Can a bridge made of paper support three large elephants?

Every class @KSL starts with a question that motivates and excites students to begin to think critically about the science we see everyday. Whether in Chicago, Seattle, or D.C., bridges are a critical part of how our cities work to transport pedestrians, wildlife, vehicles, and goods safely to their destination. So on this day in Builder’s Paradise, we used everyday innovations to better understand how to make bridges stronger with shapes and durable materials, how to protect them from both physical and environmental damage, and how to customize them to meet the needs of any unique situation in our city.

Students performed problem solving experiments along several dimensions to better understand Civil Engineering and Bridge Infrastructure:

• How do we make a paper bridge stronger by changing its shape and bundling (stacking paper together to improve its density)

• Why is it important to test maximum loads of each type of material on a bridge during and after construction

• How do environmental conditions (wind, humidity, heat, water) affect bridge designs

• Where may the certain types of bridges be most useful (beam, truss, suspension, arch)

Our older students may also have looked at what can go wrong in bridge design and discussed some of the issues in our U.S. infrastructure issues with bridges that are 100+ years old, that were designed before we had cars, trucks, and massive transportation infrastructure.

For more advanced learning, please show the following video or watch it alongside your child to build problem solving with bridges

What would happen if all roads in Phoenix were made of graham crackers? (Science in the City - Roads)

Roads need to be smooth, strong, durable, and maintained or else we are going to hear about it as civil engineers. Roads also have to fit pipes, wires, and sewers underneath! During Builder’s Paradise, our innovative students at Kids Science Labs investigated

• How to make concrete with various pebble-like textures for added friction

• How potholes are created and how to use science to prevent environmental damage to roads

• Which materials would be best for building roads, and then customizing our very own yellow brick roads with strawberry infusions so driving is both safe and full of wonderful aromas

• When changes in road designs are necessary based on geographic and climate variations that impact safety and our desired driving experiences

Students engaged in problem solving on how to manufacture concrete and to keep each level of the earth flat, when pouring their own custom concrete aggregate. Each child at KSL explored the science in our city layers under the surface, including rocks, soil, clay, and minerals, as well as what happens when concrete (plaster) is poured with varying aggregate materials. This is a two-day experience @ KSL and teachers focused on enhancing confidence through overcoming design mistakes, and problem solving to improve existing designs.

Show the video to your student to learn more or watch it with them to build more confidence in understanding how roads are built in Science in the City!

Why do marathon runners need to drink more water than sprinters in the 100m dash?

We need water, and other key nutrients to keep running at peak performance, including special uniforms full of the world’s best science. Anytime you exert forces on the body, the transfer of biomechanics energy results in the loss of hydration (sweat), and electrolytes that need to be replenished in the right amounts and at the right time to have your optimal performance. Imagine washing the a pot with a dehydrated sponge…well our bodies are the same way and need to maintain balance, which is why Olympic athletes eat well, sleep well, and get their bodies well hydrated before, during and after competition.

Our students performed critical hands-on science experiments to evaluate:

• Which materials absorb moisture the best, so they can select which gear to wear in a race

• How nutrients are lost and relished by specialized juices and drinks to help athletes reach performance

• How various flavor enhancers can help and hurt our peak performance if they upset our bodies needs at any time

• How to design and innovate their own electrolyte and nutrient-rich power punch, along with a convenient camelback pouch to take with them to their competition

Watch the short video below with your child to further their understanding of why we sweat when we compete in sports, and it should help them know why parents are always asking them to drink more water!

Seattle Summer Camps Are Training Kids for Ground Breaking Careers in Medicine and Engineering

Seattle Summer Camps offer STEM Programs that Kids Need to Boost Their Confidence with science facts in medicine

A career in medicine is not for everyone, however, everyone needs to understand medicine as it affects our everyday lives and for kids, this starts with basic questions around sports performance when they observe their first injury, or realize they are sweating. One Seattle Summer Camp experience that is unique is Kids Science Labs in Greenlake, where they teach kids 3+ about Medicine, when they are at their most creative brilliance.

One of the Athletes push their bodies, move a lot, and impacts, fractures, and over extensions of joints may occur. Injuries are a part of life and even more expected for athletes who spend so much time moving, practicing, and playing games. We want kids to enable kids to explore How Stuff Works with regard to games, and since most games involve some form of lever (arm, leg, stick, racquet) and some form of projectile (ball, dart), we are using hands-on science to better understand sports medicine and both minor and major injuries.

Collaboration and Teamwork are essential at some Seattle Summer Camps for Kids and Parents Love It!

At KSL, we focus on collaboration and teamwork everyday, as the worlds problem won’t be solved by individuals but instead by communities of professionals who ask interesting questions. To build community today around the impact of sports injuries and how medicine works to prevent and repair the challenges of competing, we:

• listened to kids share their personal “sports injury” stories, so we could also see that all of us get scrapes and bruises, and a smaller group of is may get more serious injuries that require a split, cast, or at least receiving urgent care from our parents or a medical professional.

• Evaluated x-rays of healthy bones and some images of minor fractures, or breaks, as we discussed how doctors treat our injuries

• Explored why ice packs help, and designed some innovative tools to aid our knowledge of how to prevent more serious injuries

Seattle Summer Camps offer the best STEM Programs for Kids

Parents in Seattle, especially those that are interested in preparing their kids early to use problem solving and critical thinking, are enrolling in seattle summer camps that have set themselves apart in boosting kids confidence and accelerated career interest in kids ages 3-12. During the summer parents register for one of their memberships:

• MaxLearning 4-Pack - Enables parents to register for up to 4 weeks of STEM programs for Kids

• Science Pro 2-Pack - Offers kids two exciting themes out of the 12 week optimized seattle summer camp experience at Kids Science Labs

• EasySTEM Single Pack - Let’s parents explore one week of the #1 ranked STEM Program for Kids in the summer camp in Seattle.

To build additional confidence with How Sports Medicine Works, we encourage you to watch this How It’s Made video all about the science of bandaids.

Seattle Summer Camps also offer Kid’s Birthday Party experiences that can help make science engaging, fun, and interesting outside of school

Kids Science Labs has offered summer camps in seattle, and one of the best birthday party venues in seattle for kids’ birthday parties since 2015. They even offer a Slime Kit, which is customized by your child every Wednesday at Kids Science Labs, to enable at home science and create new neuroscience pathways that increase the fun and build real confidence with hands-on science. ….

As members, please also take advantage of our KSL Rewards Program that offers benefits to our entire community. Call us at (773-798-2012 or email support@kidssciencelabs.com) and mention “KSL Blog”

• 10% off any new program registration (parties, camps, group events, field trips) after this camp

• Free access to KSL Academy Programs for gifted and enthusiastic young scientists

• Social media raffle for members to win birthday party giveaways at Kids Science Labs

• Exclusive members-only Youtube content that powers kids to outperform in STEM long-term and on NGSS tests in 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade!