Little mad scientists get hands-on in the lab

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - Steaming bubbles, baseball targets, virtual reality labs and more were on tap for more than a thousand kids in Pascagoula Saturday. The Pascagoula-Gautier School District hosted its Mad Scientist Super Saturday event.

“Most of the exhibits that you see here today are all hands-on. They are things that you might not see in a classroom, so the kids really get to be involved in those experiments," said Kelli McCorkle, Director of Early Beginnings Program. She’s also in charge of the Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center.

The Mississippi Power bubble exhibit was a favorite.

“Really cool," said 9-year-old Jadyn Wilbanks. “It bubbles up and when you pop it, steam comes out.”

Anywhere from 800-1,200 people were expected to attend Super Saturday at the Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center. For the few years Super Saturday has been going on, organizers said about 50,000 people have attended.

“We’ve kept our Mad Scientist theme for several years. We have some of the same exhibits but what we did this year, we blended some of our exhibits from Under the Sea and our Wetland Animals theme with Mad Scientist," McCorkle added.

Dozens of companies set up exhibits to give these kids the chance to learn in a new way.

“I think everything has been my favorite. I’ve had a good day so far," said 9-year-old Aree Johnson. “I would say the back in the virtual reality because I like virtual reality a lot.”

Super Saturday is an eye-opener and might point students toward a career path.

“I want to work in NASA," added 9-year-old Mannan Khalizy.

Super Saturday is absolutely free. It’s held four times a year. The next one is scheduled for Oct. 19, and the theme is Spooky Halloween. The Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center will also be celebrating its 10th anniversary that day.

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