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It’s never too early to donate to a good cause, and 6-year-old Anakaia is proof of that. One of the youngest people ever to donate to The Discovery, Anakaia gave up her hard-earned coin, stating, “I had the money, and I really like puzzles.” What did she choose to put the extra money she had in her pocket towards, you ask? It was The Discovery’s featured exhibition,Mindbender Mansion, which opened to the public on February 3rd. The exhibition proudly boasts 7,000 square feet of brain teasing and mind bending puzzles and activities that challenge even the most skilled problem solvers. Those who can solve a selection of the puzzles have an opportunity to join the Mindbender Society.
Anakaia with Adam Wiley, Development Associate for The Discovery, in the foyer of Mindbender Mansion
An entrepreneur at heart, Anakaia started her own business selling temporary tattoos while on the road with her parents, who own a clothing design company. Her father Sven says, “She doesn’t have any issues coming up with her own money.”
Anakaia arrived with her father to The Discovery on a very rainy Saturday afternoon for a tour as a thank you for her donation. It was a perfect day to explore the far corners of museum while staying dry. Our first stop was the exhibits shop, where many of the hands-on exhibits and activities on the museum floor are created. After taking a brief look at a few power tools, and checking out some of the new exhibits in the works, we headed to the garage with the fresh scent of saw dust still on the tips of our noses. Once in the garage, we launched fog cannon rings and talked a bit about toroidal vortexes and compression. But we mostly laughed while the perfect fog circles landed on Anakaia’s father—he graciously allowed us to have some scientific fun at his expense.
After exploring some fog ring science, it was on to Mindbender Mansion so Anakaia could enjoy the exhibit that she helped make possible. Her favorite part of the mansion is the “One Size Fits All” puzzle. It’s a version of the classic round peg in a square hole, but with a major twist. After snapping a pic of Anakaia, she continued to enjoy exploring the museum for the rest of day.
So, how early is too early to start donating to The Discovery? It’s never too early! And every dollar The Discovery receives allows us to continue inspiring visitors with hands-on, informal education. Thank you, Anakaia and Sven, for your support and time spent at The Discovery.
If you would like to support the cool programming and exhibits The Discovery provides for our region’s educational benefit, please donate here!