Five days of hands-on STEAM fun, interactive demonstrations, and winter break adventures for families in Central New York

SYRACUSE, New York – (February 11, 2026) – Fun is in full swing at WonderWorks Destiny as the team gears up for their annual Science Week event, from February 16-20, 2026. Winter break is right around the corner for CNY schools, making it a great time for families and locals to check out WonderWorks and all it has to offer. The upside-down house helps keep the fun and learning going all throughout winter break and beyond. From interactive science demonstrations to a 50% off ropes course ticket deal on select days, WonderWorks has everything you need to make the most out of a Syracuse stay-cation.

“Take your family’s February break to the next level with a visit to WonderWorks!” said Jon Cascella, general manager at WonderWorks Destiny. “Our entire team looks forward to this special week every year, and we’re ready to have a blast with guests at both our regular attractions and our exciting science sessions throughout the week.”

Guests will not want to miss all the fun offered during Science Week. Young explorers can unleash their inner scientist with five exciting days of interactive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) sessions, demonstrations and activities. This annual event offers students and families the opportunity to engage their mind and spark creativity during the school break, in a fun affordable way.

The schedule of events for the week includes:

• Meteorology Monday on February 16, 2026 – Get blown away on Meteorology Monday from 1 pm to 3 pm to kick off Science Week. This day will be dedicated to learning more about wintery weather facts, trying DIY weather experiments, exploring natural phenomena and more.
• Egg Drop on February 17, 2026 – Watch out below! Take part in WonderWorks’ annual Egg Drop Contest from noon until 2 pm to see if you’ve got what it takes. Participants will put their engineering skills to the test and attempt to prevent their egg from breaking as it hits the ground. Supplies will be provided and participation is free.
• Destiny USA’s Winter Break Bash on February 18, 2026 – Swing by the WonderWorks table at Destiny USA’s Winter Break Bash, taking place from noon until 2 pm in the Canyon area of the mall (right below the Canyon Climb Ropes Course). The WonderWorks team will be helping attendees create dancing art through an electrifying science experiment, handing out Professor Wonder activity sheets, giving away special coupon offers, and more. This is a free event hosted by the mall and will feature lots more fun activities from other stores.
• Color Me Curious on February 19, 2026 – The Science Week fun heads back inside WonderWorks on Thursday from 1 pm to 3 pm. With a stroke of genius, put the “A” back in STEAM! Guests can try their hand at creating pop art, watch a mesmerizing, colorful elephant toothpaste explosion, and more on this creative, hands-on day.
• Animal Wonders with Rosamond Gifford Zoo on Feb 20, 2026 – Science Week will conclude with a special guest session from 1 pm to 3 pm that participants will not want to miss! Guaranteed to get guests up close and personal with animal biofacts, this event will examine animal tracks, pelts, skulls, teeth, and more. This session is held in partnership with Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

Monday, Thursday, and Friday’s Science Week sessions begin at 1 pm and cost only $5 to participate in, while Tuesday and Wednesday’s sessions begin at 12 pm and are free for all. WonderWorks Destiny Annual Passholders can experience all five sessions for free as a perk of their pass. Guests can pre-register to reserve their spot online: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/destiny/science-week/.

“It may be cold outside, but it’s always warm in the mall! Winter is one of the best times to experience WonderWorks, with special events like Science Week, great ways to save on tickets, and more,” said Jon Cascella, general manager at WonderWorks Destiny.

Mark the family calendars now for your next WonderWorks visit! With winter being one of the best times to visit the upside-down house, locals and visitors alike will want to check out the best indoor amusement park in Central New York. The indoor attraction provides a place to stay warm, stay active, and explore.

Be sure to take full advantage of the exclusive Wonder Wednesdays deal, running through the end of February 2026. Wonder Wednesdays provides guests with the opportunity to score 50% off tickets to the Canyon Climb Ropes Course at the door, every Wednesday through February 25, 2026. Guests will not want to miss this chance to check out the Canyon Climb at a great rate The Canyon Climb ropes course is the world’s largest suspended indoor ropes course, standing 70 feet tall. Climbers will get to explore three levels of ropes as they take on over 81 different obstacles. Closed-toed shoes and proper dress is required to go on the ropes course, and there are height and weight restrictions in place. To get more information, visit the site online: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/destiny/the-experience/canyon-climb/.

WonderWorks Destiny offers a variety of educational programs and promotions throughout the year for local students and families to enjoy. They provide group rates, birthday parties, homeschool days, corporate event packages, and an annual pass. They have over 100 interactive exhibits covering topics such as extreme weather, space exploration, light and sound, and more. The upside-down laboratory is also home to a thrilling laser tag arena, an imagination lab, a youth art gallery, and a physical challenge zone, including the 4D XD Motion Theater, the Astronaut Training Challenge, and more. For more information and current hours of operation, visit the site at: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/destiny.

About WonderWorks

WonderWorks, a science-focused indoor amusement park, combines education and entertainment into one venue. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there is something unique and challenging for all ages. Feel the power of 71 mph hurricane-force winds in the Hurricane Shack. Make life-sized bubbles in the Bubble Lab. Get the NASA treatment and experience zero gravity in the Astronaut Training Gyro. Nail it by lying on the death-defying Bed of Nails. WonderWorks is in Orlando, Pigeon Forge, Panama City Beach, Myrtle Beach, Syracuse, and Branson. For more information, visit WonderWorksDestiny.com, and follow @WonderWorksDestiny on Facebook, @WonderWorksDUSA on X (Twitter), @WonderWorks_dusa on Instagram, and @WonderWorksOfficial on TikTok.

The post Science Comes Alive During Science Week at WonderWorks Destiny appeared first on Good News!.

To Those of Us Born
1925 – 1955:

At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.

If you don’t read anything else, Please read what he said.
~~~~~~~~~
TO ALL THE
KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank – While they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs
Covered with bright colored
Lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets,
And, when we rode our bikes,
We had baseball caps,
Not helmets, on our heads.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes..

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And we weren’t overweight.
WHY?
Because we were always outside playing…that’s why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day .. .
And, we were OKAY.

We would spend hours building
Our go-carts out of scrapsand
then ride them down the hill,

Only to find out that we forgot about brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned To Solve the problem.

We did not
Have Play Stations, Nintendo
and X-boxes. There were
No video games,
No 150 channels on cable,
No video movies
Or DVDs,
No surround-sound or CDs,
No cell phones,
No personal computers,
No Internet and
No chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went
Outside and found them!

We fell out of
trees, got cut,
Broke bones and
Lost teeth,
And there were
No lawsuits
From those accidents.

We would get
Spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand,
And no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms,
And mud pies
Made from dirt,
And
The worms did
Not live in us forever.

We were given
BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
22 rifles for our 12th, rode horses,
made up games with sticks and
tennis balls, and

-although we were
Told it would happen- we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes
Or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell,
or just Walked in and talked to them.

Little League had
tryouts
And not everyone
Made the team.
Those who didn’t
Had to learn
To deal with
Disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent
Bailing us out
If we broke the law
was unheard of …
They actually sided with the law!

These generations have
Produced some of the best risk-takers,
Problem solvers, and
Inventors ever.

The past 60 to 85 years
Have seen an explosion
of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom,
Failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned

Ho w to deal with it all.

If YOU are One of those born
Between 1925-1955, CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want
to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids before the lawyers
and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it,
forward it to your kids,
so they will know
how brave and lucky
their parents were.

Kind of makes
you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn’t it ?
~~~~~~~
The quote of the month
by Jay Leno:

“With hurricanes, tornadoes,
fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the
country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist
attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”

For those who
prefer to think that God is not
watching over us…
go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us….. please pass this on.

The post Born 1925 – 1955 (good to be reminded again) appeared first on Good News!.

Nokomis, FL, December 05, 2019 –(PR.com)– 5th Jayne J. Jones Book Released in Popular Children’s Series

“Drop the Puck: Hockey Every Day, Every Way!” Tells the Adorable Tale of a Girl with Cerebral Palsy and Her Relationships with her Special Hockey Teammates and Friends

A new book in The Official Adventures. www.officialadventures.org, series is melting hearts across the country with laugh-out-loud fun, playful hockey traditions, and long-lasting friendships among teammates. “Drop the Puck: Hockey Every Day, Every Way” is the fifth book in the wildly popular series by Jayne J. Jones, a Minnesota native now living in Florida.

The story tells the tale of Lila, a child with cerebral palsy, who moves to her new hometown and plays for the Minnesota Bears, a special needs hockey team. Lila is wheelchair bound and skates through technology assisted braces. In real life Lila, was one of the series’ first readers and was introduced to the author by Errin Hakstol, wife of NHL Assistant Coach, Dave Hakstol. Through Lila’s mom, the author did research on Lila’s skating ability, her challenges from cerebral palsy and her frustrations with never being invited to a sleepover to simply using a scissors. (Wise Ink Creative Publishing, Publication Date. Oct. 21, 2019)

More than 15 NHL superstars have endorsed the book series.

“Lila truly has a million-dollar smile,” says Jones, “and I call her the queen of grit and determination.”

The book has three other characters with special needs (Down syndrome, autism and sled hockey) and continues the series traditions of competitive play, joys of winning, lessons of losing and sportsmanship. At the end of the fifth book the children decide to start a community spirit award for inspiring kids making a difference, impact or sharing good will.

The sweet and remarkable tale of Lila’s move to Hockeytown, USA will have all readers cheering for victories big and small, on and off the ice. Grab your hockey stick and shoot for life’s wonderful goals!

Together, we win.

What Others Are Saying

“Keep on reading, kids! It’s important to learn something new every day!” – Matt and Bridget Cullen, three-time Stanley Cup Champion, played 21 NHL seasons

“You wanna be smart? Read!” – Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks

“Reading as a family is important.” – Rick Nash, three-time NHL All-Star player

“Work hard. Play hard. Keep getting better every day!” – Jack and Leslie Jablonski, Bel13ve Foundation

“I loved it! Hockey really is for everyone!” – Lila, Inspiration for ‘Lila’ character

“All our kids love these books! They really teach valuable lessons for life that go way beyond the game.” – Jordan and Jamie Leopold, American former professional ice hockey defenseman and community volunteers.

“I love the way this book celebrates individual differences, strengths and similarities. When children learn about themselves, others and the world around them, that is the ultimate hat trick.” – Aimee Jordan, Lila’s mom and fierce advocate for people with disabilities.

“It’s really cool to see my name as a character in a book, especially a children’s book. I hope it helps other kids to be inspired to think, create, and invent. It’s neat to think my name might motivate readers to get out there and do things and dream big like I did because I know what it’s like to be one of them.” – Tripp Phillips, President and Inventor, Le-Glue

“I grew up as the typical Minnesota kid. Hockey is my life. These books are a hat trick!” – Luke Delzer, Totino-Grace High School Varsity

“This is F-U-N! I met the author in NYC. Next thing we know, we are in her next book. We will be making dozens and dozens of hockey icing cookies!” – Tera Schmit, Burlap Baker

“This is a great book that inspires you to believe in yourself and you can achieve your dreams.” – William Stinson, Inspiration for “Will Stinson” character and Minnesota youth hockey player

About the Author

Jayne J. Jones is the captain of “Team Beehler” and wears many helmets, including college professor, lawyer, author, and entrepreneur of fun. Together with Christopher, her husband, she founded a nonprofit organization leading chaperoned adventures and trips for travelers with disabilities. “Team Beehler” enjoy a hockey game every night and are passionate advocates for special hockey, foster youth, and ensuring individuals with special needs are employed to their fullest potential.

The post 5th Jayne J. Jones Book Released in Popular Children’s Series — “Drop the Puck: Hockey Every Day, Every Way!” Tells the Adorable Tale of a Girl with Cerebral Palsy appeared first on Good News!.

OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. (Outdoor Adventures for Sacrifice in Service) is a non-profit organization offering instruction, equipment and support to disabled military veterans in a variety of sports activities. We assist these veterans in reconnecting and resuming productive lives in society through participation in outdoor recreational activities that promote independence, and social and emotional well-being. Our mission is to do everything possible to make each outdoor experience meaningful and thereby help the veteran regain physical and mental health, with formal evaluations done by professionals in these fields. We differ from other organizations offering primarily event-type outdoor experiences to veterans by adding an evaluation and an advocacy phase to each veteran’s participation in each of our programs.
OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. is located in the Finger Lakes Region of western New York State, and our intent is to serve the needs of disabled veterans in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area (RMSA), which includes Monroe, Livingston, Orleans, Ontario, Wayne and Genesee counties.
OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. prohibits discrimination against current or prospective participants, family members, and volunteers on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristics in any of its programs and activities.

The post Oasis Program, www.oasisadaptivesports.com appeared first on Good News!.

The post NEW YORK BY RAIL DAY @ NY PENN STATION 5/16 appeared first on Good News!.