Arizona Science Center combines fun and education in annual snow week event

Where can you find science demonstrations, build a snowball launcher, and watch a Taylor Swift-themed laser show all in one place? At the Arizona Science Center's annual snow week!

Each winter, the science center makes 150 tons of snow for fun, interactive and educational activities for guests. This year's event kickstarted on Tuesday and will last through Monday, Jan. 1. The science center, which is located off Washington and Seventh streets, focuses on teaching guests about the science of ice and snow because many people in Arizona don't get to experience it often, if at all.

Activities range from demonstrations about fire and ice, building snowball launchers, a collaboration with the Arizona Coyotes teaching about the science of hockey, and, yes, even a Taylor Swift-themed laser show. Guests can come in to enjoy most activities for free with general admission to the science center.

Sari Custer, the science center's "chief of science and curiosity," says this event is meant to fuse fun and education, which is at the core of what the science center aims to do.

"We find that as long as we can build that positive relationship, the learning comes really easily," Custer said. "We have a bunch of activities that are engaging and fun, starting with the fun, and then bringing the science into it."

Custer said the snow hill tends to be the most popular activity of the week. Many people come very prepared for it, by bringing their own sleds to slide down the hill while others have fun by having snowball fights and building snowmen.

"For some of our younger guests in particular, this is their first time they've ever had the chance to experience snow," Custer said. "This is a chance to have some fun by bringing the snow right to downtown."

There are some new activities coming to snow week this year as well, such as the penguin run where kids can traverse through a penguin-themed obstacle course and a Taylor Swift-themed show in which colorful lasers align with 13 of her most popular songs. The science center also has a new film to show this year, which is Dr. Jane Goodall's "Reason for Hope," about Goodall and her experience living with chimpanzees.

This year will mark the 12th year of the science center's winter event. Custer said snow week has been able to evolve thanks to community feedback.

"We've seen families bond over this and we've seen an increase in attendance," Custer said. "We've been able to grow and change based on things that we learned, things that were popular with our guests, and even things that haven't worked, we've changed that as well just to make sure we can have this really fun, exciting and rich science activity for our guests."

More information about the different activities during snow week can be found on the science center's website at https://www.azscience.org/snowweek.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Snow week at Arizona Science Center combines education and fun