ROCKVILLE CENTRE WORKSHOP FIELD GUIDE
Junior Science Spies: An Alien Hunt and Bug Workshop at Tanglewood Preserve
A hands-on 1.5-hour workshop in Rockville Centre where kids decode alien clues, hunt a UFO crash site, mix galactic slime and search for backyard critters—designed for curious 8–12-year-olds.
Junior Science Spies: An Alien Hunt and Bug Workshop at Tanglewood Preserve.
At Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre, young investigators are handed a mission: aliens have invaded. Over a compact, playful hour and a half, participants decode messages from Mars, locate a UFO crash site and gather ‘interstellar’ ingredients to craft galactic slime, all while turning over logs and leaves to meet real backyard critters. It’s a hands-on science adventure that frames natural-history observation as an imaginative field investigation.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Decode an alien mystery
The program casts kids as science spies—solving coded messages from Mars, tracking a reported UFO crash site and collecting components to make galactic slime in an interactive, story-driven sequence.
Up-close with bugs and backyard critters
Participants explore real-world invertebrates and local critters, linking observation of insects and small animals to the workshop’s investigative theme.
Hands-on science in a preserve setting
The session blends playful mission-based tasks with tactile science activities—perfect for young explorers eager to learn and discover within the preserve.
What the day feels like
What the workshop feels like
The session moves quickly: clues and codes lead small groups across the preserve to a mapped crash site, where scavenged materials become the ingredients for galactic slime. Interspersed with the scripted mission are close-focus periods of natural-history observation—lifting stones and sweeping leaf litter—to find backyard critters and showcase real insect life. The format is active, tactile and designed to keep attention for the full 1.5-hour run.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this session suits—and who it’s tailored for.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Session length is 1.5 hours.
Designed for children aged 8–12.
Held at Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre.
No specific gear list was provided in the supplied materials.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
What ages is Sunday Science: Science Spies intended for?
The workshop is designed for ages 8–12.
How long is the workshop?
The session runs 1.5 hours.
Where does the program take place?
The program takes place at Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre.
What activities will kids do?
Children decode messages from Mars, locate a UFO crash site, gather ingredients to make galactic slime and hunt for backyard critters.
Who operates the workshop?
The program is offered by the Center for Science Teaching & Learning.