New Kiddie Science Workshops!

Happy Friday!

We have new science workshops coming up for your young scientist! In order to best meet the needs of the children registered in our programs, we will now be offering 4 to 6-week sessions which will allow for better continuity and increased child-led exploration. Class size will be limited in order to maximize opportunity for 1:1 attention. Some individual program are options are still available. Visit www.KiddieScience.org for more information.

 

For a limited time, save 10% off your registration to any of our Summer Science programs!

 

Ages 2-4
Young scientists and their caregiver take part in hands-on experiments during our 6-week Little Scientists at LARK program. This program meets on Thursdays from 10am to 10:45am.

Young scientists age 2-4 and their caregivers take part in inquiry-based science exploration during our 6-week Science at Play Kids program. This program meets on Mondays, from 10am to 10:45am. 

Ages 5-7
Science Saturdays is a 4-week, inquiry-based program for young scientists age 5 to 7. Each week focuses on a specific theme that is presented through hands-on exploration. This program meets from 10am to 12pm.

After School at Lark meets on Tuesdays from 4pm to 5pm at 1007 Church Avenue. This 6-week, theme-based program is geared toward ages 5-7 and incorporates hands-on experiments and child-led exploration.

Kiddie Science is a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization aimed at presenting science to young children. Our programs are inquiry-based and incorporate experiments and child-led exploration to empower children to think scientifically and apply critical thinking skills to their world. Targeting young scientists age 2 and up, our programs aim to foster a lifetime love of science.

Kiddie Science programs are led by Ms. Carmen, a New York City teacher and mom to two young scientists. Ms. Carmen has a degree in Elementary Education with concentrations in Biology and Mathematics.

Celebrating Earth Day: Plant a Garden

A great way to celebrate our unique planet is by planting a garden. Plants are amazing! We depend on them for the air we breathe and the food we eat. Planting a garden is a great way to explore science on an ongoing basis with your child. If space is an issue, I highly recommend the Earthbox or Earthbox Junior, both offering a compact and efficient way to grow a garden.

Before planting your garden, make a plan about what you're going to grow. Observe the location you wish to plant in. How much sun does it get? The answer to this question will determine your planting options. An amazing resource to help in your garden planning is Smart Gardener, available free.

When I first started my urban garden, I planted tomatoes, lemon basil, green peppers, carrots, parsley, and lettuce. I planted my garden in phases, starting in mid-April and lasting through to early October. Since then, I have added cucumbers, kale, spinach, and cilantro. Due to limited access to outside space, no more than three types of plants were growing at the same time. At harvest time, the container was aerated, compost was added, and new seedlings were planted.

Did you know. . .
If you cut the tops off leafy greens, leaving at least 2 inches at the bottom, the blade will grow back. This is true for lettuce, kale, chard, and many more leafy vegetables. Not only do you harvest some food, but you allow the plant to keep growing for at least one more additional harvest.

Celebrating Earth Day: Indoor Composting

This used to be garbage. Newspaper, cardboard, paper (including mail, magazines and paper towels), and some fruits and vegetables took a detour into an indoor compost bin. All this potential garbage is now nutrient-rich compost.

Although it is most popular to do composting outside, urban living doesn't always make it possible. A few years ago, I decided to start composting some of our garbage indoors. You can try this yourself at home. Start with a 10-gallon bucket and drill holes all around the middle for aeration. Home Dept sells buckets with lids that are ideal for this project. Rip up an entire newspaper and place that along the bottom of the bucket, wetting it thoroughly in order to provide humid conditions for the worms to thrive in. Next, provide a layer of goodies: unwanted sections of fruit and vegetables (no citrus!). Add the worms next with some more ripped up newspaper to cover the top. I suggest starting with a pound of red wiggler worms. Place the cover on the bucket and keep it away from direct sunlight and in an area where air circulates well (not in a pantry, closet, or hallway).

Once a week, check in or your worms. Lift the top later of newspaper and make sure the habitat is wet, while avoiding creating puddles. Add food (paper, fruits, and vegetables) as needed. You will be able to harvest your compost about once a month, with a rough output of approximately 3 pounds of compost.

When done properly, indoor composting does not attract bugs or vermin and produces no odor whatsoever. The biggest setback to indoor composting is that you will be limited with what you can place in the bucket. For example, meat, fish, and citrus products cannot be placed in an indoor compost bin.

The information I used to get started can be found here:
The New York City Compost Project
Organic Consumers Association
HowToCompost.org

Its a Science Celebration!

What a difference a year makes!

Kiddie Science was founded in April 2013. At that time, we only offered one workshop, which was Science Saturdays. Since then, we have grown rapidly and now offer four workshops per week in addition to working with five schools for science enrichment. We hope to expand our services in the coming year by offering more in-school enrichment and additional workshops.

To celebrate this first year of tremendous growth, we threw a party! 

Dino cake pops courtesy of Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies

There was fun to be had by scientists of all ages

Face painting was courtesy of Sara, who is available for parties and events and can be reached at 346-634-4315

More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.

Our workshops at Lark and Play Kids have limited space available in the upcoming sessions. You can register for workshops here: http://www.kiddiescience.com/Register.html Don't forget, Science Saturdays returns in May with lots more scientific fun. We specifically want to get you excited about our May 17th session, There's a Zoo in Here. Live animals will be visiting the classroom!

Thank you for a wonderful first year! 

~Ms. Carmen