Cookie Magazine Loves Science

It’s not the first time the editor of Cookie Magazine wanted to get their hands dirty. Over the past year, we’ve been honored to get requests from several of the magazine’s editors wanting to find ways to make learning fun. You can see from the pictures above that Cookie Magazine featured several Spangler science experiments in their March 2008 issue, once again proving that when the kids are allowed to participate, and get their hands DIRTY, the activity turns into a learning experience.

Why did Cookie Magazine contact us? Someone at the magazine subscribes to our Experiment of the Week, and here’s the secret they learned…

One of the secrets that Carly Reed (our Program Director) shared with the writer of this article was to make certain that children were given the opportunity to the activities themselves. That concept seems so simple, but I never cease to be amazed by the number of times I see adults (dare I say teachers) doing the activity for the kids. Okay, I have a theory about this, too. Adults do the activities because they never got to do them as kids! So, my advice for all of you frustrated, thirty something, mad scientists is to do the activities on your own time, as practice, and let the kids have fun while you watch.

This isn’t to say that adult helpers shouldn’t have fun. An enthusiastic, laughing adult who is thoroughly enjoying himself/herself while conducting or participating or guiding someone else through any kind of lesson is setting a far better example than the prim, still, silent adult who likes to say “SHHHHH!” and gets all wonky when the children ask too many questions. Having fun is contagious – it’s one of the attributes of an amazing teacher.

Get the child up there, with sleeves rolled up and permission to talk and laugh and get wet or sticky or creative, and tell him he’s going to do something LOUD and MESSY that might make the other kids duck and try to catch flying things, and the wonders that are our planet begin to unfold and make impressions on our children.

Lessons that demonstrate to ALL ages the love of learning are the best kind. And don’t think for one second that both the child and the adult don’t notice that.

Grab a copy of Cookie Magazine and sign up to receive our Experiment of the Week.

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