MathAlive! | KidFriendly DC

Fun takes shape at the MathAlive! exhibit

Tuesday – Add a museum exhibit to the weekday mix and go see MathAlive! at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center before it closes June 3. Admission is free.

Wednesday – Walk among hundreds of butterflies at Brookside Garden’s “Wings of Fancy” exhibit. Witness the butterfly life cycle and see species from North America, Central America, and Asia. Admission is $6/adult and $4/ages 3-12, free for children 2 and under (though strollers are not permitted). Tickets and parking are available at the Visitors Center and Conservatories.

Thursday – See Five Little Monkeys, Adventure Theatre’s latest show that audiences of all ages will find entertaining. Tickets are $18 and still available for Thursday’s show as this post goes live.

Friday – Visit the Maryland Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. Stroll among a variety of plants and flowers, till soil in the compost station, and have some fun in the natural play space. Admission is free.

Math has never been so sweet! As you can see, that’s what the promos claim about MathAlive!, a new exhibition opening at the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center this Saturday, March 10. And from the descriptions I’ve read and photos I’ve seen, I think it will easily live up to the hype.

The exhibit demonstrates how math works in the context of real life, not just some problems to figure out in algebra class or on geometry homework. And it presents it in a way that kids will find cool by showing them its uses in things they enjoy, like sports, video games, fashion, robotics and more. Through an array of interactive displays, guests can ride in a 3D snowboard race, operate NASA robotics simulations, design and play their own video games, control a Mars rover, and experience real math at work in everything from nature to music to dancing to movie-making.

I can’t wait to check it out. And I think my kids will dig it, too.

MathAlive! will be on exhibit at the Ripley Center (the small domed kiosk next to the Smithsonian Castle) through June 3. Hours are 10am – 5pm daily. Admission is free.