Activities
to do with Children
Museums to visit
Children
love to discover the way things work. Encourage young children
to do experiments.
Fun
activities to do with children
Hide
and Find:
Pick a toy or an
object and hide it under a box or cloth as the child watches.
Ask him to find it. Experiment with hiding different objects
in different places.
Tubes
and Balls:
Use a wrapping paper
tube or paper towel tube and tape it to a stairway banister.
Or hold it diagonally. Show the child how to put a small
ball in the top of the tube and watch it come out of the
other side.
What
Floats?
You will need a
large bowl, sink, or tub and a variety of small objects
of varying weights, soap, toy car, cork, an empty plastic
container or an unopened can.
Fill the bowl, sink
or tub with water. Have the child pick out something to
test. Before he puts it in the water ask him his prediction.
Will it float or will it sink? Have him drop it in and
see if he was right. Repeat the experiment as many times
as he likes.
Taking
It Apart/Putting It Together:
Let a child take
apart and put back together a flashlight to see how it
works. Supervise him with this project.
For more experiments visit
the following sites!!
Visit PBS
Kids and Funology
for some great experiments!
American
Library Association has a list of great science related
sites to explore.
FirstGov
for Kids. The
U.S. government interagency Kids' Portal. This site was
developed and is maintained by the Federal Citizen Information
Center. It provides links to Federal kids' sites along
with some of the best kids' sites from other organizations
all grouped by subject. Explore, learn, have fun and don't
forget to add us to your favorites! Visit
Science
and Math for further links.
Top
For
children who love to do experiments and are curious about
the way things work here are a few Museums that they might
enjoy
Eli
Whitney Museum, 915 Whitney Ave., Hamden, (203) 777-1833A
Museum dedicated to building and inventions. Build a project
by designing your own or do one from a model aided by staff.
The museum also offers an outdoor Water Learning Lab(which
is open in the summer. Build a boat and float it in the
different tables), and exhibits inside the restored armory
and gun factory. Such as the cotton gin, a model train exhibit
around the winter holidays, and more. Weekend workshops
and an extensive summer camp program.
Hours: Wednesday
– Friday 12:00p.m. to 5:00p.m., Saturday 10:00a.m.
to 3:00p.m., Sunday 12:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.
No Admission to museum but if you build a project the
fee is approximate $5.00-$7.00
The
Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport (203) 372-3521
This museum contains interactive exhibits in the areas of
art, science, and a smattering of industry, all specially
designed for children ages four to twelve. The first floor
interactive art gallery where children can learn about color.
The lowest floor includes the “Discovery House”
a learning space for children under five, and home to the
Henry B. DuPont 111 Planetarium. In the upper floor children
can learn about nuclear energy, electricity, magnetism and
light. There is a dining area with vending machines. Daily
Planetarium shows. Visit their website for Hours and Admission.
Challenger Learning
Center with computer simulated space missions on weekends
reservations required.
Millstone
Information & Science Center, 278 Main St.,
Niantic (860)691-4670 or 800-428-4234 Hands-on and interactive
exhibits that explain nuclear science and energy, show How
reactors work and power plants operate. Exhibits on conservation
and the marine environment of Long Island Sound include
aquariums, touch tanks and a nature trail. Admission: Free
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Nature
Center for Environmental Activities, 10 Woodside
La., Westport (203) 227-7253 A discovery room with natural
science artifacts on seasonal themes includes an interactive
wall with displays on ecology, animal biology, and so on.
A working water-quality lab, a wildlife rehab center, marine
touch tank and hiking trails. All ages.
Science
Center of Connecticut, 950 Trout Brook Dr., West Hartford,
(860) 231-2824 Hands-on museum that explores science, nature,
and technology. Find out how gears work, build a Lego car
and race it on the Lego Racetrack, blast bubbles, be a meteorologist
and predict the weather in the World Weather Window, enjoy
a Planetarium show, visit the Wildlife Sanctuary with birds,
reptiles and mammals, computer adventure, and more. Visit
their website for Hours and Admission.
Stepping
Stones Museum, Mathews Park, 303 West Ave., Norwalk,
(203) 899-0606 Interactive learning for age 10 & under.
Children can fly a helicopter, operate a periscope on the
submarine, or be an engineer on a train. The museum also
offers the Waterscape room in which children can experiment
with water, build a Lego car and have a race, experiment
with your voice, visit the music room and discover different
types of drums, and more. There is a toddler terrain for
age 3 & under. A small dining area and vending machines.
Visit their website for Hours and Admission. Get Into It
-- Free! Please join us for an evening of free admission
and educational fun on the last Thursday of every month
from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
Public
Libraries offer great books for kids on science activities
with kids. Your FREE library card from your local branch
will let you take books from any library in Connecticut.
Many have great children’s sections with toys, computers,
storytimes, and special events. They lend a variety of FREE
and reduced-price passes to area museums, check your local
branch for details
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