We recently spent the day at The Discovery Cube OC. I thought that Athena would enjoy a few hours there and then be ready to go home, but she fell in love with the place! Their mission to inspire, educate and impact is brought to life through an interactive environment where children and adults can discover new things for themselves through activities and experiences.
These were our three favorite exhibits at The Discovery Cube OC:
Science of Hockey
At the Science of Hockey exhibit, we put on a helmet, grabbed a hockey stick and explored the fascinating world of hockey. As Canadians, it’s in our blood to gravitate toward all things hockey and hockey related. Athena turned on her imagination as she sat in the Zamboni seat, she suited-up for a game with real hockey pads, she practiced her skills on a hockey net and she tested her radio voice as she announced a game in the broadcast booth with her dad.
We felt the goalie practice was a little too advanced for her, but every other activity in this section brought a smile to her face. She couldn’t stop laughing when she heard her and her dad on the radio and she returned four times to shoot at the virtual goalie. When I asked her what was her favorite part of the center, she immediately said the hockey place.
The Rock Climbing Wall
We had considered taking Athena to in-door rock climbing before but worried that it was too advanced for her and she’d lose interest after the first five minutes. The climbing wall at The Discovery Cube OC proved us wrong. When she saw the wall, she pulled off her shoes and made a run for it. She tested the different sections and focused on the skill behind it. I watched her, at three years old, study the wall for the easiest route. She then would give it a try and study every move before making it. After 30 minutes of playing on the wall, I finally convinced her to go up stairs and discover something else. If we had a harness or a large area, she would have easily stayed for an hour. It’s encouraging to watch her test her skills in many different areas to let her discover what she likes for herself.
Spooky Science
Obviously the Spooky Science exhibit is temporary but it was still one of our favorites. Athena has an obsession with skeletons and there was an entire section dedicated to putting a skeleton together and looking at x-rays. She’s so much like her father! I watched her looking at all the pieces and processing/placing them into categories. It’s way more analytical than I am and she’s only three. I think she has a future in science or technology.
Why The Discovery Cube OC?
Orange County has dozens of options for family-friendly activities and experiences so we like to test the waters and see which ones are a good fit for us. The Discovery Cube OC has over 100 hands-on, interactive exhibits that encourage Athena to think in different ways and analyse things. They also have temporary exhibits that keep things fresh. We love encouraging Athena to participate in hands-on education and she can certainly find that at The Discovery Cube OC.
Have you been to a great hands-on science center? Even as an adult, there is so much to learn and explore at centers like this.
Bucket List Publications 
Sounds like a wonderful place and a good time was had by all.
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My husband is definitely a Science based person so we feel like it’s important to introduce it to our daughter at a young age as well.
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Looks super fun!
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Sounds great!
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Museums are so much more hands on and interactive these days. I can spend a whole day in them! I love taking friends kids because it gives me an excuse to get stuck right in! Once our local museum did “a night at the museum” evening. It was so much fun. We had torches and went around the exhibits in the dark doing a scavenger type hut on the way. Very cool!
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A night at the museum sounds awesome. What a great idea! I’m going to look into it here and see if they have one in SoCal.
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Great place! Wanna bring kiddos in the family in here.
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We’ve been to something similar, but yours sounds so much more fun!
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I want to help put the skeletons together! –Curt
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I totally took time to do part of it myself. We had just as much fun as Athena.
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How could you not? 🙂
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Reuben H Fleet Space Center in Balboa Park, San Diego, is the closest we have to a place like that. There’s even a planetarium with a floor-to-overhead screen for nature and science videos. Pretty cool– even for us big kids.
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This sounds awesome. I’ll put it on my list for my next visit to San Diego.
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If you have a trip to San Francisco planned, The Exploratorium is a great interactive museum- though I haven’t been since they move it from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Embarcadero. We’ve passed the Cube on our trips to Disneyland and I’ve always wondered what was in there. I may have to try to find time to stop there next time I’m in SoCal.
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We are visiting San Francisco in 2016. Thanks for the tip. It’s on my list now.
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I think it’s great to introduce kids to this kind of environment at a young age.
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Me too. My husband is so Science focused that I’m sure it will be part of Athena.
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At every age, the science museums have been a hit for Tara. Here in Portland we have OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and when we lived in Boston, of course we love the Boston Museum of Science. It’s so much fun to take your kid and find out what they are inspired by!
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You know, I’ve never been to Portland. I hear so many good things. I think I’ll put it on my 2016 bucket list.
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If you do make it here, you must consider relying on my hospitality. I am totally serious. I have a great big home and I’d be happy to show you to the high points of the city.
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This looked very cool!
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