Technopolis Mechelen

What can you discover in Technoplis? 

It is a place full of science and technology.  There are different rooms for example there is a place for the younger children where they can develop amazing roll play in the Pizzeria, supermarket, bank, garage, ... a huge building area and so much more to discover. There is lab where they can join experiments, a place to discover more about sounds and music and so on. Interested to know what else,  you will need to visit Technopolis. I will show you some experiments I joined there that are perfect to do in your classroom and even at home. 

Experiment making worms 

You want to know how this magic works? Try it for yourself.
What do you need: 1 small cup, 1 large cup, 1 small bowl, spatula, transparent stirring rod, 1 small plastic container lid, 1 syringe, scales and weighing dish for each person.
Ingredients: colourings, spray bottle with algin, calcium chloride, water jug.
Time for magic: put on a lab coat and gloves and read below the picture the instructions. 


Step 1: Squeeze about 40 ml of algin from the bottle in the small cup. 
Step 2: Choose a colour (blue, red or yellow) or mix 2 coulour together. Maximum 4 drops of colouring to the small cub. Stir the transparent rod. 
Step 3: Go with the water jug to the tap, fill it with about 300 ml of water and go back to your place. 
Step 4: Pour about 200 ml of water from the jug into the large cup.
Step 5: Pour the rest of the water from the jug into the bowl.
Step 6: Put the weighting dish on the scales and use the spoon to put exactly 2 g of calcium chloride in it. 
Step 7: Go back to your place. Add the calcium chloride to the large cup with water and stir with the spatula until everything had dissolved. 
Step 8: Poor with the syringe 10 ml out of the small cub and poor it in the large cub smoothly
Step 9: Wait for 20 sec.
Step 10: Poor some water in the bowl
Step 11: Take your worms now out of the large cub and clean them in the bowl.

Now your worms are ready you can save them for about a week. Don't forget to clean up now ;)

A floating drawing


Experiment can you make a drawing floating? What do we need? 1 plate, 1 beaker, 1 bulb air blaster (looks like rocket) and white-board markers. How to start let’s go! Go to the tap and fill the beaker up to the line. Take the plate and a marker. Draw some underwater creatures on the plate. Careful! Draw the animals only on the white part in the middle and give them a nice colour, make sure they’re solid. Wait 20 seconds. Carefully pout the content of the beaker onto the plate. Careful! Don’t pour straight onto the animal. Wait a few seconds until you see something happening to the drawing? Now try and make your creatures of the deep move on the water. Blow at the drawing with the bulb air blaster. Careful! The bulb air blaster shouldn’t touch the water. (This experiment is inspired of techno polish)



My own experiences

This place is lovely to go to for a trip with your class or just a family out. On their website you can find guidelines about several experiments that you could do at home or in you class. I'm an adult and even I enjoined it to learn and get surprised about science. I did once a week an activity around Technic and science. All these experiments invite so much learning and engagement in investigating things. 

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