Summer School Holidays:
Marvellous Machines & Magical Music
Marvellous machines and magical music take centre stage at the Powerhouse Discovery Centre these January school holidays! Enjoy Captain Matchbox’s Sounds Like Music! holiday show, our Simple Machines workshops presented by our friends from CSIRO Education, our new ‘dance video-making’workshop, the return of the extremely popular Lego Robotics and Lego Build workshops, live demonstrations of real museum objectsand a range of other fun-filled activities for children and families to enjoy.
HOLIDAY PROGRAMS
HOLIDAY SHOW
Sounds Like Music! Presented by Captain Matchbox’s Mic ‘Microphone’ Conway
(Duration: 60 minutes)
Wednesday 13th January, 11.00am
Friday 15th January, 11.00am
Wednesday 20th January, 11.00am
Friday 22nd January, 11.00am
1994 ARIA award-winning Mic ‘Microphone’ Conway explores the making of music and song in a stimulating
and entertaining show filled with lots of surprises and laughs. With his very odd one-man-band and some weird and wonderful instruments including easy-to-make household items, Mic demonstrates how much fun making music can be. Suitcases, saws, leaves, vegetables, rubber hands, feet and balloons are just a few of the very odd things Mic uses to make music with. Mic makes music fun and accessible to everyone in a fast-moving show that will have your feet tapping, knees slapping, and jaws dropping. Sounds like music? It's much more! Working in Australia and internationally, Mic started in the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, co-founded Circus Oz, and has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He has recorded many albums and CDs—including two gold records—and has fronted Mic Conway's National Junk Band for over ten years. Suitable for 5 years+. Free with Display Store admission. Individual bookings not required. Bookings essential for vacation care groups and groups of 10 or more.
MAKE-AND-DO ACTIVITY
Marvellous Music Machine Collage Activity
Tuesday 12th—Friday 15th January, 12.30pm—2.30pm
Tuesday 19th—Friday 22nd January, 12.30pm—2.30pm
What would happen if you crossed a tuba with a washing machine? Or a saxophone with a motorcycle? What kind of noise would that make? Between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm, children can combine images from the Museum’s collection to create their very own Marvellous Music Machine collage. Suitable for 3–10 year olds. Free with Display Store admission. Individual bookings not required. Bookings essential for vacation care groups of 10 or more.
OBJECT DEMONSTRATIONS
The Wurlitzer Player Piano
Tuesday 12th—Friday 15th January, 10.30am and 1.00pm
Tuesday 19th—Friday 22nd January, 10.30am and 1.00pm
Experience the sounds of popular music from the Wurlitzer player piano. This music machine provided home entertainment for families before the invention of radio and television. Join us for a short demonstration of this instrument and be inspired to create your own Marvellous Music Machine collage during our make-and-do activity. Suitable for 3-12 year olds. Free with Display Store admission. Individual bookings not required.
Good Vibrations: The Science of Sound
Tuesday 12th January, 11.30am
Thursday 14th January, 11.30am
Tuesday 19th January, 11.30am
Thursday 21st January, 11.30am
Explore the connection between music and science with this fun and interactive sound demonstration. What is sound? How do musical instruments work? Through looking, hearing and touching, young visitors will have the chance to make some noise and produce some good vibrations. Suitable for 3–10 year olds. Free with Display Store admission. Individual bookings not required. Bookings essential for vacation care groups of 10 or more.
WORKSHOPS
Simple Machines using Lego® Dacta Kits
(Duration: 90 minutes)
Presented by CSIRO Education
Tuesday 12th January, 10.30am—12.00pm
Tuesday 19th January, 10.30am—12.00pm
Tuesday 12th January, 1.00pm—2.30pm
Tuesday 19th January, 1.00pm—2.30pm
Join our friends from CSIRO Education in this 90-minute workshop exploring concepts behind simple machines. Using Lego® Dacta kits, workshop participants will be introduced to the concept of gears and their uses, and the role of axles and wheels to build their own Lego® Dacta construction according to a set design criteria. Lego® Dacta is a hands-on learning tool to supplement science instruction in the areas of motion, power, energy and electricity. Lego® Dacta encourages students to explore, investigate, problem-solve and become enthusiastic inventors! Please note that this workshop does not include a Lego® Dacta kit to take home at the end of the workshop. Suitable for 7–12 year olds. $12/$10 Powerhouse Members. Bookings essential as numbers are limited to 30 per workshop.
Lego® Build Construction Workshop
(Duration: 5 hours)
Wednesday 13th January, 10.00am—3.00pm - BOOKED OUT
Wednesday 20th January, 10.00am—3.00pm
Become a Lego® master builder! Presented in partnership with Computer Explorers, this full-day, hands-on fun workshop will stimulate creativity while developing teamwork and problem solving skills. Introducing concepts of 3-D visualization, participants will work in small teams to build houses, castles and towers of strength using Lego®. Please note that this workshop does not include Lego® to take home at the end of the workshop. Suitable for 6–8 year olds. $60/$55 Powerhouse members. Please bring your own lunch. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 12. Terms and conditions apply. Credit card numbers are requested at the time of booking to secure places due to popularity of workshops.
Booked Out
Lights, Camera, Action! Movie-Making Workshop (Duration: 6 hours)
Thursday 14th January, 10.00am—4.00pm
Presented in partnership with Computer Explorers, this hands-on workshop teaches participants the basic skills of stop animation. During the workshop and working in teams of four, you will learn how to create a background, use props, build clay characters to star in your movie, choose a soundtrack and learn the techniques of stop animation to create and film your own digital short movie. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a copy of their animation to take home. Suitable for 6–14 year olds. $60/$55 Powerhouse members. Please bring your own lunch. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 20. Credit card numbers are required at the time of booking to secure places due to popularity of workshops.
Booked Out
Lego® Robotics Workshop
(Duration: 6 hours)
Friday 15th January, 10.00am—4.00pm
Presented in partnership with Computer Explorers, this full-day, hands-on workshop teaches participants the basic
skills of robotics. During the workshop and working in teams of three, participants will build robots with Lego® and then program them to move, dance and conquer obstacle courses using touch and light sensors. Later in the day, teams participate in a challenge to determine the best-designed robot on the day. Please note that this workshop does not include a robot to take home at the end of the workshop. Suitable for 8–12 year olds. $70/$65 Powerhouse members. Please bring your own lunch. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 12. Terms and conditions apply. Credit card numbers are required at the time of booking to secure places due to popularity of workshops.
Booked Out
Digging the Dancing Queen! Music and Dance Video Workshop (Duration: 6 hours)
Thursday 21st January, 10.00am—4.00pm
Taking inspiration from Kylie Minogue’s ‘Dancing Queen’ costume and performance at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, this hands-on workshop teaches participants the basic skills of digital video editing and production. Working in teams of four, you will choreograph your dance moves to a song and through editing, add special transitions, effects and credits. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a copy of their finished music video to take home. Suitable for 8–14 year olds. $60/$55 Powerhouse members. Please bring your own lunch. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 16. Credit card numbers are required at the time of booking to secure places due to popularity of workshops.
Lego® Robotics Advanced Workshop
(Duration: 5 hours)
Friday 22nd January, 10.00am—3.00pm
Presented in partnership with Computer Explorers, this is a full-day, hands-on explorative workshop. You already have the basic robotics skills, now you can learn advanced programming skills to design the ultimate dream Mindstorm® robot, its limitations only bound by your imagination! Using state-of-the-art NXT Lego® Robotics components, participants build on their skills in robotics and programming the Lego® NXT—the intelligent, computer controlled brain of the Mindstorm® robot. It is a pre-requisite that advanced workshop participants have completed the basic Lego Robotics workshop. Please note that this workshop does not include a robot to take home at the end of the workshop.
Suitable for 8–12 year olds. $70/$65 Powerhouse members. Please bring your own lunch. Bookings essential as numbers for the workshop are limited to 12. Terms and conditions apply. Credit card numbers are required at the time of booking to secure places due to popularity of workshops.
Booked Out
EXHIBITION
The Odditoreum
Tuesday 12th—Friday 15th January | Tuesday 19th—Friday 22nd January, 10.00am—4.00pm
Come in and discover The Odditoreum, a display of weird and wonderful curiosities from the deep vaults of the Museum’s collection. Including horse’s teeth, a giant liquorice allsorts shoe, a griffin, a broom-making machine, and a magical bezoar, The Odditoreum is an extraordinary mix of objects selected for their individual peculiarity. The objects have been given a new life by multi award-winning children’s author and illustrator, Shaun Tan, whose works include The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Arrival and Tales From Outer Suburbia. Inspired by the ‘oddness’ of each object, Shaun has replaced real object descriptions with fantastical stories, resulting in a very potent and funny mix. During the school holidays, young visitors can let their imaginations soar when writing their own bizarre object descriptions and stories about some of the oddities, which will then be displayed for other visitors to enjoy. The Odditoreum booklet will also be available for purchase, RRP $10.00. Suitable for 5+ year olds. Free with Display Store admission.
Create Your Own Storybook!
Create your own personalised storybook of your visit to the Powerhouse Discovery Centre. Write your story, add your own drawings or stickers of your favourite objects and then take home your storybook as a souvenir to share with friends and family. Suitable for visitors 4–10 years. Free with general admission. Bookings not required.
Discovery Trails!
A self-completion activity trail that takes young visitors on a journey of discovery, focused on critters and creatures, or wheels or wings in the Display Store. Collect your Trail in the Display Store foyer. Suitable for visitors 4–10 years. Free with general admission. Bookings not required.
SUMMER SCHOOL HOLIDAY OPENING HOURS
10.00am—4.00pm,
Tuesday 12th—Friday 15th January
and Tuesday 19th—Friday 22nd January, 2010
GENERAL ADMISSION PRICES
$8 adult, $5 child / concession / senior and pensioner, $25 family (2 adults + 2 children),
Free admission for Powerhouse Members and children under 4.
Additional charges apply for some school holiday programs.
BOOKINGS
To book your place in our school holiday programs, phone 02 9762 1300.
Vehicle and pedestrian access via 172 Showground Road, Castle Hill. Parking available on site.
Please note that there are no food facilities on site.
Parking and Access
On-site parking available. Vehicle and pedestrian entry via 172 Showground Road, Castle Hill. Please note that there are no food facilities on site.