COSI Columbus551

Its official name is the Center of Science and Industry, but most kids and families just say, COSI.

COSI's oft-changing exhibits and seven-story Extreme Screen movie theater make the museum a good stop for resident families and city visitors.

In addition to traveling exhibits, many of COSI's permanent installations provide reason enough to visit. The Ocean area features a dramatic area where families can explore the wonders and power of water, including a tumbling waterfall and a chance for visitors to submerge in a submarine.

Youngsters can climb, slide, and pretend inside little kidspace. (Most parents can expect a few tears when they have to leave the colorful play area!)

Older kids (and spectators of all ages) enjoy a ride across the country's only high-wire unicycle.

COSI's outdoor area, Big Science Park, isn't all that big, but it does give kids things other parks don't - like a chance to lift a car off the ground (!) and to ride the Centripetal Generotor, where they may feel as if the floor drops away from their feet.

Birthday parties at COSI offer a slew of themes for preschoolers (rainbows, outer space, slime) and older kids (science, dinosaurs, astronauts). Check the website for more information. COSI offers engaging family workshops related to most of the museum's exhibits; however, they rarely appear in our calendar because they generally sell out in advance - so, check the website if you like hands-on science experiments. (Especially those conducted somewhere other than your house!)

Homeschooling enrichment opportunities abound.