Encouraging STEM with Block Parties

There's been a lot of buzz lately about how to best encourage science, technology, engineering, and math (aka S.T.E.M.) in children.

As it turns out, you have to look  no further than your local library.

All week long tables are set out with an assortment of crafts and experiments for our S.T.E.A.M. Friday endeavors (STEM, with the add on of Art as well).

In addition to this, we host programs especially focused on these subjects in a fun time play environment. Block Parties are movable parties in a box provided by the Purdue Extension, which handily also provides a real life tip giving spokesperson to lead the program.

 So what do you have to do? Just bring yourself and your kids and have fun! All blocks are provided and your child can build anything they want, knock it down, and start again. Our next Block Party is scheduled for July 14th. For more information please go to our library calendar or contact the library by phone. We hope to see you there!

Block Party at the Library!

This month we held our very first Block Party, here at Cedar Lake Library.

What's a block party might you ask? It's a special children's program set up by the Purdue Extension where kids can come and play with a variety of blocks while also building knowledge on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Okay, after that mouthful, let's break these blocks down.

In today's fast pace world of technology, back to basics blocks still have tons of value. 

 Playing with blocks encourages kids to work together, practicing balance and coordination.

They build working designs,

 

experiment with patterns 

and  colors,

and encourage the beginning development of  some of our earliest skills, such as grasping objects, and moving them around.

Block parties reinforce teamwork,

and the importance of learning and play between children and their parents.

They also happen to be a lot of fun!

All in all it was a great event and we have high hopes that we can have a Block Party here again soon :)