Best Science Classes for Kids are at Kids Science Labs in our camps, STEM Labs, and Field Trips for Elementary Students

Hands on science is making a chair out of paper cups, duct tape, and foam board - because it allows us to experience and play while also teaching us about fundamental science.  Young kids are not asking about photosynthesis, but are absolutely asking about why leaves are on the ground or why plants need light. They want to know "why" and It is why we have classes about designing shoes, making fidget spinners, why airplanes fly, how to innovate a pen with custom colors, designing lightsabers, and creating our own mobile art studio that fits in the car seat.  

Hands-on science matters because it helps us learn. It is especially important that our kids do this everyday not because they will all be scientists, but because they all will be curious and need ways to relate and solve the complex problems that the world presents.

Come join us to enjoy investigating the world, practice creative design, problem solving, and innovate to give your child an advantage now and in the future.  

Questions power the best hands-on science summer camps, at Kids Science Labs

How could I drink fish water if I was stranded in the forest?

On Tuesday, our budding engineers explored how environmental engineers work to address the different types of issues that affect our environment. Our environment includes many things, some of which are plants, animals, and water! In our classroom, we tested different ways to prevent or remove contamination from water and we designed our very own filter systems. To continue the learning at home, test out creating filters using different types of materials like tissue, foil, or a plastic sandwich bag with holes of varying sizes! Together, you and your scientist can see how materials made up of different properties work when trying to sift out dirt and and debris from a cup of water.

Hands-on Science enables kids to accelerate learning and build critical thinking skills using inquiry-based learning

This basic science process of investigating the curious question, describes perfectly the mind of a child. There is stuff they don't know, so they open things, drop objects, make loud sounds, mix liquids, and ask us "why" all day long. Problem solving is what your kids do everyday and leads to messy kitchens, scraped knees, piles of pillows at the bottom of the stairs, and honey cucumber pancakes.  And it is what we do everyday at Kids Science Labs.   Everyday science starts with a question that matters and we are excited to be that environment where kids can innovate experiments all day and learn perspective on how to solve complex questions that will matter for our future. 

So that is what we mean when we say hands-on science at Kids Science Labs.  It is about thinking about challenging problems, not being afraid of them, trying to understand the core issue, iterating, and continuing to work the solution. It is baked into every class because the equation your kids will learn in high school matters, but it matters much less then understanding what the equation represents.  That is how we make STEM classes your kids will love. It is also why we have the best birthday parties for kids in Chicago at Kids Science Labs

Making pancakes a great way for preK kids to have science enrichment activities at home?

Our kids love pancakes. From mixing ingredients in the bowl to pouring the syrup, they just seem to love eating these delicious creations of breakfast fame. But, what's funny, is that the entire process, from making to eating pancakes, is ALL SCIENCE!  As a parent, we can enjoy science classes near me (you), without having to leave our house by, just realizing that science for your child is just having a curious question and being willing to engage in figuring out how to explore the answer.

Just think about it. Measuring ingredients and ensuring you get the right amounts, allows you to teach your kids about science. Whether the eggs mix with the cinammon or milk, is science. Even the heating is science as if you turn the skillet up to high, you can burn the exterior of the pancake, while leaving the inside moist and uncooked, which is never good. So let me explain one new word to use in preparation, that is not only fun to say for kids, but is one of the coolest science concepts around. 

VISCOSITY! It represents the thickness of a liquid. Some pancake mixes are very thick (highly viscous) because we put too little milk, water or other liquids in the mixture, while others are quite thin (low viscosity). My kids (ages 2 and 7) like making three bowls of pancakes, with different amounts of milk, and then mixing them and talking about the texture while using the word VISCOSITY. It has helped them to apply a science word to other things in our refrigerator, like Butter (high viscosity), Jam (high viscosity), Fat Free milk (low viscosity), Apple Juice (low viscosity). We take these liquids and pour them into bowls and see that the ones that move very slowly, because of their thickness, have high viscosity. Try this experiment with your kids at home the next time you are making pancakes, whether you use VISCOSITY or not, it is great to actually allow them to make a mixture over a towel, and talk about why one is different than the other. Then cook the mixtures and observe what happens. Kids learn by doing, and this experiment is so simple that even a toddler can get involved. Enjoy!