http://www.kidsquestmuseum.com/blog/ Latest blog entries from KidsQuest Museum en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 18:02:10 PDT Sat, 18 May 2013 18:02:10 PDT SiteCrafting, Inc. CMS https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/favorite-childrens-books/ Reading is an integral part of a child’s development. It improves a child’s vocabulary, helps develop their imagination, and teaches children about the world around them. Reading is not only enriching to child development, it is also fun! Children go on adventures when reading about an inspiring train engine or their favorite family of bears. As fun and education books may be, every child has their favorite book. Below are a few children’s books that are the favorites of some KidsQuest staff members.  ... Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:51:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/kid-kit/ A kid kit is a staff led activity designed to increase staff and visitor engagement. These fun and educational activities allow our staff to explore a wide variety of important early learning concepts while using interesting tools and materials (and having a really good time).KidsQuest staff tries to do at least three kid kits every day because we love getting the opportunity to interact with our visitors in fun and educational ways.  ... Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:22:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/birthday-ideas-explorestore-1/ Here at KidsQuest, we are birthday experts. After all, we do host over 360 birthday parties every year! As the ExploreStore Coordinator I get to chat with patrons about some of the clever ways they use their purchases for birthday celebrations. Here are some of my favorites. ... Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:51:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/family-fun-fitness/ One of the many benefits of being a child is that fitness is fun! For kids exercise can and should be synonymous with play. As a Museum Educator, I find that I get some of my best workouts right here at the museum while leading our visitors in activities. (StoryTime can be great cardio!) So, here are a few of my favorite movement games that you can try at home. There’s nothing like moving and grooving with some pint-size exercise partners to make working up a sweat, less like a chore and more like a party! ... Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:03:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/valentines-day-arts-crafts-nature/ It’s almost time for one of my favorite holidays, Valentine’s Day! Why do I love this often over-commercialized and over-sugared celebration? It’s a chance to pause, be thankful, and sincerely say “I love you” to all of the most important people in your life. Here are a few fun (and free!) ways to help your kids take a moment to say “I love you” to grandmas, daddies, big sisters, and all of those wonderful people that they have in their lives! ... Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:28:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/childs-best-friend-favorite-stuffed/ Stuffed animals often provide children with a friend, co-conspirator, and secret-keeper extraordinaire. My own teddy bear still means a lot to me. Here is our favorite adventure together: ... Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:25:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/tips-tricks-to-eating-vegetables-1/ As the luster of the New Year starts to wear off, it can be nice to remind ourselves of the goals or resolutions we set, specifically the ones related to eating well, and eating well means eating our vegetables. Daily suggested serving sizes have changed over the years. The Harvard School of Public Health website has some great information on why, what, and the amount of vegetables you should be consuming daily. For kids, the 5 a day rule is a good guideline: 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. ... Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:28:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/back-to-basics-everyday-activities/ We did some amazing experiments at least week's Science Explorers Camp. We made a giant volcano erupt, mixed up a chemical reaction to blast off a rocket, observed real animal pelts, and explored everything from pipettes to petri dishes. However, one of my eager campers reminded me that sometimes the simplest experiences can teach us the best science lessons. ... Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:49:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/gak/ At KidsQuest, summer camp means science experiments, artistic creations, stories, games and, oh, so much museum fun. This week’s Animal Explorers Camp was no different, but when one of my campers commented: “I wish I had gak at my house,” I thought, why shouldn’t you? We love making gak in camp, both in big batches for our swimming sea creatures and in small individual cups for making gak monsters! So, here’s our favorite gak recipe. Now you can create some of the fun of KidsQuest summer camp at home! ... Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:36:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/making-friends/ Have you ever watched strangers turn into friends? Imagine that joy times ten! This week of summer camp was one of those times that remind me why we do what we do here at KidsQuest. I got to watch as ten strangers turned into friends who laugh together, play together, and truly care for each other. What made watching this miraculous friendship transformation so special was that most of these new found friends were just three years old. ... Fri, 13 Jul 2012 08:46:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/kids-moving-1/ Seeing the summer sun shine always makes me want to get moving! Active summer fun such as kicking a ball around or running on the beach isn’t just great exercise. Activities like these help kids develop gross motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that let us do things like walk, sit upright, and throw a ball. Mastery of these skills won’t just make you fit. It will also assist in a lot of surprising ways. Did you know that a child’s ability to maintain upper body support will affect his ability to write? Or that children who are more confident in gross motor skills are more aware of personal space? ... Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:42:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/discover-real-live-animals-kidsquest-1/ KidsQuest is more than just water drums, pirate adventures, and creating your own Kapla block structure - we have live exhibits too! While exploring the Museum, keep your eyes open for Teeter and Totter, Fred and Frank, Isaac Newton, and our school of cichlids. ... Fri, 25 May 2012 08:32:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/explorestores-best-toys-kids-ages-1/  The KidsQuest ExploreStore features fun interactive toys, games, and kits that reflect KidsQuest Children's Museum's focus on art, science and technology. But age guidelines on toys can be deceiving. Check out our staff picks for educational toys that best suit each stage of childhood - great for gift giving, even better for busy moms.  ... Thu, 17 May 2012 08:20:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/50-great-experiences-at-kidsquest/ If it's your first time visiting KidsQuest you might be a bit overwhelmed and wondering: Where should I start? Or you may have been to KidsQuest dozens of times already, and are looking for fresh ideas and new ways to explore the museum. Either way, this list is for you. Below are 50 great things to experience one at a time, a couple each visit, or all at once (although you may be here for awhile!). ... Wed, 09 May 2012 09:47:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/outdoor-activities-ages/ Celebrate Earth Week by exploring the wonders of nature! Try some activities that are environmentally friendly, fun, and free. Don’t be afraid to get dirty as you get up close and personal with the great outdoors! ... Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:59:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/things-to-do-leftover-easter/ If having an egg hunt is one of the annual traditions at your house then you know what’s left over after the thrill of the hunt has waned…lots of plastic eggs. What do you do with all of those plastic ovoids? Use them for some fun science and art activities! ... Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:59:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/raining-pouring/ It’s raining, it’s pouring, and it’s time for some fun! Don’t let the weather get you down. Embrace it for a fun filled day of water exploration! ... Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:12:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/top-toys-2011/ Still got some Christmas shopping to do? Check out these ideas from KidsQuest's Museum Educator and ExploreStore Coordinator (who is of course the authority on this sort of thing)! ... Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:49:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/kids-art/ Most children love to paint. It is a time when they get to control their environment and master new skills. At first it is all about experimenting with the brush. How does the brush move over the paper? What marks does it make? Then the learning moves on to cause and effect. Holding the brush a certain way will create different lines. Mixing two colors will make a new color. What a great discovery! Sometimes children will simply mix all the paint colors together and it will look like nothing to an adult. This is them learning how to interpret art. They are experimenting and trying to figure out if what they do will always have the same effect.    ... Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:49:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/questclub-science-so-important/ Science education sometimes takes a back seat with the push of reading and math being so strong, but science is a part of our daily life. Everything we do and deal with in life is science: cooking, playing ball, growing a garden, understanding how technologies work, watching a rain storm and more. Understanding science helps kids appreciate and relate to the world around them. ... Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:51:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/paint-in-great-outdoors/ Love to paint with your kids but don’t love the mess? Summer provides the perfect opportunity for taking the fun outside. You can paint in your swim suit and hose yourself off when you’re done with your messy masterpiece! ... Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:37:00 PDT