Sarah Lemmon July 15, 2016 6:00am

Kids Science Labs is a sponsor of Seattle Greenlaker. Set to open in Green Lake in late July, this new learning center, which is one of five nationally, is located at 405 NE 71st and offers hands-on science classes, camps, parties, and more for kids 2-12 years old.

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 Green Lake? (it hasn’t been filtered) why does the sidewalk have cracks? (to allow for expansion of contraction of concrete with temperature). 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 and long-term business success to having 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.” 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. With summer in full swing, there are simple and fascinating ways to keep your child’s mind engaged by using Green Lake’s neighborhood 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 Green Lake. 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 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 Seattle Center or the Seattle Public Library. In fact our own Green Lake Park was built by famous architects, the Olmsted brothers. 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 shown here.

Want to explore some more? Kids Science Labs is opening a center in Green Lake this July and we invite you to bring your child in for a free trial class or birthday party.

Kids Science Labs
www.kidssciencelabs.com
405 NE 71st St, Seattle