Education – Outreach Programs
Can’t bring your class to The Magic House? Let The Magic House come to you! More than 25,000 students every year participate in Magic House programs in their own schools, libraries, camps and child care facilities.
Two outreach program formats – Learning Lab Programs and Interactive Presentations – allow the museum’s staff of traveling educators to reach a large number of students in a short amount of time.
For further information or to make a reservation, please contact the Education Department: educationinfo@magichouse.org.
Special Discounts
Outreach Special — October and November 2011
This fall (October and November) The Magic House is offering daytime outreach programs for half price. Call early to make your reservation before this good deal sells out.
Education Program Fund Scholarships
FREE field trips and outreach programs are available to schools that serve 50% or more free and reduced lunch students on a first-come, first-served basis. Thanks to these generous donors who contributed to The Magic House Education Program Fund which enables all students to have access to free learning experiences.
Science Learning Lab Programs
Science Learning Lab Programs transform ordinary school environments into extraordinary science learning labs. These programs require 10 adult volunteers and space to accommodate 10 learning stations. Schools may schedule up to three sessions per day. The same program must be presented at each session.
$200 one session per day
$250 two sessions per day
$300 three sessions per day
Fees are based on schools within a 25-mile radius of The Magic House. For schools beyond that distance, please add $1.50 per mile.
| Waterworks | K to 5th grades |
Explore the properties of water when you dive into this interactive investigation. Learn about water purification, surface tension, water pressure, the impact of water on the environment and more.
Program Length: 50 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Earth Systems
| Saving the Great Outdoors | 1st to 5th grades |
In this hands-on science program, the impact of human activity on the environment is emphasized as children learn about recycling, water purification, oil spill clean-up and environmental science.
Program Length: 50 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Science, Technology and Human Activity
| Simply Machines | 3rd to 5th grades |
Students discover how simple machines play a part in everyday life as they investigate wedges, screws, levers, inclined planes and the wheel and axle.
Program Length: 50 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Force and Motion
| Watt's Up With Electricity | 3rd to 5th grades |
The fundamentals of electricity and magnetism come to light in this program. Students create a working flashlight from a soda can, construct an electromagnet and become enlightened about electrical safety.
Program Length: 50 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Matter and Energy
| Force and Motion | 3rd to 5th grades |
Newton’s laws come to life with this hands-on approach to learning the basics of force and motion. Experience the effects of friction and gravity on objects in motion. Explore contact and non-contact forces and the basics of inertia while discovering how potential and kinetic energy affect a marble’s average velocity.
Program Length: 50 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students
GLEs: Science 3-5: Force and Motion
Science Interactive Presentations
Interactive Presentations are delivered by a Magic House museum educator and are designed for classroom or assembly settings depending on the size of the audience.
| Sense-sational Science | Preschool |
This hands-on exploration of the senses lets kids see the world through rose-colored glasses, chime in on a listening experiment and learn how the senses work.
Program Cost: $80 (minimum two sessions)
Program Length: 30 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 20 students
GLEs: Comm. Arts K-4: Matter and Energy
Thanks to a generous grant from PNC, a limited number of qualifying schools will participate in this program free of charge.
| Water Wonders | Preschool |
Put on your raincoat, push up your umbrella and wade through a storm of wet and wild experiments! Find out how liquid can defy gravity, experience shower power, learn how paper can stay dry under water and discover even more watery wonders.
Program Cost: $80 (minimum two sessions)
Program Length: 30 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 20 students
| Science Spectacular | 1st to 5th grades |
Students will be amazed as they learn about air, flabbergasted as they learn about force and motion, and mystified as they watch objects roll uphill in this program that develops scientific inquiry skills.
Program Cost: $150
Program Length: One hour
Size Limit: Maximum 75 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Matter and Energy, Force and Motion
| Show Me Science! | 1st to 5th grades |
See the amazing power of air, celebrate your center of gravity and observe the shocking effects of electricity. This demonstration utilizes flying paper, chirping chicks and sinking soap to illustrate everyday physics.
Program Cost: $150
Program Length: One hour
Size Limit: Maximum 75 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Matter and Energy, Force and Motion
| Fantastic Physics | 1st to 5th grades |
Predict and observe what happens when air, water, energy and sound work alone and with other substances. The remarkable reactions illustrate physics in action, including an incredible shrinking marshmallow, a glove that waves itself and packing peanuts that disappear!
Program Cost: $150
Program Length: One hour
Size Limit: Maximum 75 students
GLEs: Science K-5: Matter and Energy
| A Little Bit of Arts and Science | Preschool |
This interactive program brings parents and children together for science discovery and fun. Let us create a memorable family event at your school with this hands-on investigation of air, color, magnets and more.
Program Cost: $200
Program Length: 45 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 50 students and their accompanying adults
Thanks to a generous grant from the PNC Foundation, a limited number of qualifying schools will participate in this program free of charge.
Math Interactive Presentations
| Math With Clifford | Preschool |
It’s big fun for little learners! After listening to a Clifford tale, children sort the Big Red Dog’s belongings to discover simple math concepts of counting and size order.
Program Cost: $80 (min. two sessions)
Program Length: 30 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 20 students
| Measuring With Clifford | Kindergarten |
Clifford went on vacation and left some of his belongings behind. Students explore measurement and use non-standard units of measure to figure length, width and capacity as they pack a box to send to Clifford.
Program Cost: $90 (min. two sessions)
Program Length: 45 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 20 students
GLEs: K-4: Measurement
| Money With Clifford | 1st grade |
Students explore how money can be saved or spent as they learn to count and sort money. Children “shop” in a pretend pet store to buy Clifford and his friends some canine necessities.
Program Cost: $90 (min. two sessions)
Program Length: 45 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 30 students
GLEs: K-4: Measurement
Thanks to a generous grant from Citi, a limited number of school groups will participate in each Clifford financial education outreach program free of charge.
Early Literacy Interactive Presentations
| Sounds With Seuss | Preschool |
Romp through the wonderful world of sounds based on Dr. Seuss’ Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? After the story, children are encouraged to recall sounds from the book and identify mystery sounds.
Program Cost: $80 (minimum two sessions)
Program Length: 30 minutes
Size Limit: Maximum 20 students
| Seuss on the Loose | Kindergarten |
Learn all about the author who has enchanted generations of children, join in a rhyming game and create a silly Seuss-like story. This interactive literacy-based program is designed to help children read, rhyme and recognize simple words.
Program Cost: $150
Program Length: One hour
Size Limit: Maximum 60 students
GLEs: Comm. Arts K-2: Reading Phonemic Awareness and Phonics