Grand Opening: Saturday, 6/1 10am – 12pm
Kids Science Labs
901 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Vernon Hills
Written by: Kids Science Labs
Kids’ natural curiosity starts at infancy and never stops. As any parent will tell you, they ask brilliantly insightful questions about everything. Why they can’t drink water from the Lake? (it hasn’t been filtered). Why does the sidewalk have cracks? (to allow for expansion of contraction of concrete with temperature). How can I visit the moon? (chemical reactions, gravity, and lots of math). Our kids are natural explorers, innovators and observers, and they need to build, break, mix, and inquire to understand our changing world. Supporting this natural curiosity leads to a wealth of benefits for your child according to recent research.
In the last two decades, most experts in early childhood education agree that there is strong correlation with academic outperformance & long-term business success to having access to more Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in pre-school and elementary age kids. More recently (April 2016), the Obama Administration has issued policy decisions that say that early, regular, and frequent access to the engaging hands-on science experiences and resources are the best way to prepare kids for innovating a better future tomorrow. Harvard’s Center for The Developing Child says that 700 – 1,000 neural connections are made every second in the brain and “early experiences affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation of all future learning, behavior, and health.” Furthermore, the 2010 IBM CEO study of over 1,500 CEOs from over 60 countries, selected creativity as the most crucial factor for future success.
Enabling creativity and critical thinking at every turn is valuable, and science can be an amazing vehicle for accelerating learning in kids 2-12 yrs old. With summer right about the corner, there are simple and fascinating ways to keep your child’s mind engaged by using our neighborhoods as a backdrop for learning.
Marble Madness: Why do marbles seem to roll on forever?
Kids are always pushing toy cars, marbles, or their sibling’s strollers through. The next time you see them pushing or rolling objects, stop to feel the various surfaces that we use and understand that friction is the force that slows things down. Check the bottom of your child’s shoes or bike tires and observe how the grooves may help us stop (via friction) when we are running. Roll a marble on the sidewalk (or a hardwood floor & carpet) and ask them how to make it stop.
Urban Planning: If I could build a city, what would I put in it?
We walk around our neighborhoods and often see a lot of things being built, but rarely do we think about how cities are planned. So much planning goes into our cities – from highways to tall buildings to the electricity we count on. Invite your child to take on the role of an urban planner and innovate a city of their own.
During your next drive through the city, notice the location of the airport, what the sidewalk is made of, where the grocery store is, and how cars move through Seattle. Then find some recycled cardboard and let your child determine where to fit everything in their own innovated city. Give your budding urban planner crayons, plastic cups, tape and other objects around the house to construct their ideal city like the photo above with parks, lakes, roads, houses, towers, movie theaters, and hospitals. This is a great project to let your kids create and design the future without constraints.
Want to explore some more? Kids Science Labs is opening a new center in Vernon Hills in June, and we invite you to bring your child in for a free trial, birthday party, or summer camp.
Grand Opening: Saturday, June 1st from 10am -12pm!
This post is sponsored by Kids Science Labs.