Hair raising screams! Experimenters in goggles. Oozing substances! No, you haven't wandered into a mad scientist's laboratory. It's just everyday fieldtrip fun at KidsQuest Children's Museum.

As an educator, hosting fieldtrips at KidsQuest allows me to bring science to life in ways that are often too messy, material intensive, or time consuming to do in a traditional classroom setting. I get to add the WIZ BANG to science that makes kids exclaim "Science is fun!" (an actual quote from one 5th grade participant). That's what education is all about, right?

Additionally, I get to help kids explore their creative side (my personal favorite)! I love leading guided craft activities and watching kids apply what they've learn in the classroom. We also get to let loose with stories and songs! You know you're having a good day when even the chaperones are on the floor slithering like snakes!

Aren't I forgetting something? Yes! The museum is a most worthwhile fieldtrip unto itself. For kids, experiencing the museum's exhibits with their peers is a completely different experience than exploring with their parents. You'll see students learning from each other in fantastic new ways and engaging in their experience on a whole new level.

Of course, visiting the museum isn't always an option for every school group. So, we can bring the museum to you as well! This morning I took a volcano Fieldtrip to Go to a 3rd grade class that had just ended their rocks science unit. What a way to end with a bang! We erupted volcanoes with all kinds of magma recipes, collected lots of data, and conquered some very challenging math. I couldn't help but pat myself on the back when I heard a student shout "This is awesome!" Yes, it certainly is.