My family is always looking for educational fun in the Dallas area, and we were so excited to be invited to the Eyellusions exhibit at the Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco. If you’ve never checked out Sci-Tech Discovery Center, you are missing out on a unique experience. The name says it all. Children are able to experience and discover science and technology through hands-on play and exhibits.
Eyellusions
The Eyellusions exhibit features over 20 separate optical illusions. Each one is explained and shown. Some of them are very hands-on so kids (and grown ups) can give them a shot. My kids loved trying out the Time & Teleportation Machine the most!
You can check out these and more:
The incredible Zoetrope: 8 feet wide pre-film animation device where 12 wooden horse sculptures appear to be running.
The Alice in Wonderland Ames room: Guests can enter and look big or small depending on their position in the room. The whole display is inspired by the revelations in David Day’s Decoding Wonderland book.
Time machine: Using a pepper’s ghost effect, enter a “time machine” and seem to disappear before the audience.
Movie theater: Vintage-looking theater with a stage for magicians to perform shows. For times when a live performance is not scheduled, a short film called “Rescue on Mars” will be playing. It emulates old cinema techniques and shows you just how simple these practical effects can be recreated at home.
The dress: Oh yes, you remember the dress that swept the internet, right? In this exhibit, there is a Victorian version of the infamous black and blue (or white and gold) dress that “broke the internet” will be displayed. Play with the light intensity and discover what makes it change color.
My kids had an awesome time trying everything out. In a day and age where computers are everywhere, I appreciated that none of these included any computers or tablets. My kids were able to use their own hands to manipulate several displays. Others just required them to stand in a certain spot to make observations with their eyes or to move their bodies around to manipulate what others saw.
It was all interactive and a lot of fun. The exhibit is a manageable size for families, as well. Giving my kids free reign to go at their own pace was easy here.
Sci-Tech Discovery Center
There are STEM activities galore throughout the permanent exhibits. My children, from 1 to 10, loved checking everything out. Bubble tables, building experiences, building and racing mini cars, 3D Tic Tac Toe, building a molecule. Everything was wonderfully interactive and open-ended.
My kids enjoyed doing the hurricane experience. It was $2, but several of my kids, and my husband, were able to fit in there. They got to experience gusts of wind going faster than our vehicle! It was exciting for all of them. My kids told me they were glad we didn’t live near any hurricanes.
Sci-Tech Discovery Center offers many fun activities during the year. They had Halloween and fall break activities earlier this year. Now, you can sign your pre-k through 3rd grade children up for Winter Break Camp. Sci-Tech Discovery Center also hosts storytimes and offer several science-themed birthday party packages as well.
Looking forward to checking out Eyelussions? Hurry! The exciting Eyellusions exhibit is only around until January 3, 2016. Plan your family’s trip to this unique experience today.
The Sci-Tech Discovery Center is open Tuesday-Sunday. It is located at 8004 N. Dallas Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034.
