Can you keep a secret?

Image by flickr user POSITivImage by 20080624circles.jpg Circles are all around us, and the "Secrets of Circles" exhibit at the Children's Museum of Lowcountry aims to help kids of all ages understand them a little more.

The Children's Museum of the Lowcountry has a new exhibit, "Secrets of Circles," that examines the nature of the circle in everyday life. The exhibit has been all over the country, but until September 1, it's right here in Charleston. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 per person, and if you're 1 or younger, you get in free.

From CML's June newsletter:

Circles are everywhere! But why? This exciting new exhibit, Secrets of Circles, uncovers the truth about circles. Join us at CML and experiment with the familiar and powerful shape of a circle.

- Discover how gears can turn a drill, a music box or a clock
- Learn how math helps you draw a perfect circle that glows in the dark
- Play with reflective shapes on a large turntable to investigate different patterns
- Explore the digital pond and watch circles ripple outwards

From The Post and Courier:

"Circles are so apparent, and we see them so much in everyday life that we — I don't know — take them for granted," said Denis Chirles, the museum's deputy director. So what's the big secret about circles?

"The secret is that we use them all the time, and we don't know it," he said.

The traveling exhibit originally hails from the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, Calif., but was last shown in Pittsburgh.

"Secrets of Circles" will be here this summer before it is shipped off to Chicago. The 2,000-square-foot exhibit, which features 12 "exploration stations" that explain the basic properties and uses of the shape, is the largest the museum has ever featured. Jennifer Lorenz, the museum's marketing director, predicted it will be a hit.

From Live 5 News:

The 2,000 square foot exhibit is the largest exhibit to come to the Children's Museum since it opened in 2003 and celebrates the math, science and engineering of the circle.

...

Despite its location at the Children's Museum, the exhibit's 12 exploratory stations have something for the entire family.

"There's a spin table that allows parents and children to work together. Little ones may not be able to do this by himself or herself, but parents are invited to put their knees on the floor and do the activity with their children and in doing so it becomes a family oriented experience," said Georgina Ngozi, Executive Director of the Children's Museum.

For more information on the exhibit, call (843) 853-8962 or e-mail info@explorecml.org.