The Exploratorium: Introducing S.T.E.A.M. to Children at an Early Age

Written by Diamond Wilson

The Early Childhood Program at Princess Anne Recreation Center is a special place where kids can experience high-quality learning through a subconscious, play-based curriculum…and now, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)! The dedicated STEAM learning space, known at the Exploratorium, officially launched on July 16. 

Princess Anne is just one of four recreation center locations that offer early childhood programs, including Kempsville, Bow Creek, and Williams Farm. These enriching programs provide cognitive and intellectual development to build participants social and emotional skills. According to Jennifer Forrest, a Recreation Specialist, “Children are learning everything from their alphabet, to how to control strong emotions, to playing well with others. We are able to achieve this through our curriculum, professional development of all our teachers, and by having teachers build meaningful relationships with each child.” These programs continuously provide high-quality learning environments for every child who walks through the doors. “It’s about molding and developing our future teachers, doctors, and lawyers who will be working in our community,” Forrest added.

The Exploratorium

The Princess Anne location is really taking the learning to the next level with the addition of this new S.T.E.A.M. space. It’s truly intended to be is a dedicated environment where children are provided hands-on, play-based experiences and can explore, problem solve, and create in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. The participants are learning, and they don’t even realize it because they’re having so much fun building and just being free to use their creative minds! 

Some of the awesome activities that this room features include:

• Science Exploration Tables
• Coding Activities
• Engineering Magnet Wall
• Lego Wall
• Make & Take Art Area 
• Math games & an Interactive Math Board

The Inspiration for the Exploratorium

Christiana Williams, a Recreation Specialist at the Princess Anne program has worked tirelessly to create a space where children can develop and thrive. In the making of the Exploratorium, she herself used S.T.E.A.M. to aid her process. “We used Science for the design purposes; had to gather information and know what was necessary for the room to be able to adjust it in a way that was conducive for learning. Technology was used to develop my core design for this room. It was made on a video game, the Sims, to have a visual of the room, so that everybody can see the concept prior to it even being developed. We used Engineering for putting the furniture together. Art was used for room design, room décor, and room arrangement. And Math was used when it came to purchasing everything that would be put into this room,” explained Williams. “We don’t realize that the things we do every day in our adulthood involves S.T.E.A.M., so why not start our children early with these concepts.”

What excites Williams and the rest of the staff most about introducing the children to this space is being able to teach them about process. She mentions that most of the children were able to see the evolution of the room “from its humble beginnings to the finished product.” It was exciting and important for her to have the children experience the process, see it, and then have them come in and enjoy it.

How the Exploratorium Impacts Children

Everything about S.T.E.A.M. is critical for problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. Those are the fundamentals that the Early Childhood Program and the Exploratorium wants to build into children at an early age. The activities provided in the Exploratorium gives children the chance to explore however they want. There is no wrong answer. Children are encouraged to learn, grow, build, and use their own imagination and ingenuity. 

“We want to have the children experience S.T.E.A.M. in a different way, in a way they can understand, and in a way that makes sense to them. We all know that children learn most while they’re playing.  In providing this space for them where they’re interacting, there’s not a structured lesson. The lesson is actually in them playing, experiencing, and exploring,” said Williams. Ultimately, it’s not easy to explain S.T.E.A.M. to young children, so the most effective way is through hands on learning to further their understanding and development.

It’s beneficial for children to have a space that’s not like their regular classrooms; a space that is more child-driven and child-directed. To learn more about the Exploratorium and see it in action, come in and take a tour! 

Learn more about visiting Princess Anne Rec Center