Preschool children had the opportunity to discover just how cool science can be through experiments at the Windthorst Public Library on Dec. 9.
The Regional KidsFirst program brought a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) for Little Explorers event best suited for children ages two to five.
The morning started with a story, What is Science, read by Madeleine Valentine, the early childhood community developer at Regional KidsFirst, followed by three experiments.
It made for some great visual learning for the children attending.
The first experiment was Magic Milk, where three different colors of food colouring were dropped in to a shallow container of milk, and then they used a Q-tip that’s been covered in dish soap. The milk reacts and moves away from the soap making for a kaleidoscope of color.
The second experiment was one everyone has tried as a youngster, Coca-Cola and Mentos eruption. They filled a little bottle with some soda pop, and then they added the crushed Mentos and sat back and watched the bottle’s contents fizzle up and over.
The final experiment, which the kids were the most excited about, involved baking soda and vinegar. The vinegar is poured into a bottle, and baking soda is funnelled into a balloon. The balloon is then placed over top of the bottle’s opening, and when the baking soda gets shaken down to mix with the vinegar, it reacts by blowing up the balloon. This experiment had quite the “wow” factor.
Valentine explains the science behind the experiments as she introduces kids to science, and teaches them how to follow instructions and learn and understand the cause and effect.
Jill Taylor, branch librarian at Windthorst Public Library, was happy to offer this program to the local youngsters.
Other than reading books at your local library, Taylor explains that they recently offered Light Therapy – a therapy lamp at the library if the winter blues were getting to you.
And if you are an avid outdoorsperson and you like to enjoy the snow, you had the opportunity to borrow snowshoes and crazy carpets offered through the library as well.
The library holds a variety of winter projects to keep you busy. There’s the December take and make to decorate a tree, and it presents and a class to make Christmas ornaments.
