Games for the brain

Mon., May 15, 2006

Bethany Monroe Staff writer

Take a peek

Get a sneak peek at the new exhibits coming to Mobius Kids by checking out the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Web site for traveling exhibits: www.omsi.org/store/traveling/

Click on Brain Matters and Brain Teasers 2

Did you know …

•As your brain grows, it folds in on itself. If you were to spread out all the folds, your brain would be the size of a pillowcase.

•Humans don't have the biggest brains, but they are more complex than any other animal.

•The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body and the right side of your brain controls the left.

•A live brain feels squishy and is so soft, a butter knife could easily slice through it. Luckily, it's protected by your skull, which is made up of 28 bones.

•A newborn baby's brain weighs about one pound, but it will grow to three pounds by the time they are an adult.

Sources: http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/ noflash/body/pg000135.html and www.idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/ season3/brain/facts.html

Brain games

Check out Neuroscience for Kids, a Web site developed by a University of Washington psychologist. It's full of facts and figures about the brain, as well as links to brain themed e-cards, online games and puzzles and more: http://staff.washington.edu/ chudler/neurok.html

School will be out in just a few more weeks, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for kids’ brains to take a vacation.

Brain Matters and Brain Teasers 2, traveling exhibits from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, will open Saturday at Mobius Kids in the lower level of River Park Square.

The Brain Matters exhibit will allow children and adults alike to learn about how the human brain works. Visitors can compare MRI and CT scans of healthy and unhealthy brains, examine brain models and take a close-up look at real, freeze-dried human brains. The exhibit also features an interactive unit demonstrating the effects of alcohol and drugs on the brain, said Mary Brandt, director of exhibits and programming at Mobius Kids.

The second exhibit, Brain Teasers 2, challenges visitors to put their own brains to the test, experimenting with a variety of puzzles and games that require creative thinking and problem solving skills.

“They’ll have the opportunity to look at (the brain) and then come and do these fun puzzles,” Brandt said.

Mobius Kids will host the exhibit through Sept. 10.

The children’s museum aims to feature exhibits that relate directly to the Spokane community, said Gage Stromberg, executive director of Mobius Kids.

“With Brain Matters we felt that it was a good tie-in with our substantial medical community,” Stromberg said. “Every kid approaches these exhibits in a different way. Kids learn about whatever they get interested in.”

The brain exhibit also relates to Cooper’s Corner, a new permanent exhibit designed to teach children about traffic safety. The exhibit is named for Cooper Jones, a 13-year-old Spokane resident who was killed in a bicycle accident. Part of the exhibit’s goal is to teach children about the importance of wearing a helmet to prevent brain trauma, Brandt said.

Mobius Kids features a variety of other permanent exhibits. Children can gaze at “Leggy Peggy,” a live tarantula, or use costumes and props to put together their own show on the museum’s stage. The Bayanihan Village gives children a chance to explore life in the Philippines and the Rocket launcher allows children to design their own paper rocket and test its flight.

Admission is $5.75 for adults and children older than one year. A family membership for unlimited visits is $60 a year.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members are allowed to enter one hour early this weekend to explore the new brain exhibit.

For more information, visit www.mobiusspokane.org or call (509) 624-KIDS.

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