Who is missing COSI? I know I sure am. We’ve been taking the girls there since they were teeny tiny, feeling very fortunate to have such a place where the girls can grow-up exploring and learning all things Science related (and more). It’s a wonderfully incredible, hands-on, fun environment and while we can’t visit in person right now, I am hopeful (and excited) for our COSI memories to continue to grow!
Before I get into all the ways we can still enjoy COSI safely from our homes right now, I want to get you the details on how you can get a BOGO membership! Yes, I said BOGO. You can purchase a yearly COSI membership and get another year FREE. This is great for your family, but it is also a great way to support COSI right now.
Right now, you can buy or renew a regularly-priced COSI Membership online between now and May 31, 2020, and they’ll add a FREE EXTRA YEAR to your Membership!
- FREE unlimited admission to COSI.
- FREE reciprocal admission to 360+ science centers – perfect for future family travel.
- DISCOUNTS in COSI’s Atomic Cafe and Science2Go! Gift Store
- INVITATIONS to Member previews and events
What’s even better , your new Membership won’t start until COSI reopens, meaning you won’t lose a single month.
You can see the different membership options here, as well as purchase your membership.
Okay, now, let’s talk about how you can enjoy COSI from your home until they safely re-open with social distancing practices implemented in their 320,000 square foot building.
Have you checked out the digital initiative from COSI yet? COSI Connects is COSI’s Digital Doorway for fun at-home science discovery and learning.
They provide exciting and engaging science through COSI videos and hands-on science you can try with your family at home.
NEW ACTIVITIES \\ Each day, they share a try-it-at-home science activity, ranging from tempering your own chocolate to learning about food webs.
COSI SCIENCE CHALLENGE \\ This is so much fun. They give you an challenge to complete at home. Typically, I’ve seen it is with things that you have at your house. Right now, the challenge is to make a telephone at home using two plastic, paper, or tin cups or cans, string, scissors and thumbtacks. I love that they give you simple instructions and then explain how it works, as well as giving you additional resources.
CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT \\ This part of COSI connects sends you to a website called Zooniverse, which is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. It is really neat concept. Basically, anyone can be a researcher via this website. You’ll be able to study authentic objects of interest gathered by researchers, like images of faraway galaxies, historical records and diaries, or videos of animals in their natural habitats. By answering simple questions about them, you’ll help contribute to our understanding of our world, our history, our Universe, and more.
The topic that COSI specifically leads you to is all about penguins. You can watch time lapse capsules and nest cameras, followed by tasks given to you by the researchers. How cool is that?
WORDS FROM THE RESEARCHER: “The nice thing is that anyone older than about 5 years old can contribute to penguin conservation. Choose whether you would like to count aerial photos or time lapse cameras. Be warned it is mildly addictive, but it’s for a great cause!”
EXHIBITION 360 \\ If you’re really missing COSI (raises hand), they have put together a 360 interactive virtual tour of the American Museum of Natural History Dinosaur Gallery. It is filled with so many cool things, from videos to facts to the ability to look even closer than you can when you’re actually at COSI.
COSI SCIENCE FESTIVAL \\ Lucky for us, COSI has decided to turn the BIGGEST science fair in Ohio into a digital festival that we can all enjoy from our homes. The Big Science Celebration hopes to digitally connect our community to dynamic experiments and engaging hands-on activities.
On May 9th between 11:00am – 5:00pm, gather supplies from your home, get inspiration from our partners, and LET’S DO SCIENCE!
Build a marshmallow catapult, make a volcano… Showcase your science skills and post to your social media using the hashtag #COSISciFest. You can check out more information here.
For more information on COSI Connects, head to their website. Don’t forget they update it daily!
Last thing, if you are able, please also consider making a donation along with your COSIMembership purchase. Your support makes a world of difference in COSI’s ability to continue to engage, inspire, and transform lives and communities by being the best partner in science, technology, and industry learning.
We love you COSI and can not wait for you to re-open!
