children to experiment with motion, mechanics and simple machines. Inquisitive minds can explore what it’s like to ride on a cushion of air via a hovercraft; operate an authentic canal lock system, while moving a boat between two different water levels; discover how trains float in the air and travel and rapid speeds through magnetic levitation; and attempt to inflate a hot air balloon. As young visitors engage in the power of play with multiple learning stations, they will discover how planes, trains and automobiles get “From Here to There!”

There are 12 components of the “From Here to There” exhibit:

Air Tubes
Children will work in teams to send colored balls up the walls and through tubes from one station to the other in a rushing channel of air.

Earth Movers
*This experience is specifically designed for preschoolers!
How do simple machines move things? Youngsters will have a “ball” figuring it out in this ball-pit construction site. Using ramps, buckets and scoops, they’ll lift and load balls into a dump truck and move them around using simple machines.

Feel the Friction
Children will experience the forces that affect how things are moved across land and water. They’ll also learn which takes less effort – boat on train, train on tracks or cart on rough road – and what happens when you dry different weights to move them.

Give it a Lift
Kids will experiment with mechanical advantage by lifting different weights and finding out which method –pulleys, levers, pneumatics, and hydraulics – works best. 

Hovercraft/Mini Hovercraft
Children will twist, turn and learn to travel with ease as they experience a hovercraft and what it’s like to ride on a cushion of air. They’ll also have the chance to explore how air pressure makes the hovercraft move.

Mag-Lev
Families will discover how trains float in the air and travel at rapid speeds through magnetic levitation and explore the potential of transportation using magnetic forces.

Set Sail
In this fun water activity, children will learn to adjust rudder and sail angles, as well as send boats across a windy lake. Kids looking for a tougher challenge can even change the wind direction before directing the boat to the next port. 

Start Your Engines
Vroom, vroom! Kids will explore the inner workings of four important machines that power cars, airplanes, lawnmowers and snow blowers: the 2-stroke engine, 4-stroke engine, Wankel engine and Diesel engine.

Up, Up and Away
It’s time to turn up the heat to see how hot air balloons inflate and take to the skies. Children will learn what it takes to lift giant air balloons and have a turn at inflating one.

Water Ways
Kids will learn how to operate an authentic canal lock system, move a boat between two different water levels and practice adjusting the valves to raise and lower water levels in the lock.

Wing Thing
How does changing air flow affect the movement of wings? Young visitors will find out as they attempt to make the wing hover, flutter and soar.

Entrance to the exhibit is included in each regular admission to Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Admission for ages 1-100 is $14.95 (+tax). Children under 1 are free. For more information about the “From Here to There” exhibit at Children’s Museum of Atlanta, visit bit.ly/CMAFromHeretoThere. For more information or to support Children's Museum of Atlanta, visit childrensmuseumatlanta.org or call 404.659.KIDS [5437].

“From Here to There” was developed by the Sciencenter in Ithaca, N.Y., and funded by NSF through the TEAMS Collaborative. “From Here to There” is presented in Atlanta by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Major funding for this organization is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Georgia Power Foundation, Inc., and Ford Motor Company.