Personal History: 50/50 Be Silly Sometimes

While in Columbus this week, Mander and I stopped by the COSI Museum. Per their website:

COSI is a nationally esteemed science center that has delighted Central Ohio with all things science for 55 years, inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics and delivering our experiential, “hands-on fun” brand of learning. As a trusted educational resource for families, schools, and community partners, COSI is an essential element of our community, engaging more than one million people annually through onsite, offsite, and online experiences.

COSI – like science – is for everybody: all age, backgrounds and abilities. With this guiding belief, we serve as a pillar of learning and a cultural cornerstone committed to serving all members of our diverse community. Across our 320,000 square foot facility, we bring science to life through 300+ interactive experiences, nine galleries featuring world class traveling and permanent exhibitions, explosive live shows, our little kidspace® exhibit for learners birth through first grade, and a Planetarium. Outside our building, our award-winning educational outreach programs reach over 300,000 students annually in schools and community organizations across Ohio and neighboring states.

Whether a trusted educational resource, a cherished local tradition, or a critical player in downtown revitalization, COSI is an integral part of our community. In pursuit of our vision to engage, inspire, and transform lives, we serve as a beacon of accessible STEM learning for all. By providing families, teachers, and students with the tools and knowledge to pursue lifelong learning, COSI fosters and supports a STEM-literate community prepared to compete in the digital economy and overcome the challenges of the 21st century.

Through our commitment to being inclusive and accessible, more than 36 million memory-making engagements have been created by COSI through our on-site and outreach experiences since our opening in 1964.

Amanda had free entry as she is an educator. We paid an extra $5 to catch the planetarium exhibit. The museum is geared more towards children but that did not stop us from having all the fun. We learned about energy and how to be eco thoughtful. We learned about testicular cancer and how to check for it (though neither of us have to worry personally about that). We played on a harp with no strings. We say dinosaurs and planets. But the best part, was being childish in the very best sense of the word.

When you are too grown up to participate in the things that cause wonder in children, well – that is just plain sad IMO.

We learned things. We were entirely too loud in our conversations. We sneaked pictures during the space show. We tried out every hands on experience we could fit in. When we were leaving the museum we took our time through the sound garden, trying each instrument one after the other. When we had tired of that and were trying to decide where we wanted to eat, we sat in a huge metal swing, I turned my face to the sun and smiled.

I appreciate that it was a good day. I found joy in the wonderment of it all. I will never stop being a kid, even when I am old and grey.

Who am I trying to kid? I AM old and grey!

Here are a few snaps from the day!