At first look, the Science of Hockey exhibit at the Discovery Cube Los Angeles, look like a cool, interactive exhibit in which kids can have fun learning about hockey, but in reality, it is so much more. The exhibit, sponsored by the Los Angeles Kings through the organization’s Kings Care Foundation, introduces children of all ages to the academic language of science in a meaningful way that allows them to “experience” science first-hand. The exhibit takes concepts that may seem abstract or difficult to comprehend in a text book and brings them to life so that children (and their parents) can learn about scientific concepts in a meaningful way. Experiencing scientific principles in this way will go a long way when these same (and similar) concepts are introduced in school, as children will be able to tap into their prior knowledge and apply what they have experienced to what is being taught. A child’s ability to tap into prior knowledge and experiences is a very, very important factor in a student’s ability to understand a subject and do well in school.

Check out our video on just how much fun learning the languge of science can be!

Energy Transfer

In this part of the exhibit, children learn about the force and energy hockey players needed to hit a hockey puck fast and far, including gravity, potential energy and kinetic energy.

Friction

Experimenting with different surfaces, visitors learn how friction (or a lack of friction) effects the motion of an object

Reaction Time

Visitors learn about reaction time–the brain’s ability to receive information and send a signal to the part of the body that needs to react to a given stimulus.

Different States of Matter (and how a Zamboni works)

Children get to see, first-hand, that how a Zamboni shaves and cleans the ice and also teaches the different states of matter–melting, freezing, evaporating and condensing.

Healthy Living

One of the museums core goals, in addition to teaching visitors STEM principles is teaching the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Visitors can learn about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how they can build strong muscles and bones at the Coach’s Corner and Skater Challenge.

There is so much for kids to learn and experience at the Science of Hockey and a similar exhibit, sponsored by the Anaheim Ducks, is also available at the Discovery Cube OC near Disneyland.

The second Sunday of every month, Bailey (the Kings mascot), the Kings Ice Crew and other team representatives join Discovery Cube staff to offer visitors even more opportunities to get to know hockey. In addition, each month, Cube staff teach visitors about healthy living or a scientific principle!

For more information on the Discovery Cube Los Angeles, click here. For more information on the Discovery Cube in Orange County (near Disneyland) click here. This post is sponsored as part of my Mom Ambassador role with the Discovery Cube LA. As a credential teacher and former reading intervention specialist, all opinions are my own and based on my time as an educator, and of course my biggest life role–that as a mother of three.