Kids and parents: check the holiday expligibles and fortinaciables at SciPort, Louisiana's Science Center on the Shreveport riverfront

100_3873, a photo by nsu_acs on Flickr.

Holiday programming has begun at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center and will continue daily from 2 – 5 p.m, says Karen Wissing.

Through December 30, at 2 and 4 p.m., take part in our Toy Making Workshops, where you can make a toy to take home and alleviate some of the stress on Santa’s elves! Toys to make include:

Cartesian Divers: Make a toy where you can see your underwater diver go from the top of the bottom of your water bottle “ocean,” and learn about buoyancy and Pascal’s Law.
Kazoos: Create an instrument that uses your voice and vibration to make music.
Spinning Tops: Explore inertia, friction, gravity and the centrifugal force while making your own top.

As a new program demonstrated daily at 3 p.m., Why Does Rudolph’s Nose Glow is a great addition to family memories made at Sci-Port this holiday season. Rudolph went down in history, but he’s not the only animal that glows! This program will teach visitors how and why some animals and minerals emit light. Participants will be able to examine glowing specimens and see how chemical reactions can result in a colorful show.

Don’t forget about our annual New Year’s at Noon celebration, too! This year, the party will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 31. At Noon, start the New Year off with us as we commemorate our East Asian counterparts as they celebrate their New Year at Midnight. Come celebrate, and learn about the traditions of East Asian cultures, which include our traditional Dragon Dance! Plan to count down to Noon at Sci-Port with a balloon drop.

In addition to Sci-Port’s holiday programs, the popular holiday IMAX films, The Light Before Christmas and Santa vs. the Snowman, are back this season and showing until January 6, 2012. Visit www.sciport.org/IMAX for showtimes.