Date/Time
September 25, 2021 to October 30, 2021
09:00 AM until 02:00 PM
This event occurs weekly,
on Saturday
Description
Science Museum Oklahoma’s Tinkerfest is a celebration of curiosity and creativity. Enjoy FREE hands-on activities on the Museum’s lawn hosted by SMO staff and community partners. Each Saturday has a different theme showcasing Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (STEAM).
Here’s a schedule of the planned themes and sample activities:
Mechanics - Saturday, Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
SMO and Carter Chevrolet are teaming up to bring back a tinkering fan favorite as attendees can help take apart a vehicle as part of this Tinkertober event. Other hands-on activities include designing and building jitterbots as well as constructing automata using cranks, cams, shafts and followers to make a moving creation. Combat Robots of Oklahoma also will demonstrate competition-level combat robotics, as they use their inventions to take down an opponent.
Song and Dance - Saturday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
No strings, no sticks, no mouthpieces needed to make music as The Oklahoma Theremin Society joins SMO to give attendees the chance to make music with the movement of their body. Local musician Jarvix also joins the fun to encourage everyone to get experimental with live looping and trying to make some music on a giant keyboard. Creativity is key as visitors create a dancing marionette fueled by movement and brain power.
Space - Saturday, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In celebration of World Space Week, SMO explores the world of possibilities with drone demonstrations from the Unmanned Systems Research Institute of Oklahoma State University, space-themed activities from The Oklahoma History Center and robot demonstrations from Team OKC Robotics. Attendees also can use the power of air to launch their own pneumatic rockets.
Visual Arts - Saturday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The “A” in STEAM takes center stage as Tinkertober explores the visual arts during this event. Attendees can draw sequential art with Literati Press creators. Painting will never be the same once visitors use a pendulum to create a unique work of art. Museum staff also will show visitors the ways to use ancient animation technology to make modern cartoons with phenakistoscopes.
Momentum - Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This Tinkertober celebrates the principles of momentum as attendees build helicopters, planes and cars. Special guests from the Prairie Dog Boomerang Club also will be at SMO to help create things that soar through the air. Momentum is all about harnessing energy for movement. Team Rocket from Mount Saint Mary’s robotics will be on hand showcasing their creations and inspiring attendees. Join the Wardlaw family in building rubber band helicopters to celebrate the launch of Mars Ingenuity. How can you build a car to conserve momentum and powered by gravity and elastic tension? Build, test and tinker until it goes the farthest it can go.
Spooky STEAM - Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
STEAM activities get a Halloween reboot during this Tinkertober installment that brings pumpkin-carving with power tools and a deep dive into forensic osteology with Skeletons: Museum of Osteology. Attendees also can experience what it’s like to traverse a cave with CaveSim. Creaturealm Oklahoma brings Cosimo the Celestial Wizard to demonstrate the ways technology, engineering and puppetry combine to create amazing creatures.
Themes and activities are subject to change. Museum admission is not included in Tinkertober activities.
