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Last updated 5-Sep-2025 (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! As always there will be several exciting demonstration shows, including a Chemistry Magic show from the U.S. Air Force Academy with color changing "potions" and explosions! 
Chemistry Magic Show
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If You're Going
What: Cool Science Carnival Day for Kids ** FREE ** When: Saturday, Sep. 27, 2025 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 |
But there's a lot more than just shows on Carnival Day! We'll have dozens of hands-on STEAM activity stations featuring rockets, robots (LOTS of robots), live fish and zoo animals, race cars, drone soccer, fog bubbles, bicycle and automotive engineering, virtual and augmented reality stations, telescopes, microscopes, mushrooms, 3-D printers, birds and bees and bugs, and fire trucks.
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Check out more photos from the 2024 Cool Science Carnival Day
All of this is presented by Cool Science and dozens of participating companies, schools, museums, clubs, nonprofits and other organizations from throughout eastern Colorado. Best of all, it's FREE (including parking) and fun for all ages!
Don't forget that Carnival Day is just one of dozens of great Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival events for all ages. Check out the full 16+ day schedule for more information.
You can also join our mailing list to keep updated on the festival and Carnival Day.
We still need lots of help to pull this off. Ask about volunteer opportunities for groups and individuals.
Don't forget that Carnival Day is just one of dozens of great Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival events for all ages. Check out the full 16+ day schedule for more information.
You can also join our mailing list to keep updated on the festival and Carnival Day.
We still need lots of help to pull this off. Ask about volunteer opportunities for groups and individuals.
Help us promote Carnival Day
Cool Science Carnival Day Save-the-Date Poster/Flyer (600KB JPG)
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 out about the event. It only takes a couple minutes.
- Pre-Arrival: If you like to prepare for big events in advance, you can download a copy of our Carnival Day Map/Flyer (coming soon) to plan your route through all the fun activities.
- Best Time to Come: We expect about 8,000 people to attend throughout the day, so it's always best to arrive earlier.
- Parking: All campus parking lots are FREE on Carnival Day, but fill up quickly. Check the campus parking map for more information.
- Arrival/Information: 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), Osborne Center (OCSE), and the new Anschutz Engineering Center (AEC). We will have maps and volunteers to assist you at the main entrances to each of these buildings, but a good place to start is the University Center Lower Plaza Information Table (just to the right of "KFL" on this campus map).
- Food: We expect the University Center food court, Cafe 65, will be open as well as the coffee shop, also in the University Center (exact times for each coming soon). The variety and quantity of food available may be limited, however, so you may want to bring your own snacks.
- Weather: We'll go rain or shine. If it is raining, snowing or extremely cold we will move most of the outside activities indoors, and of course the majority of our activity stations are already 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). We're also on Instagram and TikTok. Use the hashtag #CSCSF. BTW we post a cool STEAM activity that we like from the internet every day on our Facebook page- check it out and give us a Like!
- T-Shirts: The official 2025 Cool Science Festival T-shirt will be announced soon. Youth and adult's sizes will be available only at the University Center (UCTR) Lower Plaza Information Table (just to the right of "KFL" on this campus map) for a donation to Cool Science ($15/youth, $20/adult, cash only).
Some T-shirts from previous years may also be available for a reduced donation.
* Please help us keep this event admission FREE *
Make a suggested donation of $2/child ($5/family)
Donate at Information Tables (cash only) or online through ColoradoGives
Make a suggested donation of $2/child ($5/family)
Donate at Information Tables (cash only) or online through ColoradoGives
Demonstration Shows, Labs, Tours and Workshops:
** More coming soon! **
UCCS Chemistry and Biochemistry Dept.: Chemical Illusions (A Chemistry Magic Show)
Performance Times: 9:00 am & 3:00 pm (~50 minutes)
Dr. Elise Naughton and her chemistry students will demonstrate their own take on the magic of chemistry, including rainbow fire, flaming gummy bears, an electric pickle, a genie in a bottle and of course, Elephant's Toothpaste! (all ages, Centennial 203).
U.S. Air Force Academy: Science is Amazing!
Show Times: 10:30 am & 1:30 pm (~50 minutes)
The U.S. Air Force Academy's STEM outreach lead Stacey Lazzelle will show off an exciting mix of chemistry, physics and engineering demonstrations, including electricity and magnetism, rocket explosions and more! (all ages, Centennial 203).
Black's Magic Productions: Magic Mission to Mars!
Show Times: Noon (~50 minutes)
Master Magician Bruce Black blends comedy, magic and science principles to take everyone on an amazing magical journey to the Planet Mars! (all ages, Centennial 203).
UCCS Geology Minor and the Geology Club: Trashcan Volcano Demonstrations
Show Times: 10:00 & 11:00 am (~40 minutes)
Prof. Jennifer McLeod and students will recreate the processes that go on inside a volcano prior to an explosive volcanic eruption using a large trash can, water, balls to represent tephra (volcanic rock debris), and a water bottle filled with liquid nitrogen! (University Center Upper Plaza).
UCCS Physics: Rock & Roll Band
Performance Times: 11:30 am and 12:30 pm (~40 minutes)
Enjoy a group of UCCS faculty (mainly physics faculty) performing classic rock and roll music from a range of decades. (all ages, outside University Center Upper Plaza stage).
Pikes Peak Library District: Reading FLASH MOB
Performance Times: 1:00 pm (~60 minutes)
Gather to read and learn more about PPLD's All Pikes Peak Reads initative, which features four books (two for kids, one for teens and one for adults) that cover nature, science and the outdoors. Paws to Read will also be there with dogs and books. Inside the Kraemer Family Library will also be a story time for younger kids featuring Rosemary Mosco's book, "Butterflies are pretty ... Gross!" and an activity. (all ages, El Pomar Plaza).
Performance Times: 9:00 am & 3:00 pm (~50 minutes)
Dr. Elise Naughton and her chemistry students will demonstrate their own take on the magic of chemistry, including rainbow fire, flaming gummy bears, an electric pickle, a genie in a bottle and of course, Elephant's Toothpaste! (all ages, Centennial 203).
U.S. Air Force Academy: Science is Amazing!
Show Times: 10:30 am & 1:30 pm (~50 minutes)
The U.S. Air Force Academy's STEM outreach lead Stacey Lazzelle will show off an exciting mix of chemistry, physics and engineering demonstrations, including electricity and magnetism, rocket explosions and more! (all ages, Centennial 203).
Black's Magic Productions: Magic Mission to Mars!
Show Times: Noon (~50 minutes)
Master Magician Bruce Black blends comedy, magic and science principles to take everyone on an amazing magical journey to the Planet Mars! (all ages, Centennial 203).
UCCS Geology Minor and the Geology Club: Trashcan Volcano Demonstrations
Show Times: 10:00 & 11:00 am (~40 minutes)
Prof. Jennifer McLeod and students will recreate the processes that go on inside a volcano prior to an explosive volcanic eruption using a large trash can, water, balls to represent tephra (volcanic rock debris), and a water bottle filled with liquid nitrogen! (University Center Upper Plaza).
UCCS Physics: Rock & Roll Band
Performance Times: 11:30 am and 12:30 pm (~40 minutes)
Enjoy a group of UCCS faculty (mainly physics faculty) performing classic rock and roll music from a range of decades. (all ages, outside University Center Upper Plaza stage).
Pikes Peak Library District: Reading FLASH MOB
Performance Times: 1:00 pm (~60 minutes)
Gather to read and learn more about PPLD's All Pikes Peak Reads initative, which features four books (two for kids, one for teens and one for adults) that cover nature, science and the outdoors. Paws to Read will also be there with dogs and books. Inside the Kraemer Family Library will also be a story time for younger kids featuring Rosemary Mosco's book, "Butterflies are pretty ... Gross!" and an activity. (all ages, El Pomar Plaza).
Hands-on Activity Stations:
** More coming soon! **
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Aerospace Ham Radio Club: Check out the club's emergency communications trailer and use the club's radios to talk to other 'hams' on several amateur radio bands. American Numismatic Association - The Money Museum: Learn how money has taken many forms through the ages with fun hands-on activities, and become an archaeologist in a mini mock dig to uncover and keep a genuine coin over 1,000 years old! ASD20 Rocky Mountain Robotics: Meet the students from ASD-20's robotics team as they demonstrate this year's FIRST Robotics competition robot and show you how they built it. Autism Vision of Colorado: Make dinosaur scratch ornaments and dinosaur tracks with Play-doh. Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences (UCCS): The Simulation Learning Center presents a hands-on adventure in healthcare! Listen to heart and lung sounds using a stethoscope, respond to a simulated medical emergency with an EpiPen, and perform a physical assessment on our manikin patient. Bricks & Minifigs: Design, build and race a LEGO® derby car on our 4-lane derby car track, then tweak your design to go faster! C Cubed Training: Are you a Pentester? Use a mock Instagram site to find bits of personal information that should not be shared, then use that information, to decipher the poster's password. Cave of the Winds Mountain Park: Learn how some caves and rocks form with our Geology Lab, and some of the critters you might find in a cave. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: [10am to 2pm only] Interact with live animals and touchable biofacts from the ZOOMobile. You might meet snakes, hedgehogs, lizards, or who knows what else. Children's Hospital Colorado: Coming soon... City of Colorado Springs - Archeology: Learn about early history in some of the artifacts and archeology of Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods. Civil Air Patrol - Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron: Cadets will help you build your own paper rocket and launch it with compressed air to fly 300 feet down range- or it may blow up on the launch pad! Civil Air Patrol - Pikes Peak Composite Squadron: Learn how airplanes fly, Bernoulli's Principle and the Coanda Effect with Bournoulli Bags, hair dryers and fun demonstrations (OCSE B-216). Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Experience why the wildlife and fish native to Colorado are so important at this hands-on activity station with live fish. Colorado Springs Astronomical Society: Safely observe the sun's surface and its atmosphere using our special filtered telescopes. We'll also hand out free solar viewers and UV bead bracelets. Colorado Springs Fire Department: [10am to noon only] Get up close and personal as CSFD firefighters demonstrate the equipment and capabilities of their fire engine. Colorado Springs Forestry Division: Learn about the benefits trees provide to our community and how we can plant more, then take home a seed to plant a tree yourself! Colorado Springs Rocket Society & Estes Rockets: Build a quality Estes Rocket Model that will take to the skies! COSROCS members will be on stand-by to help with the construction and to answer any questions you may have on rockets (OCSE A327). The Colorado Springs School: Learn about friction through experimentation. Build (& rebuild) LEGO cars using different sizes, shapes, & textures of wheels, then race them on a track/ramp to determine which wheels go the fastest & why. Colorado Springs Utilities: You're a cathodic protection engineer for the day to determine which metal is the best sacrificial anode to protect pipes from rusting. Concrete Couch: Dig into the various soil types found around Colorado- and smell them- then learn how they affect the growth of different plants. Cool Science: Experiment with Sail Cars by designing your own sails from various materials, then see how well they propel your car in the wind from our fans. Core Chiropractic: DYK your spine curves as you tilt your head forward to look at a computer or game screen? Learn special exercises to keep your spine healthy and strong. Cougars Gone Wired (D11 FIRST Robotics Team): Play robot soccer with Vex IQ robots while the team demonstrates their new full-size 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition robot. Dinosaur Ridge: Learn about dinosaurs, fossils, rocks, and minerals. Donor Alliance: Play with Charlie, a life-size operation game to learn about transplantable organs, hold real human organs, examine eye specimens, and so much more! El Paso County Nature Centers: Use magnifying glasses and microscopes to meet the tiny swimming creatures often overlooked in our ponds and streams. Fort Carson Veterinary Center: Learn about veterinary anatomy with animal skeletal models and by playing interactive games to guess the x-ray anomaly or animal species and identify skeletal bones. Front Range Community College - Optics & Laser Technology: Learn about optics, lasers and quantum science while experimenting with a variety of fun activities. Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center: Learn to plant micro-greens and play games to win free tickets to the Geo-Trekker Movie Theater at the Visitor Center. GO TEAM Therapy, Airport and Crisis Dogs: Visit with our very special dogs. IEEE Pikes Peak Section: Play alongside electrical engineers with Magnets, Motors, Microcontrollers & Monster Magic, as well as squishy circuits and simple machines. Lockheed Martin: Put on a special headset to space based virtual reality scenes, then experience forces and acceleration by taking a ride on a rocket sled powered by you! Manitou Springs High School Robotics: The Steel Mustangs and Headless Horsemen will demonstrate their FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge robots, even letting you drive and use tools to disassemble/assemble some. Minerals Education Coalition & Western Museum of Mining and Industry: Learn about the past, present, and future of the mining industry in the American West and how valuable mineral resources are discovered and mined as you pan for gold in sand- and keep what you find! Missile Defense Agency: Learn about controlled flight while designing, building and launching your own inflatable missile, hoop glider or gyrocopter. |
Mobile Earth + Space Observatory (MESO): Check out our cool space science RV with telescopes, an augmented reality sandbox, a gravity well and more hands-on activities. National Museum of World War II Aviation: Build and test-fly a foam plane that showcases the physics of flight and some of the control systems used by airplanes/gliders, then take it with you for more fun at home! Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center: Explore our skins and skulls touch table, learn about our resident raptors and even meet and greet with some live birds of prey (OCSE B213). Patrick Henry Elementary School (D-11): Try your hand at programming Ozobots and Sphero Indis using color codes. You will also observe a 3D printer making objects designed by students at Henry Elementary. Pikes Peak Library District: You will be the engineer with our soft and giant Big Blue Blocks. What will you build? Pikes Peak Regional Science and Engineering Fair: Middle and high school science fair participants will present their projects and explain the difference between a science demonstration and an experiment. Pikes Peak State College Engineering: Engineering is in motion with with ping pong launchers and mouse trap cars. Come by and try to launch the ball to hit the target! Pueblo Zoo: Bird Beak Buffet: a hands-on challenge where you become bird scientists (ornithologists!) and explore the wild world of bird beak adaptations that help birds find food and survive in their habitats. Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site: Step into our full-size tipi to learn how the Ute people and other native American tribes used and still use STEM in their everyday lives. Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center: Hold and feel some of our amazing fossils and learn about the dinosaurs that ruled the prehistoric world. Schriever SFB School Liaison's Program: Learn about the science of ultraviolet light and it change the colors of UV beads. Also use our 3D pens to draw, build, and create anything you can imagine—right in the air! Scouting America Pathway to the Rockies Council: Build a LEGO racer to test on our racetrack, model rockets, and more. Slalom. ** Festival Sponsor **: Make “galaxy slime” with glitter, glow powder, or color-changing pigments, while learning about non-Newtonian fluids and how certain planets might have unusual materials on their surfaces. Trailblazer Elementary School: Practice your map reading and making skills, discover the importance of the community organizations and members that live in this environment, and add some steps to our treadmill. U.S Air Force Academy Computer and Cyber Sciences: Learn how to crack codes and transmit secret messages; sing along with an AI humanoid robot; and program simple computer animations and Arduino robots (OCSE B-215). U.S. Army 1-41IN, Fort Carson: Soldiers from Ft. Carson will demonstrate some of their armored vehicles, mortar systems, and protective gear. U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Play some fun games to learn about protecting our environment. UCCS American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Tour the UCCS Space Systems Lab highlighting high altitude balloon and sounding rocket launches (Anschutz 102).
UCCS Astronomy and Astrophotography Club: Look through our 1000mm telescopes to safely view the sun, including sun spots and solar prominences. UCCS Biology: Use microscopes to learn about cells and microbes and see how how cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy can peer even deeper into the cellular world (OCSE B-426). UCCS Chemistry & Biochemistry: Experiment with the amylase enzymes in your own saliva that help break down starches in the food you eat. UCCS Chemistry & Biochemistry Club: Make your own special lemonade that changes color like magic! UCCS Cognitive Development Lab: Is it easier to remember pictures or words, and why do you think that? Play our fun memory game and win prizes to learn how you remember information. UCCS Cyber Security Programs Office: Learn about Cybersecurity- what it is, and the jobs it offers- through games, activities, career guidance, prizes, and several VR (virtual reality) stations. UCCS Data Driven Modeling & Machine Learning Lab: Get ready for some high-flying fun!
UCCS Design, Build, Fly: See the competition RC aircraft that the DBF student team made, They'll demonstrate how it works while controlling it on the ground and some wind tunnel testing. UCCS Geology Minor and the Geology Club: Explore Earth's Treasures with a variety of rocks, minerals, and fossils (CENT 115). UCCS MAE Machine Shop: Take a tour of the Engineering Machine Shop- see lathes, mills, 3D printers, and have fun with penny catapults (OCSE A-303). UCCS Natural History Museum: See more than 800 skeletons, skulls, and preserved specimens ranging from hippos to a saber-toothed tiger, and hands-on activities including owl pellet dissections, track and skull identification games and more! (Osborne OCSE B402). UCCS PERCH Research Lab: Create your own model of a brain with colored clay while learning about the different parts and their functions. UCCS Physics and Energy Science: Learn what the giant Foucalt pendulum in the Osborne lobby shows and how it works. Utility Robotics Engineering: Learn about engineering robots. UCCS Tree Ring Lab: Check out some interesting tree cross sections and core samples, then make your own tree ring-based art. We're Cookin' Now! presented by Chef's Kitchen: We'll demonstrate culinary science through multiple interactive and hands-on activities related to cooking and baking at altitude. |
** More coming soon! **
Colorado Springs Cool Science Carnival Day Sponsors
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Colorado Springs Cool Science Carnival Day Partners
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.
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.
