Museum offers some sun fun

The Sunlight Family Day is a fun way to learn about the sun's power. PHOTO/TE MANAWA ART SCIENCE HISTORY MUSEUM PALMERSTON NORTH

As our sunlight hours fade with winter's quickening grasp, Rotorua Museum is hosting an event to remind us of the sun's enormous power and impact on life.

The Sunlight Family Day, on Sunday from 10am to 3pm, has a science focus and goes hand in hand with the museum's new exhibition, Sunlight - Ihi Komaru.

The exhibition explores how crucial the sun is to our existence, the role it plays in different cultures. The event is aimed specifically at children over the age of 8, said Kathy Nicholls, Rotorua Museum event manager.

"The family day is hands-on, very interactive and gives kids the chance to explore the exhibition and have some fun. They can search for invisible numbers using a UV torch, there are sun dials, they can race against the speed of light, and we will have glow in the dark face painting," she said.

Ever wondered what the sun sounds like? Climb into the giant inflatable sun and find out. Ever thought about colour and how it is created? You can play with mirrors, prisms, lenses and lasers to discover the surprising behaviour and properties of light.

While the sun is the exhibition's focus, it touches on astronomy and physics and was created by Te Manawa Art Science and History Museum, Palmerston North.

The exhibition will be at the Rotorua Museum until August 14.

Sunlight Family Day is included with museum admission, which is free for locals with relevant ID. General museum admission: Adults $20, seniors $18 and children $8.