SPOOKY SCIENCE
SPOOKY SCIENCE WEEKEND FUN FOR KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS
Bryna Cline, above, teaches five-year-old Alex Luczak about how potatoes can conduct electricity at different volts at the University of Lethbridge annual Spooky Science Weekend. At right, Luke Saville teaches Peter Tipper and his father Stephen about how to bend water using a static electric-charged rod at the University of Lethbridge Spooky Science Weekend.
Kids and their parents from around the community gathered at the University of Lethbridge over the weekend to take in a day full of fun science experiments at the ninth annual Spooky Science Weekend.
Promoting how fun science can be, but using everyday items to real biology, the Lets Talk Science group at the university planned many interactive activities for kids to get more involved and interested in the different sciences.
“The idea of it is that kids love fun science,” says Ute Kothe, Professor of Biochemistry at the university. “Everything is Halloween-themed and is connected to science but most importantly everything is easy, fun, hands-on learning to make sure that the children have a great time and learn something from these activities.”
Each day of the three-day event was sold out to 100 kids and their parents to take in the fun activities such as a vortex cannon that used smoke to push over objects, water bending with static electricity, hovercraft creations and creepy crawling critters.
“We have a collaboration with a parasite research lab at the university and they have brought all of their discussing parasites and critters that kids can play with,” says Kothe. “It is a good tradition because we have many children coming back, they come and ask where the brains are, and it has just become a tradition in the community and we see faces all over coming every year and there is always new people having a fun evening.”
The Spooky Science Weekend is not only a way for children to get more involved with science and the university, but it is also a way for the students in science programs at the university to learn to interact with the community and share their love for science.
“Lets Talk Science is all students, and they have done an amazing job at setting up these complex events,” says Kothe. “It is a great event for the University of Lethbridge students because they share their passion for science and they dress up for Halloween and it is a way for the students to learn how to effectively communicate with the community, and how to organize a big event like this, so it is a dual purpose of promoting science.”
The Lets Talk Science group not only puts on the Spooky Science Weekend to promote science in youth, but also volunteers their time to go to high schools in the city to take their fun experiments into the classroom and teach older youth about the fun side of science, which fits into their school curriculum.
The annual event let kids explore their imagination and creative side through science, with the help of the witch and goblin student scientists leading their way.