I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! I took some time to unplug a little bit over the holiday, so I have very few photos of our Thanksgiving celebration. It was nice to be able to put the camera/phone down and not feel the pressure to get the perfect shot or document every moment of the day, but I'm kicking myself a little bit that I didn't at least get one shot of the kids in turkey hats or a photo of the insane amount of food we consumed! Three turkey dinners plus leftovers for days (weeks?)! Mim has taken it upon herself to single-handedly eat the remaining 10 pounds of mashed potatoes. Mac has been eating rolls like he's carb-loading for a marathon. The sweet corn didn't make it past the second meal. The stuffing was my best yet. And Ryan deep fried his own bird, just so he could eat as much as he wanted. We have a ton leftover and he only really likes the dark meat, so I'm planning on turning the white meat in a spicy hipster turkey ramen soup this week (recipe coming soon, I hope).
Anyway, I previously mentioned that Mac and I had the opportunity to attend a Mad Science winter/holiday event for bloggers last weekend, so I thought I'd share those photos instead of more photos of food. I'd never heard of Mad Science before we were invited, but I'm really impressed with what a fun concept and great idea this is. The premise behind the company is simple: get kids excited about science. And they really deliver. The holiday party was a cross between a magic show and a hands-on science lab. It had a bit of a "winter" theme, so some of the experiments were things like making fake snow, melting a styrofoam snowman and some fun stuff with dry ice. The kids got to see experiments done by the scientists, but they also got to participate in their own projects, like making slime and popping bubbles made from dry ice and soap, which released fog when popped (trust me, it was cool).
Mac was a bit on the young side of the attendees (recommended for kids age 4-12), but it definitely held his attention (and mine). He's not much for sitting still, but he did a great job and was fascinated by the experiments. The older kids were able to participate a lot more, since they had a better understanding of science and the questions, but I'm glad we went. It sparked a lot of curiosity from him about snow, fog, fire, slime and ice. This has me thinking that we need to start doing some fun experiments at home, like making a volcano, rock candy and the oil/water mixture ocean.
Mad Science doesn't have a physical location in St. Louis, so instead they come to you and can make any classroom, gymnasium, living room or conference room into a science lab. They offer summer camps, host special events and even do birthday parties. How much fun would a "science" themed birthday party be? All the kids could have safety goggles and lab coats...you could serve food and drinks out of test tubes and beakers...decorate with periodic tables and equations. I love it!
Oh, and did I mention they make cotton candy for you on the spot?! It was fresh, warm and delicious. I may have eaten my serving and Mac's. That alone was worth it!
So yeah, we had fun! I think this would be a blast for any school-aged kid, particularly if they're into science or magic. It looks like they're based out of Quebec, but have franchises all over the US, so it's not just a St. Louis thing. However, if you are in St. Louis and are interested in booking a party/event, just mention this blog and you save $20!
Are your kids into science?
Are there any science experiments you love doing with your kids?
*I attended this event free of charge in exchange for a review. All thoughts, opinions and original photography are my own.
