Happy Pride Month! This month we will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, especially by taking a look at the STEM field. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ STEM professionals are more likely to experience career limitations, harassment, and professional devaluation than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. There are many ways to address this problem. One of the most important things we can all do is build a more welcoming community for everyone. Having a supportive and visible LGBTQ+ community or network goes a long way to making a field more inclusive and welcoming. Stop by the Tinkering Tank throughout the month of June to learn more about LGBTQ+ STEM professionals!
My name is Laura Barcomb. I’m excited to be working as a Play to Learn Facilitator at Explore & More this summer. I’m currently enrolled in the AmeriCorp/ABLE Summer Learning Program. Also, I’m attending Niagara University, studying Theatre and History. I enjoy working with children and families. I plan to pursue a Master Degree in Elementary Education upon graduation.
Happy June! When I think of June, I think of bright fun summer colors. I also think of how thankful I am to be myself, and how it’s so wonderful that we are all unique in our own special way. I think we should all be proud of who we are- let’s be thankful for what makes us special.
I’m going to decorate the Art Studio with a rainbow paper chain. A rainbow is made up of many different colors, kind of like how our community is made up of many different people! My paper chain rainbow will have red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, white, light blue, and black. Eleven colors altogether. Did you know that the rainbow we see in the sky has seven colors? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and purple. Sometimes we call these colors “R.O.Y. G. B.I.V.” for short.
A rainbow is formed when light enters a water droplet. The light slows down and bends when shining through the water. Reflecting off the inside of the droplet, light separates into 7 different colors. When light exits the droplet, it makes a rainbow. Would you like to make a rainbow chain too?
Here are the materials you’ll need: Construction paper (whatever colors you want) Scissors Tape/staples
To create your chain, cut the construction paper into strips- my strips are about 2 inches thick and 6 inches long. Next, I recommend deciding on your pattern. I did white, pink, blue, brown, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Then I repeated that several times. As I linked my paper strips together, I used my stapler to connect them. You can use tape if that’s what you’d prefer. Not too hard, right? It will go even faster with more friends.
Summer break is right around the corner. As parents, you are likely thinking about season passes to the pool or water park, much-anticipated family vacations and a more relaxed schedule. What you might not be thinking about is how the summer months affect your child’s learning. Often referred to as “summer slide,” there is a real danger in the loss of educational ground your children might experience during the summer months.
Think of it this way: children who are proficient in a sport spend regular time and effort practicing the necessary skills, such as batting, running, catching, or swimming. Typically, kids become better at their sport the more they practice. However, if they take a three-month break from practice, proficiency suffers. It is the same way with math and reading. During the school year, students’ minds are exercised daily. This ceases at the beginning of summer break unless children are offered enrichment activities.
Here are ten ways to avoid the summer slide:
Read every day. Read non-fiction, fiction, eBooks, poetry, and newspapers and read out loud. For an independent reader, 20 minutes is usually a good amount of time to read. Local libraries have a wonderful summer reading program with incentives and rewards for books read over the summer.
Cook with your children. This is one of the best ways to integrate math, reading and following directions. Let your child design the menu, too. Take pictures of your home-cooked meals, and help your child put together their favorite recipes in a cookbook.
Plant a garden. Your child will gain responsibility and pride as they watch their plants grow and thrive.
Learn a new word each week. Hang it on the fridge and see who can use it the most times throughout the week.
Play quick games with flashcards like Math War or Concentration to keep math skills sharp.
Listen to audiobooks during your summer road trip.
Take pictures and make a summer scrapbook. Encourage your children to write narratives to accompany the pictures.
Make time to read. It can’t be said enough; if your child does nothing else this summer make sure he/she is reading!
Take a field trip. Head out to a museum, zoo, or local park with walking trails. Keep a journal about your travels. Visit us at Explore & More where kids will have so much fun, they won’t even know they are learning! We are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Also, beginning Friday, July 1, 2022, Explore & More will provide FREE outdoor programming from 11:00 AM- 1:00 PM every Friday at Canalside throughout the summer. It was a HUGE success last year, and we are so thankful that Project Play and Wegmans are sponsoring our Free Play Friday series again this year!
Enroll in a quality summer program that will provide your child with opportunities to build their critical thinking skills. Explore & More is pleased to offer weekly summer camps that spark 4- to 12-year-old children’s imagination and encourage exploration while playing and learning in the museum.
Wishing everyone a healthy and safe summer,
Lisa Chrapowicz Senior Manager of Strategic & Community Initiatives
May 1st marked the opening day of the Pan American Exposition, which opened in Buffalo, NY in 1901. The exposition was a world’s fair that highlighted advancements in science. There are a few really cool scientific advancements that stick out. First Nikola Tesla highlighted hydropower, by harnessing Niagara Falls to power the entire exposition. The video featured here was filmed by Thomas Edison and features an electrical show on the Electrical Tower.
The second advancement highlighted science and art crossing over as one of the first dark rides was debuted at the exposition. A dark ride is an indoor amusement ride, where guests are guided through different scenes. The electric-powered dark ride at the exposition was called A Trip to The Moon, visitors would board a flying ship that would take them from Niagara Falls to the Moon. Once arriving at the moon, visitors could explore a papier-mâché built Moon scene.
