BOSTON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: A WONDERLAND FOR PHYSIOLOGY

Abstract

PhUn (Physiology Understanding) Days at Boston Children's Museum are a collaboration between a physiologist and the science program at the museum. The goal is to have fun and teach children (ages 0 to 12 years) and their grown‐ups physiology while visiting the museum. We plan a variety of activities around the museum that are both located in stations and take advantage of exhibits already in the museum. All activities are explained by student volunteers from area colleges. When children enter the museum, they are welcomed to PhUn Day and told the location of activities. A fun activity, the lungometer, is located close to the museum entrance. Station activities include an anatomy puzzle called Insides Out; Digestion, which provides an inside look at digestion in your gastrointestinal tract; You're the Doctor, which provides children the opportunity to explore medical equipment in a non‐scary non‐threatening environment; Bend It explores joints and all of the places in the body that bends; Making Snot focuses on the different components of mucous, and why it's important to your health; Blood Vessel Volume enables children to learn what happens when your heart pumps blood through the blood vessels, as well as what happens when blood vessels are clogged; a heart dissection is nearby for those interested. Keep the Heat is a comparative physiology activity that explains how different animals maintain their body temperature. An activity in an existing exhibit has children check their pulse before and after trying one of the many activities in KidPower, an exhibit that focuses on helping families live active, healthy lifestyles together. Another, the light table, has x‐rays for visitors to see different parts of the body and explore x‐rays of animals as well as people. Nearby are bones from different animals and related puzzles for children to play with. Through these activities, physiology is experienced by 800 to 2500 museum visitors over 2 days—Friday evening and Saturday. This is a great way to teach the community about their body, health and physiology and engage students and faculty in science outreach. It is always an exciting time for everyone!