WHIZ! BANG! POP!
Adventures in Science draws crowds
Children of all ages explored a diverse array of scientific disciplines at the Children’s STEM Fair this past Wednesday.
Co-sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Sustainable Saratoga, and the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, the event attracted more than 300 people.
Twenty different organizations participated in the event, offering interactive STEM activities to stimulate kids’ interest in science. Activities exposed children to the natural sciences, engineering, and physics in a creative, hands-on way.
Kids studied animal tracks, learned about how worms turn food waste into nutrient-rich worm castings and explored the physics of water flow through a watershed. Several activities involved engineering solutions to solve problems in physics.
A popular station was the ice cream table, where kids used super-cold saltwater to make, and then eat, their own ice cream.
Several volunteers noted how interesting it was to observe children independently solving problems in such a variety of ways, and many of the participating organizations encouraged organizers to hold another event next year.
“It was great to see so many kids engaged in this kind of active learning,” said Mary Cobb, a volunteer and grandparent of a child who stayed the entire time of the event. “As a retired preschool teacher, I know the educational value of hands-on experiences and this event delivered an abundance of these opportunities.” Margie Shepard, co-chair of Sustainable Saratoga’s Zero Waste Committee and one of the organizers of the event, reflected on the day.
“It was rewarding to watch so many kids, from toddlers on up, engage with science in an interactive, fun way,” said Shepard. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we inspired a future inventor or scientist?”