It’s 9,000 square feet of fun for the whole family – and it’s back in 2016! The Pop Culture Classroom Kids’ Lab and 8-Bit Lounge are located on the Main Show Floor, with activities happening all weekend long.

Last year, we included STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities mixed with pop culture, and it was a rousing success! This year we are going to continue with that theme and provide more experiments, more art and more fun.
Here are a few highlights of the activities in the 2016 Lab:

• The Zen Gallery. Attendees can view art created throughout the year by children in our Pop Culture Classroom workshops as well as by inmates who participated in the LEAD With Comics program. You can also get your zen on by inking and coloring student created comics, or just sit back, relax and read.
• Arts and Experiments area. Here, we will have costume crafts (shields, masks, bracers) as well as STEAM activities every hour.
• Making a comeback from last year are Popsicle stick catapults (aka Tribble Blasters), Galaxy Gak and Squishy Circuits. Don’t forget to come back at the end of the day with your Tribble Blaster for an all-out Tribble Extravaganza!
• We have upped our engineering game with group building competitions and the addition of Copper Tape Circuits.
• Last year, we learned what Barry Allen (aka The Flash) does in his Forensics Lab. This year, we are going to explore the powers of our favorite heroes and villains in the SUPER SENSES LAB!
• Our favorite groups are back for the teen crafting area! The Colorado Modeling Militia Enjoying Sci-Fi is bringing paper make & takes as well as model demonstrations. After you create your paper model, take it to ASIFA’s tables to create stop motion animation.
• We are welcoming Red Team Go again in the Pop Culture Classroom Kids’ Lab Community area where they will be doing zombie make-up and creating free sketches. Plus, we have the CSO coming back with the Musical Instrument Petting Zoo.
• The All –Ages Stage is going to knock your socks off! We will be inspiring students of all ages with simple art lessons, helping them to create their own 4-panel comics and animation. As always, we have some BIG surprises and a lot of fun scheduled.
• We also have the lovely people from Jackman Brothers Production to create awesomely geeky balloon pieces, plus Disney trained face painters!

8-Bit Lounge

We welcome our guests ages 12 and older to come to the 8-Bit Lounge. There, you can engage with the geek community by learning how to incorporate your own artistic style, create a voice over character, draw your own space ship, and much more!