WHO: Mom Reporter Kristi and kids Wesley (3), Audrey (8) and Cobyn (11)
WHAT: MathRox at the Discovery Center (502 S.E. Broad St., Murfreesboro)
WHEN: Through Monday, May 27, 2019
TICKETS: $8 ages 2 and older
INFO: 615-890-2300 or explorethedc.org
On Presidents day, I took the kids to see the new MathRox exhibit at the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro. The Discovery Center has a rotating exhibit upstairs that changes out nearly every three months. MathRox is here through Monday, May 27. The features in MathRox were all made in-house, and they center around Kindergarten to third grade math standards.
The exhibit features brainteasers that kids can solve by working with tangram dissection puzzles and pattern magnets. There's also a large cube puzzle, a giant keystone arch challenge and a lot more fun stuff.
Everything in the exhibit inspires hands-on fun for kids of all ages. Audrey (8) and Cobyn (11) were captivated by the different puzzles and couldn't get enough of challenging each other to see who could jump the highest. Wesley, who is only 3, wasn't able to comprehend the reasons behind each experiment. However, he had no trouble exploring and finding things of interest to him. He was most impressed by the larger than life "sumball" machine in the middle of the floor featuring hundreds of brightly colored balls for him to play with.
MORE TO EXPLORE
After we finished exploring MathRox, we made our way around through the rest of the center. Wesley could not get enough of the model trains and the full size fire truck they have inside. Audrey and Cobyn spent most of their time in the Creation Station area building their own structures out of sugar cubes and toothpicks.
Near the end of our day we sat and watched an experiment that was being put on with vinegar and gas. The pressure from the trapped gas forced the top of the container to shoot up high into the air. Each kid was invited come up to try for themselves after explanation about the experiment. Audrey was thrilled when her top shot all the way up to the ceiling!
The Discovery Center is a fun, cost-effective way to spend your day if you have children ages 12 and younger. Parking is free and admission is only $8 (ages 2 and older). With rotating exhibits and new Creation Station experiments, it's a bargain to become a member because there is always something new to do. The $100 Discovery Membership for two adults and up to four children in the same household. The Discovery Membership includes these perks:
science experiment.
• Unlimited admission for one year
• Free admission to special events
• Invitations to exclusive members-only events
• Discounts on birthday parties and camps
• Priority enrollment in camps
• 10% discount in the gift shop
• $3 off admission for any guest attending with member
The Discovery Center also offers special event nights such as Parents' Night Out that the kids are begging me to try out. The size of the center is manageable. It allowed my older kids have a sense of independence as I was able to keep my eyes on them if they moved ahead faster than Wesley.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit and plan to come back to experience the next exhibit that debuts this summer.
