On Saturday, Feb. 9 two perennial favorites provide a wonderland and a haven for young geeks when the Popsicle Stick Bridge Building Contest and the Engineering Fair return to the Museum of Flight.

The remarkably rambunctious contest is a spectacle for families. The Engineering Fair is a curiously fun mix of hands-on robot, gizmo and even gumdrop activities for junior engineers.

Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest

Passions run high on Saturday morning as teams of high school students from around Puget Sound compete to have their dreams shattered in front of a large audience of parents and peers in the museum’s Great Gallery. It is all engineered for good fun at the contest, sponsored by the Younger Member Forum of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Competitors must design and build small bridges that are strong and aesthetically pleasing while using only Popsicle sticks and white glue. The bridges are judged for creativity and then subjected to the pressures of a hydraulic press until they snap. The longest-lasting and most original structures win.

Event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; free with museum admission.

Puget Sound Engineering Council Engineering Fair

The universal span of engineering is demonstrated. Youths interested in engineering can learn all about career opportunities by talking to professionals in the field including those from NASA, Boeing and universities. Student clubs will be in force, and there are plenty of hands-on activities for young children.

The 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event is free; general admission is needed for the other galleries.

The museum is at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158, off Interstate 5, on Boeing Field, halfway between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit museumofflight.org.