Exploration Station: A STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) Lab for Kids

The FLEXHIBIT Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox allows users to physically create real-time topography complete with water flow and rain simulation. A 3D projector creates contour lines of sand allowing users to create certain features to see how water flows and effects the land, stream beds and watersheds. A wave of the hand allows users to create a water simulation of rain and water flowing through recreated features.

Circuit Bench by FLEXHIBIT is an interactive exhibit that lets users explore circuits in a fun and engaging way! Here’s how it works:

1. Make Connections: Users connect a maze of steel bars to complete a circuit. They can choose from short and long bars to create different paths.
2. Power Up Devices: Once the circuit is complete, users crank a generator to provide low-voltage power. This powers various items connected to the circuit, such as incandescent lights, LED lights, a ringing bell, a plasma disk, and spinning fans.
3. Energy Exploration: Users can see how activating different components changes the effort required at the hand-crank. It’s a hands-on way to learn about energy and circuits!

The FLEXHIBIT Magnet Basics exhibit covers the 4 basics of magnets: attraction, directions, poles and repulsion. Children are able to discover the effects of attraction between a magnet and various materials, directions as related to the compass and how electricity can behave like a magnet and its effect on the fields, visualization of the magnetic poles and repulsion between two similar poles and how they repel each other.

Build a structure on the FLEXHIBIT STEM Earthquake Shake Table, change the frequency of the seismic waves and see if your building can withstand the quake! This shake table allows users to explore the effects of vibration on physical structures by placing buildings made of various material on the Earthquake Shake Table. Children can manually change the frequency of the seismic wave of the table to test their engineering prototype.

Unlike the giant Lite Brite, the Everbright makes creativity instantly accessible to all. Each illuminated analog dial can rotate easily through a spectrum of hundreds of colors. The entire board resets after a few minutes of inactivity (or with the touch of a button). Anyone can turn a dial, so a baby can share the creative canvas with a group of tweens, toddlers, and parents, too.

2025
January – Thumbprint comics
February – Valetine marble making
March – Build a bug
April – Origami pets
May – Magnet mazes
September – Cyanotypes
October – Q-tip skeletons
November – Leaf rubbings
December – Snowflakes

San Bernardino County Museum and Foundation would like to thank San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their generous contribution to this exhibit and their continued dedication to the children of our community.