Kids love playing and this is play with a difference! A playground of science-themed fun is launching this weekend on the Museum Reserve. The ‘Kia Rapua’ Science Playground is designed to encourage children’s natural curiosity and sense of exploration. Aimed at children between three and seven years old, it introduces the concepts of sound, colour, textures, ramps and building – all through hands-on play.
The free playground will be open to the public only on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 January on the Museum Reserve from 11am until 4pm.
With $15,000 from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s Unlocking Curious Minds fund, the travelling educational playground was developed by the team at Otago Museum alongside Playgear, a local Dunedin company and with input from early childhood educators.
Project leader Nathalie Wierdak says “We hope local families will come along to the launch so that the parents or caregivers can get involved in some fun science explorations with their young ones.”
After the launch this weekend, the playground will travel to four preschools for a month at a time, so their educators can enjoy the fun science activities with the children in their care. The preschool partners in Dunedin are Little Citizens, Green Street Early Learning Centre, Roslyn Maori Hill and Wakari Kindergartens.
During the two days of the launch there will be be a Super Scientist dress-up competition. Children can dress up as their favourite kind of scientist, or favourite famous scientist, to enter a draw to win a one-day family pass to the new Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre.
There will also be free ‘Do-It-Yourself’ science activities available on the Otago Museum website, all of which you can do from home. Simply download the guides and have a go at some fun science at home. If you submit a photo of you and your children doing the science activities at home, you’ll go in the draw to win more one-day family passes to Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre. Check out the Otago Museum ‘Kia Rapua’ webpage for more information.
For more information please contact:
Charlotte Neilson
Marketing Manager, Otago Museum
(03) 479 3279
021 775 298