Did you know March 14th is celebrated as Pi Day because 3.14 are the first few numerals of the mathematical constant π? That is a math concept some of our younger friends will learn way down the road that you may remember from your time in school!
Did you know though that Explore & More highlights early math skills all over the museum that you can start practicing with your little ones today? Everywhere you turn, there are opportunities to learn about numbers, counting, and more!
Next time you visit, try these fun ways to explore early math concepts!
Have your little one sell you a Super Kiss car wash in the Delta Sonic Car Wash exhibit by reading the dollar amount it would cost on the touchscreen.
Find three lug nuts to secure a tire on the car in the mechanic shop.
Help your little one deliver the mail to the proper house in the Being Good Neighbors exhibit. Make sure to check the address…should the mail go to 123 or 125 Being Good Neighbors Drive?
Try weighing a fish on the third floor and show your child how a scale works with ounces and pounds.
Count the number of eggs together in the chicken coop or the orange carrots on the fourth floor.
While you’re there in Farm to Fork, see if you can put the cookies from the cookie jar in order from 0 to 10.
Have your child hop on a cash register in the market and practice buying and selling fruits and vegetables for different prices. With our pretend money, you will be their favorite customer!
You can even count our floors together when you take an elevator ride.
Numbers and early math skills are everywhere you look when you come to play at Explore & More!
By now, I am sure you have at least heard of the acronym, STEM. Which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics! I have grown to love this subject content, and truly admire the style of learning it brings to children, no matter their age. Here are some fun ways to adapt this way of learning within your own home with your little one!
As you already know, children are born curious! Curiosity is a very wonderful way to think and has many ties to the scientific thought process! Always provide a comfortable environment where your little ones can ask and wonder about the world around them! Encourage them to ask questions!
Make observations in your daily life! For example, with your child, observe the daily weather and season as you are walking to your car in between errands! How does it feel outside? Did you have to wear a jacket today? Can you describe how the sky looks?
Take some time and build a creation with your child! This could be with Legos, Play Dough, blocks, or anything! Give them a task to build a structure that is a certain measurement or can hold a certain weight or object. This will bring out their inner engineer, while they build, and problem-solve!
Confidence in mathematics and practicing their math skills will help build their critical thinking and STEM education as well. This may be practicing addition, subtraction, or multiplication skills! Children will excel stronger in the future, while they are creating the foundational math skills to build off when they are introduced to higher-level problems, starting at a young age. Another fun way to learn mathematics is by creating your very own word problems while putting yourself and your child into the scenario!
While taking all these ideas into consideration, it is so important as the adult to foster this learning with your own engagement in the activity as well. If your little one sees your enthusiasm about the topic or task, they will be excited to learn as well! Create memories together by being involved with the task with your child, and showing your own interest and curiosity in the topic!
Whether your child enjoys sports, art, cooking or science, we have it covered, and we have summer camps your child will love! Studies show that summer learning opportunities lead to so many positive effects on children’s self-esteem, confidence, and motivation. High-quality summer programs keep students engaged in learning, teach them new skills, allow them to develop previously unseen talents, and foster creativity and innovation.
What should parents look for in a high-quality summer program?
Balanced programming with daily opportunities for STEM, reading, cultural enrichment, play, and recreation
High interest, engaging activities
Positive interaction between kids and caring adults
A safe, structured learning environment, licensed by New York State Office of Children & Families
The best programs focus on developing the whole child — intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally — so that he or she is prepared for both the present and the future. At Explore & More we thoughtfully design our summer programs to provide endless opportunities for exploration and discovery – so that our students are encouraged to dive right into the deep end and discover all that they are capable of in order to avoid the notorious “summer slide.”
Check out our website for more information about what makes Explore & More the place to be this summer. Don’t miss out on the fun. Spaces are limited, so register your school-age child today.
Looking forward to seeing you at the museum soon,
Lisa Chrapowicz Director of Strategic & Community Initiatives
This February, it might be a fun idea to bring the snow indoors! Here are some age-appropriate activities to do with your littles during this chilly, chilly month! And of course, we are adding some fundamental STEM learning moments into these experiences!
Sensory Snow (age: infant-toddler): For exploration and using our senses, this sensory bin can be ready in moments with items you already have in your home! Gather a large plastic Tupperware bowl, a towel, and some snowflake or snowman cookie cutters. Next, head outside and scoop up a pile of fresh, clean snow into your bowl. On a solid surface of your home, layer the towel underneath the bowl with the snow on top. Now, add in your cookie cutters, and you are ready for your little to explore the chilly snow, in the comfort of your own home! As a STEM addition, challenge your little to build a structure that will hold the cookie cutter on top! As shown on the photo, Alyssa from Where Imagination Grows, adds some fun beads to her sensory bin to add details to the snowman! (Safety first: This is a wonderful idea if your child understands these are not edible and are a choking hazard.)
Snow-Dough (age: toddler-5 years old): Snow dough is a fun alternative to snow for your little to create some fun structures while working on their fine motor skills. Diane from Homan at Home shares an easy-peasy two ingredient recipe, with items you might just have around your home! This mixture is made up of equal parts lotion (1 cup) to cornstarch (1 cup). If the mix is more on the liquid side, add more cornstarch, if the mix is more on the powder side, add more lotion. She then adds that you can add some sparkles into the mix for a fun shimmer as well! Once you have the mix created, encourage your little to make some basic shapes or build a snowman! To add a fun STEM twist on this activity, grab an ice cube tray and have your little fill in the cube sections with dough. Once it is loaded, flip the tray upside down and pat the tray to have the cubes come out! Now you have “bricks” of dough, where you can build a house, wall, and a sturdy structure!
Snow Experiment (age: 5-11 years old): This is a very fun and engaging science experiment to complete with your school age child! This snow experiment is called Snowstorm in a Jar created by Mombrite. This experiment requires a few materials: baby oil, white paint, Alka-Seltzer tablets, and a clear glass jar. First, you are instructed to fill the jar a ¼ full of water and paint, to create a milky appearance. Then, you are to fill up the jar with baby oil to the top, and then let the mixture settle. You will see the oil will separate to the top part of the jar, and the milky mixture will stay at the bottom on the jar. Mombrite goes to explain that this is due to the different charges of the liquids! Then, have your little break up the Alka-Seltzer tablets, and then place them in the jar all together and close the lid. Once the lid is closed, watch the magic of the snowfall appear! If your child is interested in the bubbling of the snowfall, you may want to explain the science behind the magic! Mombrite shares that the Alka-Seltzer tablets react due to the different chemical properties of the oil and paint mixture. This includes a reaction occurring between the sodium bicarbonate in the baking soda with the citric acid and hydrogen oxide in the water. It would be a fun trial run to see and compare the changes if once tests what happens with just a half of Alka-Seltzer tablet, compared to two tablets!
I hope February brings you many enjoyable snowy days! 😊
“A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.” ― Douglas Pagels
Play dates, birthday parties and laughter-there is no better feeling than knowing your child has friends. Making friends isn’t always easy though. It can be especially difficult for children who may be shy or have difficulty with communication or social skills. Parents are often at a loss to know what to do.
There are many ways to help facilitate friendships in young children. Just like literacy and math skills, social skills are an important area of learning that can be taught and practiced. Children spend most of their time socializing and learning through play. Play skills typically develop slowly, over time. You may observe your toddler keeping toys to themselves, your 3-year-old playing side by side with others, and older preschoolers starting to play cooperatively. Along the way, there are a few key play skills that you can teach that may help your child make, and become a better friend.
Organizing Play – this is often observed during pretend play. Children will suggest scenarios and play ideas. You can encourage this skill and practice at home. Play pretend with your child and ask them, “What do you want to play?” “Should I be the cashier or the customer?” Have them tell you what to say or do in your role. This is especially important to practice with children who are shy or have anxiety in social situations. Children can also use pictures to make play choices and initiate play with others.
Sharing – this can be as simple as asking for a turn or learning to wait until someone else is finished with a toy. Grabbing toys from others and protesting “Mine!” is normal for young children. Sharing is a skill that is learned through practice. Demonstrate asking, “Can I play?” or “I want a turn please.” Also make sure your child knows it is ok to tell another child that they are still playing and aren’t ready to share yet. Children can learn patience. It is ok to have to wait or choose a different activity. Setting a timer can help by providing a visual cue so your child knows their turn is coming up.
Assisting Others – being a helper and teaching empathy helps children to learn to become a better friend. The easiest way to teach empathy is to have children ask, ”Are you ok?” Teach young children about different emotions and how to look at facial expressions for clues to know what others may be feeling. Also teach them to ask for help from others when they need it. These small back-and-forth interactions of caring for each other is often how friendships grow.
Giving Compliments– this is especially important to model for older children. Think beyond, “good job!” and focus on process, not product. It is best to let a child know that their effort is important regardless of the outcome. “I noticed…” statements are a great way to start. “I noticed how you kept trying when it didn’t work the first time!” “I noticed you gave your sister a hug when she was sad.” etc.
It takes time to develop friendships, but parents can help children along the way by being good models and demonstrate how to be caring toward others.
Books about friendship for children Join in and Play by Cheri J. Meiners Good Rosie by Kate DiCamillo Can I Play Too? By Mo Willems Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak
Gail E. Joseph, Ph.D. & Phillip S. Strain, Ph.D. Center on Evidence Based Practices for Early Learning University of Colorado at Denver. (2003) https://www.firstfiveyears.org.au/child-development/making-friends-how-to-help-your-child
