Museums offers family-friendly activities this summer

With school out, finding ways to keep students occupied and entertained can be difficult. There are a number of fun events and exhibits at museums around San Diego that can help.

The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UC San Diego on Friday opens “Oddities: Hidden Heroes of the Scripps Collection,” a comic book-inspired exhibit that highlights the adaptations of ocean species that can sometimes resemble super powers.

The exhibit will showcase some of the adaptations marine creatures have developed to survive, including super vision, protective armor, the ability to create electricity and more. It will also include examples of how these creatures have inspired everything from cinema and pop culture to medicine and engineering, according to a press release. Guests will also get the opportunity to test out some of these unique adaptations through “creature cosplay.”

The exhibit is included in aquarium admission. The Birch Aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and tickets are $18.50 for adults, $14 children ages 3 to 17. Seniors, student and military discounts are also available. For tickets or information, visit aquarium.ucsd.edu.

The Fleet Science Center has several interactive, child-friendly exhibits to explore. “Taping Shape 2.0,” which runs through Sept. 3, features hundreds of rolls of packing tape that are bound together to create translucent spaces and tunnels to explore. This is a shoes-off, hands-on exhibit. Visitors can also explore the science behind it in supplemental bilingual exhibits.

The “MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition” continues through Sept. 3 and provides visitors with the opportunity to have hands-on experiences with science experiments. Explore the blueprint room to relive some of the show’s most exciting moments, test your hypothesis in the workshop and catch a live demonstration onstage on the demo stage, with multiple shows throughout the day. This exhibit is available for an additional $5 per visitor.

Admission for the Fleet Science Center is $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for children ages 3 to 12 and are available at rhfleet.org.

Certain museums feature free admission on Tuesdays for residents of the City and County of San Diego and to active military personnel and their dependents. Some museums may offer complimentary admission to their permanent collections only and charge admission to special exhibitions, attractions, films, showings and events. A list of the museums and when they offer free admission is available at tinyurl.com/bpfreedays.

Email: entertainment@pomeradonews.com