Museum employees and volunteers were stationed around the building to help get children involved with the activities and facilitate discussion about space.
NASA Solar System Ambassador Dan Cervantes was also present at the event to speak with visitors, as well as perform demonstrations throughout the day.
“I’ve always been interested in science,” he said. “I grew up in the space age. We had just gotten to the moon when I got out of ?elementary school.”
Cervantes said that he thinks it is vital to get children involved with science at a young age, as this is when they are most likely to become interested.
WonderLab Museum Assistant Liza Huffman agreed.
“It’s important to target the younger kids because science is one of the biggest subjects that kids struggle with in school,” she said.
In order to propel this effort, Huffman explained that the WonderLab puts on several programs annually and that each is targeted at getting kids to ask questions and think outside the box.
Parents who attended the Space Out! event with their children agreed that science is a great outlet for kids, as it keeps their minds open to what is going on around them.
“It occupies their mind, and it’s much better than them watching TV all day,” said Sean Sheldon, Nashville, Ind., resident and father of two. “It really lets them see how the world works.”
Huffman said one of the main goals of the museum’s programs is to let kids see how science is a part of their everyday lives.
She explained that last year during spring break, the museum hosted a Star Wars Day where visitors examined which parts of the movies were realistic and which parts weren’t.
“It’s important to show them that even though this might be a popular movie, there are still parts of it that aren’t as far-fetched as they might seem,” she said. “Plus we had Stormtroopers attend the event, so it’s a lot of fun for the kids.”
Bloomington resident and mother of two Rachel Coleman said her children always have fun with science and that her older daughter Claire, five, is always asking questions and wanting to know more.
“It really opens her mind to the world. And the more I work with her, the more I realize just how much science entails,” she said. “Kids aren’t born with this knowledge, so it makes me happy to see that she has these interests in science.”
Claire said she loves science so much that she wanted to start her own YouTube channel where she could show the world her science experiments. Rachel said after Claire got her first science kit last year for Christmas, she has been ?unstoppable.
“Right now, I really like chemistry,” Claire said. “I used to like to study human anatomy. I memorized all the bones and everything. I just like science because I get to learn a lot of stuff.”
Huffman said she feels hopeful when she sees young children enjoying and understanding science because they are the ones that will ultimately impact the future.
“Science careers aren’t as popular, so it’s important that we get kids interested early so that they can help better the world in the future,” she said. “Who knows what they’ll come up with someday.”
Museum volunteers and employees agreed the key to getting kids involved in science is starting when they’re young and making it fun for them.
“Kids are naturally inquisitive,” Cervantes said. “Once you plant the seed, they’re going to stay ?interested.”
