Mad Science gave more than 30 campers and their parents a chance to try fun experiments on everything from conducting electricity to, and even making artificial snow. 

When Dr. Diane leads a science class, it’s far from a lecture – it’s a hands-on, giggle-inducing hour of non-stop fun. She started off the session by having the kids mix different colored liquid to make new colors, then taught them how to make their own lava lamp by adding oil and water to the same tube.  

Next, she had participants blowing up plastic tubes using Bernoulli’s Principle (which shows it’s easier to blow up the tube by blowing from a few inches away from the opening rather than directly into it), and demonstrated how changing air temperature and pressure can suck a hard-boiled egg – or even water – into a jar with nothing more than a candle or some matches. 

That would seem like enough fun to fill an hour, but Dr. Diane had more tricks up her sleeve. She also provided “energy sticks” that allowed participants to create electricity by touching both ends of the stick – or by joining hands with someone else and having each person hold an end of the stick. She even got three and four people to make a circle and light the stick between them. She called it a Thanksgiving trick that the whole family will remember. 

Finally, we used special ingredients from the science kit that each family received to make artificial snow. It was a great way to end the session as we head into the holiday season, thanks to Dr. Diane Schnoor, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, and Steve Spangler Science, who donated the supplies that made our magical science possible.  

For more upcoming fun, visit specialove.org!