New England Model Engineering Show

On February 15, the day before Engineers Week technically begins, the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation (CRMII) will host the New England Model Engineering Show.

At the show, kids get to see how things work – steam engines, gasoline engines, aircraft engines, Stirling cycle engines, clocks, moving puzzles, locomotives, traction engines, pinhole cameras and model boats – on just the right scale for them. The craftsmen will be there to demonstrate how the machines work and to answer questions.

Your ticket to the show includes admission to the museum, so be sure to visit the CRMII’s exhibits while you are there. You’ll go back in time and see the evolution of bicycle to automobile, machines that make candy bags and tiny tacks, and the innards of a player piano. You’ll learn nifty tidbits of trivia, like how New England was the leading producer of cars before the 1920’s (not Detroit!). The museum building itself, located right on the banks of the Charles River, is a time machine of sorts – it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as America’s first factory.

What: New England Model Engineers Show
When: February 15, 2014 from 10am to 4pm
Where: Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, 154 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Who: All ages, but best for ages 5 and up
How much: $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12. Children under 6, active and retired military, and CRMI members are free
Contact: 781-893-5410

MIT Museum - February Vacation Week

During February Vacation Week, the MIT Museum (where engineers are always celebrated!) will have hands-on engineering challenges for older kids. Superstar MIT students and student groups will give demonstrations and share their knowledge. Kids can try the MIT Museum's new nautical engineering workshop this year, along with Holography, LEGO Mindstorms, Sustainable Fashion, and more. Take a look at the full schedule for specific times, organizations and activities.

When you’re not participating in the challenges and demonstrations, be wowed by the world’s largest hologram collection, the Eight Einsteins, MIT-built robots (the emotive Kismet is my family’s favorite) and other mind-boggling exhibits. And don’t forget to dance up and down the sound-effects stairs a few times.

What: Vacation Week Activities
When: Monday - Saturday, February 17-22, 2014
Where: MIT Museum, Building N51, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (Central Square)
Who: Appropriate for ages 11 and up, but would be fine for a very tech-oriented kid who is a little younger
How much: Adults $10, Youth under 18 and students $5, Seniors $5, MIT ID Holders and Children under 5 are free.
Contact: 617-253-5927 

Science Discovery Museum - Celebrate National Engineering Week

On Monday, when most vacation week camps are closed and you’re looking for something to do with the kids, drop in for an engineering challenge at the Science Discovery Museum in Acton. All week, through February 23, the museum will have engineering programs and challenges using KEVA blocks and featuring the very popular LEGO Zone. 

Of course, there’s a lot more STEM fun to be had at the Science Discovery Museum. The kids can test their engineering skills by designing extensive ball runs and pathways, discover the properties of a bouncy ball, bend light rays, use Morse Code to send messages, make music and art, or channel Brainy Smurf and figure out how to control a giant water vortex.  

What: Celebrate National Engineering Week 
When: February 15 - 23, 2014
Where: Discovery Museums, Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720. Get directions.
Who: Kids of all ages and their families
Contact: 978-264-4200 or fun@discoverymuseums.org

Boston Children's Museum - Engineering Everywhere!

The Boston Children’s Museum is celebrating National Engineering Week in a big way with Engineering Everywhere! this February Vacation. All week, there will be programming for future engineers and their families, from meeting a robot that helps kids make friends to building a house of cards, showing how engineering is part of every day life. Look at the week's schedule for all the fun activities the museum has planned, including an Engineer-a-Thon with the BU National Society for Black Engineers on the 22nd. The Glowing Jellies art activity on the 23rd sounds especially cool. 

What: Engineering Everywhere!
When: February 17 - 23, 2014
Where: Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
Who: Kids up to age 10 with their families
Contact: 617-426-6500 or info@BostonChildrensMuseum.org

Photo: MIT Museum

Originally published 2/13/13; updated 2/11/14