Half Pint Programs
Oct. 7 - Nov. 1

Half Pint Programs aim to enhance the Science City experience and education of children ages three through six. Activities emphasize the basic scientific process skills of curiosity, inquiry, observation, sensory perception and cause to effect.

Our goal is to stimulate and challenge their multiple intelligences, creativity and interpersonal relationships. Parents’ can observe the educator’s steps in the learning process, acquire new methods of interacting with their child, and to help establish the comfort level of the preschool child working with a new leader.

Half Pint Science - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On Thursdays we have science activities geared for children ages three through six years old. We investigate basic science concepts with hands-on discovery and make-and-take projects. The theme changes once a month, but the activities vary greatly. No two weeks are exactly the same! This drop-in/out session is led by professional early childhood educators on our staff. Come and join in on the fun…

Not here on a Thursday?
The Half Pint Science room is available to guests with young children any time Science City is open. It is located between Hale & Hearty and The Body Tour exhibits. It features books, puppets, building blocks, Duplos, puzzles and a train set that allows adults and children age-appropriate activities and maybe even some “down time”. Stop by and check it out!

2009 Monthly Themes

January: Mighty Measuring
February: Great Vibrations
March: Mighty Magnets
April: Natural Wonders
May: Animal Tools
June; Up, Up and Away
July: Mixtures and Solutions
August: Splish, Splash Water Science
September: Working with Tools
October: Color Light, Color Bright
November: Messy Science
December: How Cold Is Cold?

Price: Included in your admission to Science City.

For more information, call us at (816) 460-2020.

Half Pint Saturday Workshops
Half Pint Saturday Workshops are designed for children 3-7 years of age and their adult. Guided by an experienced Early Childhood Educator, you will do experiments and explore science concepts from a Half Pint perspective. We will add in literature, music, movement, hands-on activities and something to take home with you. The workshops teach children (and their adult) how much science is in their everyday lives and allows families to get down on the floor together and share in the learning.

Workshops are one hour long and each child is required to bring one adult.

February 28 - Who Lives in the Rain Forest?
Take a journey through the rain forest to discover who lives there, what grows there and what is happening there. We will start with an amazing story, have a frog jumping race, create your own rain forest friend and more!

March 28 - The Wonders of the Water Cycle
Follow a raindrop as it falls to Earth and learn where it goes from there. We’ll create our own water cycle with ice cubes, role play the life of a raindrop, create our own clouds and more. Do you know where you can make a cloud out in Science City?

May 16 - Dinosaur Fest
Enter the prehistoric world of dinosaurs and find out when they lived, what they ate and what they looked like. Why in the world did they go away? See what the world might be like as we read If Dinosaurs Came Back, by Bernard Most and join in on the Dinosaur Dance! A paleontologist never had so much fun!

June 20 - Measuring, Mixing and Mashing
Experiment with different ingredients using different sized measuring spoons and cups, then mix up a secret recipe to make something fun. We’ll get out some tools and play with our creation. You can even take some home!

June 27 - Magnet Mania
Magnets come in all shapes and sizes and do some pretty amazing things. Come experiment with magnets: form a hypothesis, perform the test and record the results. Play games with magnets and navigate a maze without using a pencil. You’ll even decorate a magnet that you can take home. We bet you’ll get stuck on magnets in no time.

Early Childhood Professional Development

Science Play in Your Classroom

Discover how to implement science-learning in all centers of your classroom through guided explorations. Gain the confidence needed to be an effective science facilitator. Obtain practical examples of how to integrate science into the daily experiences of your young students. This workshop will guide educators in how to become intentional as they teach science concepts during work (play) with their students.

Location: Science City Resource room
Cost: $15.00 with advance reservation
Class Size: 24 max
Target Audience: Early Childhood Educators
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Duration: 2 hours

Dates:
Saturday, March 14
Saturday, April 11
Saturday, May 9
Saturday, June 13
Saturday, July 11
Saturday, August 8

Classes designed for early childhood educators and qualified for two clock hours credit in both Missouri and Kansas. Guidance will be given in using science as a focus for preschoolers learning within each center of the classroom.

For more information or to purchase tickets by phone please call (816) 460-2020.

More Early Childhood stops in Science City:
City Park- water table
Tot Lot - climbing things, bubbles and more
Helicopter - see all of Science City
Prehistoric Dig - unearth dinosaur bones
Squishy Park - model trains with buttons to push
Melody Park - make music
Nature Center - animals
Tree House - all things high in the sky
Periodic Table - large magnets to build with

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