Tiny things make up a big world at Long Island Children's Museums's Nano Day

Take a break from the summer heat with a visit to Long Island Children’s Museum for “Nano Day,” an exploration into the world of nanoscale science and engineering. The interactive event, which was held in March, is back by popular demand, on Friday, July 28, to give kids – and their parents – more insight into the fascinating science of the super-small.
Nano Day is a nationwide educational project focused on nanoscale science and engineering sponsored by the NISE Network (Nanoscale Informal Science Education). LICM is among the more than 200 museums, research centers and universities across the country that host Nano Day events.
Friday’s program, which involves a juggling show in the LICM Theater, followed by a science expo for ages 7 and up, is an opportunity for families to imagine, discover, and explore a world that’s too small to see.
“Nano Days continue to resonate quite well with our visitors,” said LICM spokesperson Maureen Mangan. “Kids seem to be especially fascinated learning about the science of the teeny, weeny. Putting it in perspective for them, a nano is 1/1,00,000,000 of a freckle. The concept sparks curiosity and interest in learning more. Adults are as fascinated as kids as they recognize how nano research is at play all around them, from technological advancements to medical research.”
During an afternoon devoted to science, visitors can make their own “nano discoveries” by participating in the different “experiments” that are featured in the program.

 The action begins in the LICM Theater, where families can join virtuoso jugglers Dan Foley and Joel Harris, at 2 p.m., for The Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show. Their performance combines comedy and juggling in an entertaining introduction to science that explores the mysteries of matter – including atoms, molecules and nanotechnology.
The virtuoso jugglers travel throughout the country with their comic and unforgettable introduction to science, while juggling everything from baseball bats to potted plants, sometimes atop seven-foot unicycles. It’s a show that will enlighten and entertain families from start to finish. The performance delivers extraordinary visualizations created through juggling, lighting, and large-scale metaphors, and entertains family audiences through character acting, jokes with various levels of sophistication, stunts, and kid volunteer opportunities. Who knew physics could be this fun?
After the Nano Brothers have sparked everyone’s interest in the science of the super-small, families can join in a special science expo at 3 p.m. It’s a chance to delve into the nitty-gritty of nano-
science and engage in exciting hands-on experiments and discover the fascinating innovations in modern nano science and technology.  Find out what a buckyball is or how sand can be waterproof, and so much more.
The science workshop, “The Magic of Nano,” led by educator Stacey Lee, involves a series of experiments that will enable kids to learn what a nano is and identify its different properties. Visitors can explore the changing properties of matter that occur on the smaller scale. “Most children don’t know anything about a nano science,” Lee said. “This program explores this fascinating science in an in-depth yet simple way that will engage everyone as they discover how much fun science can be.”

Nano Day at LICM
Friday, July 29, 2 p.m. Tickets for the Amazing Nano Brothers are $4 with museum admission ($3 members),  $8 the theater only. Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone at (516) 224-5801 until 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Families can then purchase tickets in person at the LICM box office on a first come, first served basis. The workshop fee is $3 with museum admission ($2 members).
Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or www.licm.org.