** 2025 Carnival Day Photo Gallery **
|
Last updated 24-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 special 9 am start time for UCCS Prof. Elise Naughton's Chemistry Magic show with plenty of "potions", explosions, and of course Elephant's Toothpaste! This lets you to get a head start on the day without missing any of the hands-on activity stations! 
Chemistry Magic Show
|
If You're Going
What: Cool Science Carnival Day for Kids ** FREE ** When: Saturday, Sep. 27, 2025 10am*-4pm ** Special Chemistry Magic show starts at 9 am ** 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, super cold (-320°F) treats, robots (LOTS of robots), live fish and zoo animals, bungie-jumping Barbies, building blocks, virtual and augmented reality stations, telescopes, microscopes, math puzzles, drones, bugs, bees, and 3-D printers. You can also climb into an Air Force glider, an Army vehicle and a fire truck - or just climb a 30-foot wall, using technology, of course! Learn to crack codes, follow maps, pan for gold, make slime, and much more! If you've never attended Carnival Day, you can check out photos and videos from 2024 to see what to expect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
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 (741KB PDF) 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 Check-in/Information Tent: The best place to start is the University Center Lower Plaza Information Tent (just to the lower right of "KFL" on this campus map), where you can pick up your Carnival Day Map/Flyer and full Festival Event Schedule. 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 Anschutz Engineering Center (AEC). We will post maps and/or volunteers to assist you at the main entrances to each of these buildings.
- Food: We expect the University Center food court, Cafe 65, will be open as well as the coffee shop, also in the University Center. The variety and quantity of food available is 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!
|
|
|
|
Designed by Crystal Williams
|
** New this year - pre-order your T-shirts online and we'll have them ready for you to pick up at our Information Table when you arrive! Just email us the sizes (Youth XS, S, M, L & XL, Adult S, M. L, XL, 2X & 3X) and colors (Royal Blue or Neon Pink) you would like, then we'll direct you to make your donation to Cool Science via Colorado Gives ($15/youth, $20/adult). We'll also be happy to swap a different size if needed once you try it on Carnival Day. Some T-shirts from previous years may also be available (on site only) 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:
UCCS Chemistry and Biochemistry Dept.: Chemical Illusions (A Chemistry Magic Show)
Performance Times: 9:00 am* & 3:00 pm (~50 minutes) * Note that the 9am show starts before the rest of the activity stations open
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 & 12:30 & 3:30 pm (~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! (outside on the University Center Upper Plaza).
UCCS Physics: Rock & Roll Band
Performance Times: 11:30 am and 12:30 pm (~40 minutes)
While you eat lunch you can enjoy a group of UCCS faculty (mainly physics faculty) performing classic rock and roll music from a range of decades. (all ages, Cafe 65).
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, outside on El Pomar Plaza).
UCCS Biology: Getting Crafty with Plants
Lab Times: 11:00 am; noon; and 1:00 pm (~45 minutes)
Come learn more about plants, explore our plant museum, and create your own beautiful terrarium or ornament! You can also explore the collection of plants, lizards, and other biology in our museum. (all ages, Osborne B414).
Performance Times: 9:00 am* & 3:00 pm (~50 minutes) * Note that the 9am show starts before the rest of the activity stations open
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 & 12:30 & 3:30 pm (~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! (outside on the University Center Upper Plaza).
UCCS Physics: Rock & Roll Band
Performance Times: 11:30 am and 12:30 pm (~40 minutes)
While you eat lunch you can enjoy a group of UCCS faculty (mainly physics faculty) performing classic rock and roll music from a range of decades. (all ages, Cafe 65).
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, outside on El Pomar Plaza).
UCCS Biology: Getting Crafty with Plants
Lab Times: 11:00 am; noon; and 1:00 pm (~45 minutes)
Come learn more about plants, explore our plant museum, and create your own beautiful terrarium or ornament! You can also explore the collection of plants, lizards, and other biology in our museum. (all ages, Osborne B414).
Hands-on Activity Stations:
|
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. Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region: Work in teams to build a full-size Rigamajig car, then cheer on your driver as they try to "Flintstone" it across the finish line. Bricks & Minifigs: Design, build and race a LEGO® derby car on our 4-lane derby car track, then tweak your design to go faster! BSCS Science Learning: If you've ever wondered what is happening inside your microwave oven, don't miss this demonstration! 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. Challenger Learning Center of Colorado: Try your hand at deciphering a cyber hack, learn about star formation and pull together 3D printed pieces to assemble a flexible, take home robot. 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. 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 College STEM: Stroll by our table to enjoy a few fun math puzzles and activities with Colorado College students. 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 Rocket Society & Estes Rockets: 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: 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 about 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. Colorado Trout Unlimited: Check out our live macroinvertebrates, then build your own macro-marcroinvertebrate to take home. 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. Crew Concept, Inc. & Luna Kids Care: We'll demonstrate Drone Soccer- similar Quidditch except pilots operate remote-controlled aircraft. As the only full-contact flying sport, competitions are fast-paced and spectator friendly! 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. Elite Hearing of Colorado Springs & Gleneagle Sertoma: Learn about the importance of protecting your hearing. Emerge Aquaponics: See how fish and plants thrive in a closed-loop system where fish waste becomes natural fertilizer for plants, which return the favor by cleaning the water for the fish. 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. Girl Scouts of Colorado: Design and build a straw rocket, then experiment with aerodynamics, forces and launch angles to maximize your distance and stability. GO TEAM Therapy, Airport and Crisis Dogs: Visit with our very special dogs. Go West Camps: Learn how climbers fight gravity using physics and technology to scale our 30-foot tall portable climbing wall. Home Depot: Build your own waste water treatment system to take home. IEEE Pikes Peak Section: Play alongside electrical engineers with Magnets, Motors, Microcontrollers & Monster Magic, as well as squishy circuits and simple machines. Lockheed Martin ** Festival Sponsor **: 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! Mathnasium Rockrimmon & Mathnasium Briargate: Learn the basics of cryptography to encrypt and decrypt messages using three different ciphers, then learn a cool card trick too! 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). Palmer HS Science & Cool Science: Do you like cold cereal? Try cereal cooled to -320°F in liquid nitrogen, but be careful- it may turn you into a dragon! 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 Beekeepers Association: Observe live bees in a portable bee hive, along with the beekeeping equipment to demonstrate hive inspection. 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. Southeast Colorado Renewable Energy Society (SECRES): Solar energy activities including a mini solar car and a solar oven for cooking. 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. Space Foundation: Hands-on space inspired STEM activities and giveaways. Spruce Community School: Create your own colorful book about the adventures of Stego the Dinosaur. 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. Air Force Academy 94th Flying Training Squadron: Climb into a real USAF glider just like the ones Academy cadets use to learn the basic principles of flying at the largest glider operation in the world. 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 Biology & UCCS Bug Club: Insectpalooza! Come experience insects, spiders & all things arthropod - live and preserved- housed in the UCCS Biology Dept ! We also have feeding demonstrations & interactions with select critters. (OCSE B314) 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: Join us for cybersecurity activities, games and a VR (virtual reality) experience where K-12 students can learn about cyber by doing! 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 GES Geomorphology Research Lab: Get wet and sandy building your own stream channel in running water. Students will also demonstrate a LiDAR 3D scanner (a cool green laser!) and other geoscience instruments (Cent 111). UCCS Geology Minor and the Geology Club: Explore Earth's Treasures with a variety of rocks, minerals, and fossils (CENT 115). UCCS High Altitude Race Engineering: Come see a real electric race car built by UCCS students. 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 Math Dept. & UCCS Data Driven Modeling & Machine Learning Lab (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept.): Get ready for some high-flying fun!
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, how it works, and play with some cool physics toys. UC Health: Find out how your cardiovascular system works, listen to your heart with a stethoscope, perform hands-only CPR and learn how to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). (UC 122). Utility Robotics Engineering: Learn how robots "see" the world using LIDAR (laser imaging, detection, and ranging) and other sensors. 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. Special Cookie decorating sessions at 11am, 1pm & 3pm. |
Colorado Springs Cool Science Carnival Day Sponsors
|
|
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.
