http://www.kidsquestmuseum.com/blog/ Latest blog entries from KidsQuest Museum en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 16:08:06 PDT Sat, 18 May 2013 16:08:06 PDT SiteCrafting, Inc. CMS https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/an-inventor/ Have you ever made or invented something that you thought of? I imagine that you have. Everything from making sandwiches to space travel happens because of inventiveness. ... Tue, 07 May 2013 09:42:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/hands-on-history-1/ Join Eastside Heritage Center on Thursday, April 18th from 5pm-8pm for more hands-on history fun! We will be featuring our brand new chicken coop complete with look-alike chickens and eggs.  There also will be the corn shelling machine with grinders to make chicken feed.  ... Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:04:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/citizen-science-to-engage-children/ Engaging children in inquiry and nature play allows them to make early connections to the world around them and to help instill a sense of curiosity and wonder.1 Families play an important role in science education outside the learning in the classroom where only 5% of people’s science learning comes.2 Research has found that children, with the help of an adult, can make observations that are equal to and often be even better than scientists because of lack of assumptions and prior knowledge.3 ... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:18:00 PDT 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/questclub-themes/ Bubbles, inventing, and forces….oh my! What do all of these exciting science concepts have in common? They’re all themes from QuestClub at KidsQuest Children’s Museum? ... Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:36:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/hands-on-history-2/ Join Eastside Heritage Center on Thursday, March 21st from 5pm-8pm at KidsQuest Children’s Museum for some hands-on history fun!  Remember the past and look to the future by making a personal time capsule using a traditional canning machine.   ... Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:54:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/dads-meet-up-cardboard-contraptions/ Dads Meet-Up: Cardboard Contraptions series focuses on S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) and fosters children’s imaginations, focusing them on problem solving and cooperative play. Children will also enhance their fine and gross motor skills. This class is beneficial in a child’s life because one-on-one time with a male figure will help their social and emotional development, while nurturing healthier relationships and ultimately helping your children become more compassionate individuals. ... Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:15:00 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/learning-foreign-language/ We all know that children are constantly soaking up everything around them, and this especially holds true to language learning.  It’s even been shown that exposure to foreign language can improve children’s attention spans and standardized test scores.  What’s even more remarkable about this is the changes that happen to infants’ brains in the first SIX MONTHS of life!   ... Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:22:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/foods-children-parents-love/ There aren’t a whole lot of things parents and kids can agree on; bedtime, acceptable toys and when it’s time to leave KidsQuest are topics often up for debate. The one thing you don’t want to disagree with your youngster about is the food they eat.  ... Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:18:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/easy-ways-to-help-childs/ As a child who grew up running and jumping and playing for hours on end it is great to know as an adult that all this running around was wonderful for my brain and my concentration at school! It sounds crazy but it is true. Motor development (the way we move in our bodies) is directly connected to how we learn. ... Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:01:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/clean-teeth-happy-teeth-1/ Dental health can affect your overall health. Most of the bacteria in you mouth are beneficial, but without proper care, your mouth’s protection may be compromised and allow harmful bacteria into your bloodstream at a higher rate. It’s important to instill dental health practices in children as early as possible, but properly caring for your child’s teeth can raise a lot of questions. Here’s a bare-bones guideline for milestones to look for in your child: ... Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:09:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/importance-early-learning-classes/ KidsQuest's Early Learning Classes nurture the curious nature of your child and help build the early learning foundation vital to success in school and later in life. ... Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:27:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/children-technology/ Technology is all around us. Tablets, smart phones and computers are just some of the tools that are becoming common items in our homes. Items in our homes tend to end up in our children’s hands and the question then becomes, “How much technology is too much for our children?” This topic has continued resonate with parents and educators alike. What does this mean for children’s learning and development? ... Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:53:00 PST https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/fun-autumn-activities/ I’ve been writing a lot lately about how the simplest activities are often the best. A walk in the crisp autumn air is one of my favorites. Strolling around your neighborhood can be one of the most educational, satisfying, and cheapest ways to explore fabulous fall! Plus, it’s a great way to get those bodies (both tiny and adult size) moving. ... Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:42:00 PDT 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/kidsquest-staff-hard-at-workplaying-1/ What’s roaring, buzzing, shaking, bouncing and oozing in the KidsQuest party room? The KidsQuest party staff!    ... Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:31:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/love-nanodays/ Children are often told they are too small to do or understand things, but children have an amazing power: they can show adults a different way of viewing the world. Nanoscience, the science of the small, is changing the way scientists and engineers view the world too. At this scale, the materials we see and use every day have vastly different properties. They can change color, become water resistant, or conduct electricity. Nanotechnology utilizes these new properties to create new products and improve materials we use every day like computers, electronics, medicine, cosmetics, and clothing. ... Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:25:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/hands-on-history-eastside-farm/ One hundred years ago, the city we know as Bellevue was a farming community. There were a variety of crops grown including lettuce, squash, corn, strawberries, and even grapes. Spring was the beginning of the growing season as the days grew longer and warmer. It was also the time when baby chicks were hatched. Corn was dried and the kernels were removed and ground for feeding, as the chickens could not eat whole kernels. ... Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:45:00 PDT https://kidsquestmuseum.org/blog/pysanky-1/ A pysanka (plural: pysanky) is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated using beeswax and dyes. Pysanka is often taken to mean any type of decorated egg, but it specifically refers to an egg created by the written-wax method and utilizing traditional folk motifs and designs. There are several other types of decorated eggs in Ukrainian tradition, including: Krashanky – boiled eggs dyed a single color (with vegetable dyes), that are blessed and eaten at Easter. Krapanky – raw eggs decorated using the wax-resist method, but with only dots as ornamentation. They are traditionally created by dripping molten wax from a beeswax candle onto an egg. Malyovanky – created by painting a design with a brush using oil or watercolor paints. It is sometimes used to refer to coloring (e.g. with a marker) on an egg. Nakleyanky – created by glueing objects to the surface of an egg. Lystovky – created by dyeing an egg to which small leaves have been attached. All but the krashanky and lystovky are meant to be decorative (as opposed to edible), and the egg yolk and white are either allowed to dry up over time, or removed by blowing them out through a small hole in the egg. ... Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:16:00 PDT