Have you missed us? I have been otherwise occupied with a series of unfortunate dental issues amidst starting back to school and reorganizing the house after summer. But I had to report on our exciting adventure at the Maryland Science Center.
The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a family favorite even when they are not hosting a Harry Potter event or a sleepover. The Maryland Science Center is part of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, which means membership at the Maryland Science Center will allow you free admission into hundreds of science museums across the country.
The Maryland Science Center hosts a surprising number of sleepovers at a price significantly cheaper than many other museum sleepovers. When a friend alerted us there was to be a Wizard Academy sleepover, we bought tickets immediately. The best part about it was that the sleepover was open to kids 5 and up, which means Anne could join us for her first museum sleepover ever. Another bonus was that a family that includes close friends of both Anne and Clare were also at the event. The girls had so much fun experiencing the museum and the special events with their friends.
Perhaps my favorite part of the sleepover was the planetarium show. I did not know how they were going to make a planetarium show specific to Harry Potter. Boy, was I ever surprised. Most of the members of the Black family are named after stars (which, of course, received their names from mythology). Some examples: Bellatrix, Sirius (which is known as the Dog Star--a significant tie to Sirius's animagus), and Regulus. Merope Riddle is also named for a star. Other characters are named for constellations or even galaxies, such as Draco, Cygnus, and Andromeda.
Following the planetarium show, we went to Potions class in the SciLab. I was amazed by how orderly this proceeded. We proceeded from station to station following the detailed directions of how many drops of creatively named solutions we should add to our mixtures.
The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a family favorite even when they are not hosting a Harry Potter event or a sleepover. The Maryland Science Center is part of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, which means membership at the Maryland Science Center will allow you free admission into hundreds of science museums across the country.
The Maryland Science Center hosts a surprising number of sleepovers at a price significantly cheaper than many other museum sleepovers. When a friend alerted us there was to be a Wizard Academy sleepover, we bought tickets immediately. The best part about it was that the sleepover was open to kids 5 and up, which means Anne could join us for her first museum sleepover ever. Another bonus was that a family that includes close friends of both Anne and Clare were also at the event. The girls had so much fun experiencing the museum and the special events with their friends.
Perhaps my favorite part of the sleepover was the planetarium show. I did not know how they were going to make a planetarium show specific to Harry Potter. Boy, was I ever surprised. Most of the members of the Black family are named after stars (which, of course, received their names from mythology). Some examples: Bellatrix, Sirius (which is known as the Dog Star--a significant tie to Sirius's animagus), and Regulus. Merope Riddle is also named for a star. Other characters are named for constellations or even galaxies, such as Draco, Cygnus, and Andromeda.
Following the planetarium show, we went to Potions class in the SciLab. I was amazed by how orderly this proceeded. We proceeded from station to station following the detailed directions of how many drops of creatively named solutions we should add to our mixtures.
The Wizard Academy included its own Diagon Alley. The kids were able to make wands using a pencil and brown, gold and silver hot glue. At Flourish and Blotts, the young wizards made bookmarks by placing a cloth on a hot pan and allowing crayons to melt onto the cloth. There were plenty of wizard clothes to dress up at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. At Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the kids sucked on hard candy and smelled different scents to see how it changed the taste of the candy. We were also given a map to locate our own golden snitch.
Anne was getting quite tired as we reached Diagon Alley. Full days of Kindergarten have been taking their toll and this was her first sleepover. Just as we thought we would need to find a place for her to sleep, we ran into our friends and she got her second wind. The girls and their friends thoroughly explored the museum. One of the best things about this sleepover was that the kids were allowed to delve into the hands-on exhibits always present in the museum as well as the Harry Potter-themed activities. While not on topic, we had a fantastic time in the Dinosaur Hall and Newton's Alley.
Just before 11 p.m., we set up our sleeping bags on the second floor of the museum in a spot that overlooked Dinosaur Hall. Air mattresses were not allowed, so it was a tough night's sleep. But we dutifully woke up at 6:30 a.m. so we could pack our belongings and head to breakfast. The sleepover ended with a viewing of the IMAX movie Superpower Dogs, which my canine-loving daughters thoroughly enjoyed.
I fully recommend a sleepover at the Maryland Science Center.
I fully recommend a sleepover at the Maryland Science Center.
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