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Cool Science Carnival Day

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Last updated 20-Sep-2021 (be sure to refresh your browser)

For many of our most devoted young fans Cool Science Carnival Day for Kids IS the festival!  Carnival Day at UCCS (even though it wasn't called that yet) actually began in 2009, and was such a huge hit that it was a no-brainer when we decided to expand it the following year to create the multi-day celebration of all things STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) that we all enjoy now.

Cool Science Carnival Day for Kids at UCCS is truly STEAM on steroids!  We'll have exciting demonstration shows, talks, laboratory tours and demos, music, rockets, drones, animals, bugs, solar energy, telescopes & microscopes, rocks, fossils, robots, electronics, virtual reality computers, a fire engine, slime, an electric race car, liquid nitrogen ice cream & more.  You can even build a real bridge and lots of other fun hands-on STEAM activities and exhibits for kids (primarily K-8th grades).  All of this is presented by Cool Science and dozens of participating companies, schools, museums, clubs, nonprofits and other organizations from throughout eastern Colorado.  It's all FREE (including parking) and fun for all ages!  Check out some photos from previous Carnival Days.  And if you can't wait for the excitement be sure to check out the videos from last year's virtual Carnival Day.

Note:  We will be following all UCCS campus COVID-19 guidelines during this event.  Right now that means masks will be required (regardless of vaccination status) inside all buildings on campus.  Everyone will also be asked to pre-register and provide information necessary for any potential contact tracing.  Check this page often for any updates to these policies.

Don't forget that Carnival Day is just the first of dozens of great Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival events for all ages.  Check out the full 9-day schedule for more information.

​We still need lots of help to pull this off.  Ask about volunteer opportunities for groups and individuals.


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If You're Going

What: Cool Science Carnival Day for Kids

When: Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 10am-4pm

Where: Univ of Colorado- Colo Spgs
   1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy., Colorado Springs (map)

Who: Primarily for kids K-8th (fun for all!)

Why: Because STEAM Rocks!

How: With your help, please donate below
** Masks required inside all campus buildings **
Planning Your Visit
  • Pre-Registration: Carnival Day is FREE, but please pre-register online to help us to know how many people are coming, kid's ages and how you found our about the event. It only takes a couple minutes.
  • Pre-Arrival: If you like to prepare for big events in advance, download a copy of our Carnival Day Map/Flyer (link coming soon) to plan your route through all the fun activities.
  • Best Time to Come: In a "normal" year we expect nearly 6,000 people to attend throughout the day.  Of course with COVID concerns this is not a normal year, but it's always best to arrive earlier.
  • Parking: All campus parking lots are FREE on Carnival Day, but fill up quickly, so check the campus parking map for more information.  
  • Arrival: Our activities will be spread across much of the UCCS central main campus, inside and outside the University Center (UCTR), Centennial Hall (CENT), Gallogly Events Center (GEC), Engineering & Applied Science (ENGR) and Osborne Center (OCSE) (see campus map).  We will have Information Tables with maps and volunteers to assist you at the main entrances to each of these buildings, but a good place to start is the lower University Center plaza on the east side of the El Pomar Center (EPC on the campus map).
  • Food: It's going to be a long day of fun and exciting activities, so you may need to energize yourself.  We'll have more information soon about food services that may be available on campus.
  • Weather:  We'll go rain or shine.  If it is raining, snowing or extremely cold we will move many of the outside activities indoors.
  • Social Media: Help us spread the word.  Please share this page with your friends (Facebook "Like" and "Share" buttons above) and share your comments and photos with us on our Carnival Day Facebook event page (and be sure to like us on our Facebook page too).  You can also tweet to us @CScoolscience.  Use the hashtag #CSCSF.
  • T-Shirts: Remember this day all year with our official Cool Science Festival T-shirt. Children's and adult's sizes will be available at the lower El Pomar Center (EPC) Information Table for a $15 donation to Cool Science (cash only).
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Help us promote the Festival!
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Download our Festival poster (672KB PDF)
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Carnival Day Save-the-Date (270KB PDF)
 
* Please help us keep this event admission FREE *
Suggested donation $2/child ($5/family)
Donate at Information Tables (cash only) or online through ColoradoGives
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Demonstration Shows and Performances:
(more coming soon!)
Cool Science and the U.S. Air Force Academy:  Chemistry Magic Show
Show Times: 10:00 am & 1:30 pm, (~50 minutes)
Always a fan favorite, experience the wonders of chemistry with our own Dr. Ron Furstenau performing his signature magic show for all ages.  "Potions" will change colors, explode and even freeze right before your eyes (all ages, Centennial 203).

UCCS Chemistry:  Chemical Illusions (A Chemistry Magic Show)​
Performance Time: noon & 3:00 pm, (~50 minutes)
Dr. Elise Naughton from the UCCS Chemistry Dept. demonstrates her own take on the magic of chemistry with light producing reactions, flaming gummy bears, an electric pickle, a genie in a bottle and more! (all ages, Centennial 203). 

UCCS Physics:  The Physics Rock and Roll Band!
Performance Time: Noon (~50 minutes)
Rock and Roll music played by scientists!  The UCCS Physics Rock and Roll Band will play music from the classic rock and roll era (all ages, outside on University Center Upper Plaza stage). 

Eddie Goldstein:  Galileo and the Leaning Tower of Pizza!
Performance Time: 11:15 am, 1:00 & 2:30 pm, (~20 minutes)
Watch as Galileo (aka science magician Eddie Goldstein) reenacts his famous "Leaning Tower" experiment- but with water balloons- in this funny and educational outdoor performance (all ages, outside on University Center Upper Plaza). 
Hands-on Activity Stations:
(more coming soon!)
Aerospace Employee's Radio Organization (AEØRO):
Check out AEØRO amateur radio club's new emergency communications trailer and use the club's radios to talk to other 'hams' on several amateur radio bands. 

Aiken Audubon Society:
Learn how to spot the various birds migrating along the Central Flyway and make a craft to help your neighborhood birds along their journey!  

Autism Vision of Colorado:
Learn about tension and how to distribute weight by testing the strength of spaghetti noodles.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics:
How hard can launching a rocket to a planet really be?  Find out by building a foam rocket then try to hit the foam planet in our solar system. 

Anatomy in Clay Learning System:
Master the art and science of building muscles with clay and attaching them to realistic "bone" anatomical models!

Beekeeper Leigh Gaddy:
What is a day in the life of a honeybee?  How do they perceive their world?  How do they make honey?  And have you ever wondered where wax comes from?  Learn the science of honeybees and beekeeping.

Cave of the Winds:
Learn about the geology and chemistry of cave systems.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: [Note: 11 am to 3 pm only]
Interact with live animals and touchable biofacts from the ZOOMobile.  You might meet snakes, hedgehogs, lizards, or who knows what else.

Civil Air Patrol - Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron:
Cut out your own paper rocket, add a nose cone and fins then use a compressed air launcher to blast off!

Civil Air Patrol - Pikes Peak Senior Squadron:
Demonstrations showing how new drone technology can enhance Civil Air Patrol's emergency services search and rescue mission.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife:
Meet some of the native fish found in Colorado's lakes and rivers live in our tanks.

​Colorado Springs Astronomical Society:
Safely observe the sun's surface and atmosphere- 93 million miles away- using our special filtered telescopes. It's more than just a yellow ball!

Colorado Springs Rocket Society (COSROCS):
​Build a quality Estes Rocket Model that will take to the skies! Rocket Society members will be on stand-by to help with the construction and to answer any questions you may have on rockets.

Colorado Springs Utilities:
Learn different ways to purify, recycle and reuse water.

Concrete Couch:
Learn the different names for plant structures and food sustainability as you make art prints using fruits and veggies.

Cool Science:
Come see some inhabitants of the microscopic world!  Make your own slides of fungi, pond life, bacteria, and more.  Use dissecting scopes to look at larger specimens like insects and plant material. Some surprises await a visitor to this lab!

Coronado High School FIRST Robotics Team:
Come see the Coronado High School's competition robots and play robot soccer with VEX IQ robots.

Dinosaur Resource Center:
"Let's Talk About Dinosaurs!" with skulls, claws and all kinds of fun dinosaur stuff.

Donor Alliance:
Play with Charlie, a life-size operation game, to learn about transplantable organs and win a special Donate Life Colorado prize!

El Paso Countys Nature Centers:
Learn about big and little critters found at the El Paso County Nature Centers including some macro-invertibrates in our "pond soup".

Falcon School District 49:
Step on board the IGNITE Expeditions Mobile Learning Lab, the first educational school bus in Colorado equipped with zSpace augmented and virtual reality stations.

Gather Food Studio:
Make edible "dirt" - change chocolate, peanut butter and other fatty substances into edible powders that turn back into a liquid in your mouth.  Amazing!

Girl Scouts of Colorado:
Make your own magnetic slime and learn how it works.

Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region:
Learn the importance and science of clicker training animals by trying it yourself with a (human) partner.  Are you smarter than a dog?

Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center:
Learn about hawks, owls, eagles, falcons and vultures and even meet some live birds of prey.

National Space Science & Technology Institute:
Check out the Mobile Earth & Space Observatory (MESO), with telescopes and several more hands-on activities. 

North Cheyenne Cañon Park:
What do chocolate chip cookies and granite rock have in common?  Discover and explore the geologic processes that created one of the oldest rocks of the Pikes Peak Region and North Cheyenne Cañon Park, then make your own ‘granite chip cookie’.  

Northrop Grumman:
1)  Design, build, and test your own paper airplane!  Learn some of the basic principles of aerodynamics, like lift and drag, that Northrop Grumman engineers consider when designing military aircraft.
2)  Think like a Northrop Grumman engineer and design your own snap circuit to learn about basic electrical components and electronics design.


Pikes Peak Children's Museum:
TBD. 

Pikes Peak Community College Cybersecurity Club (P2C4):
Use our special computers with tools to find answers like a Cyber Detective!  Challenges may even include some hidden messages!


Pikes Peak Community College Engineering:
Intro to Engineering students will show off mouse trap cars and ping pong launchers demonstrating basic engineering principles. 
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Pikes Peak Library District (Children's Dept.):
"Let it Fly!" to explore the physics of flight with several activities such as paper airplanes and paper airplane catapults, whirly gigs, catapults , and more.
Pikes Peak Mycological Society:
Explore the magical kingdom of fungi with interesting samples of local mushrooms and learn how to hunt for them yourself .

Pikes Peak Regional Science Fair:
Middle and high school students will present their science fair projects and explain the difference between a science demonstration and an experiment.
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Planet Walk Colorado Springs​:
Walk a scale model of the inner planets of our solar system and learn about the Sun and planets along the way.

Pueblo Zoo​:
Learn about how conservation can help save animal species like the live arthropods we'll have for you to meet.

QuestBotics, Inc.​:
Learn math, robots, arts and coding with a cool new toy that uses no computer or screen to program a robot.

Royal Crest Dairy and Cool Science​:
Learn about dairy products while making tasty ice cream in less than 2 minutes using liquid nitrogen at -320°F.

Simply Kids Dental:
Learn the proper way to brush and floss your teeth and check out x-ray pictures and a model of teeth with cavities.

Southeast Colorado Renewable Energy Society (SECRES):
Use the sun's energy to generate electricity and heat to cook S'Mores.

St. Mary's High School:
It's the Berlin Candy Bomber - build a parachute, attach a candy, then drop it from 6-8 feet above a bullseye target to see how well you score.

That Science Fairy:
Experimenting with geometry and learn how perimeters behave by threading jug handles with rope.

UCCS AIAA Student Chapter:
Rockets for all ages: three different rocket building activities depending on how experienced a rocket scientist you are.

UCCS Beth-El Johnson Simulation Learning Center:
Meet a robotic child manikin that you can talk to, take her pulse and even give her a "shot".  You can also "drive" a telepresence robot across campus.

UCCS Biology Mooney Lab:
Insectpalooza!  Celebrate all things creepy crawly with an exploration of living and preserved insects and other arthropods.

UCCS Chemistry & Biochemistry:
Experiment with the enzymes in your own saliva that help break down the food you eat.

UCCS Cognitive Development Lab:
Is it easier to remember pictures or words, and why do you think that?  Play our fun memory game to learn how you remember information.  

UCCS Data Analytics and Systems Engineering:
Learn how drones fly and communicate.

UCCS Electrical and Computer Engineering:
We'll demonstrate robots and self driving vehicles.

UCCS High Altitude Race Engineering:
Come see a real electric race car built by UCCS students.

UCCS HyperFalcos:
Watch our linear indiction mini hyperloop hi-tech transportation track and learn about our design for the 2021 Hyperloop Pod competition.
​

UCCS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering:
1)  Learn the principles of aerodynamics with paper airplanes and flight simulators.
2)  Learn how computer aided design (CAD) with SolidWorks can create 3D models. 

UCCS MAE Machine Shop:
Tour the machine shop and use 3D printing to make penny catapults.

UCCS Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab:
Experiment with the biomechanics of bone fracture using different cereals to represent normal vs osteoporotic bone.

UCCS Society of Leadership and Success (Student Chapter):
Teams of 2-3 participants will have 18 minutes to build the tallest, free-standing, structure using only 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.

UCCS Physics and Energy Science:
Learn what the large Foucalt pendulum in the Osborne lobby shows and how it works.

UCCS STEM Education Outreach:
It's Makey-makey with fruits and vegetables.  Also experiment with ice and salt to make ice cream.

UCCS Technical Communication and Information Design:
Why are some apps great and others terrible?  Learn  how real mobile phone apps are created by testing some good and bad ones.

Western Museum of Mining and Industry:
TBD.

USAFA Dept. of Computer and Cyber Sciences:
1)  Interact with our humanoid robots Pepper and Misty II and create short programs to load and run on the robots.
2)  Learn about wireless networking, cryptology and cybersecurity by trying your hand at encrypting and decrypting secret messages.

USAFA Dept. of Mathematical Sciences:
Learn math concepts by playing with Möbius bands, a thinking game, and explorations of probability.

USAFA iGEM and BIP Team:
Make your own plasmid bracelets and experiment with a water filtration system.

US Antarctic Program (Antarctic Support Contract):
Experience what it takes to support scientific research on the highest, driest, coldest, windiest and emptiest place on Earth.

US Environmental Protection Agency:
Learn about environmental issues like recycling, composting and food waste while playing some fun games!

Western Museum of Mining and Industry:
Learn about the physics of gold panning and come away with a few gems to take home!

Zometool: The Heart of STEAM
Zometool turns quantum math into child’s play.  Learn about  space, the infinitely dimensional universe and how time does not exist - or just build incredibly beautiful models!
Thanks to all of our Cool Science volunteers and the participating organizations that make Carnival Day possible!

Disclaimer: Please be aware that by attending this event, you consent to your likeness being used, without compensation, in photography for use in any and all media, whether known or subsequent. You release Cool Science, its successors, assigns and licensees from any liability whatsoever of any nature.
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  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • History & Mission
    • Staff & Board
  • What We Do
    • Cool Science Festival (Schedule) >
      • Cool Science Carnival Day
      • Sponsors
      • Join the Festival >
        • Present a Carnival Day Activity
        • Host a Special Event
        • Volunteer Your Group
        • Volunteer Yourself
        • Contact the Festival
      • Previous Festivals >
        • 2021 Festival
        • 2021 Carnival Day
        • 2020 Festival
        • 2020 (Virtual) Carnival Day
        • 2019 Festival
        • 2019 Carnival Day
        • 2018 Festival
        • 2018 Carnival Day
      • CS Cool Science Festival YouTube
    • Outreach Programs Overview >
      • Demonstration Shows >
        • Demonstration Shows: CO Science Standards
      • Hands-on Programs >
        • Hands-on Labs: CO Science Standards
      • Science or STEM/STEAM Days & Nights, Science Busking
      • Day of Science
      • Mobile Earth & Space Observatory
    • Big Cool Science Day at Colorado College
    • Kid's Mini Fruitcake Toss
    • Science on Tap
    • Calendar
  • Cool Stuff
    • Try Science At Home
    • Teaching Resources
    • Cool News
    • Cool Science Jokes
  • How To Help
    • Volunteer
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  • Contact Us
    • General Contact Info
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