Brain Lab for Kids

Brain Lab for Kids offers 52 family-friendly activities, science experiments, and models to help you understand how the brain accomplishes all that it does.

Riding a bicycle, learning a new language, catching a ball, reading a book: these activities and everything else we see, hear, feel, and do are made possible by the soft, whitish-pink substance inside our heads called the brain. These hands-on projects will give you a new appreciation for your brain and the many amazing things it does for you.

Have fun learning:

• how cerebrospinal fluid works by dropping eggs held in containers, with and without water.
• about touch receptors by making a touch maze with glue and cardboard.
• how people filter out unneeded sound by conducting a listening experiment.
• how vision interacts with taste and smell by tasting colored drinks.

The labs are organized by unit themes: The Neuron, The Brain, Reflexes, Taste, Smell, Vision, Touch, Hearing, Sleep and Body Rhythms, and Memory. The "What's Going On" section for each lab explains the science behind the fun. "Brain Facts" are interesting, and perhaps surprising, bits of trivia related to each lab. Finally, "Thinking Deeper" has suggestions for taking the lab further.

The expanding field of brain science, also called neuroscience, offers the opportunity for all of us to learn about ourselves and others, and how we can better communicate, motivate, inspire, and just plain collaborate together.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus--all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.