Science in a Bag is Bringing Hands-On Experiments to Wisconsin Kids
Sometimes, all it takes to get a kid excited about science, the environment, or agriculture — is a drawstring bag. And that’s the idea behind Science in a Bag. The statewide program is giving Wisconsin kids and families hands-on science experiments they can explore anywhere.
The program grew out of the annual Wisconsin Science Festival after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled in-person events. But instead of letting 2,000 festival bags go unused, organizers — with support from Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom — filled each one with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities. They then shared the bags with libraries in communities across Wisconsin.
Six years later, the program has grown to more than 3,000 bags. And there’s even a waiting list.
Lindsay Tuszynski jumped at the original opportunity. She’s with Bekkum Memorial Library in Westby.
“As a smaller library, we are looking for any way to engage the public and students,” Tuszynski said. “We’re looking for any way to get patrons into the library to see that we’re not just books anymore. We’re all sorts of things.”
Kids even help connect adults to science
The bags include activities ranging from exploring fruit fly anatomy to collecting and testing soil. Tuszynski has paired Science in a Bag with other STEM programming, too. It gives kids the chance to explore an experiment at the library, and then take that curiosity home. It fits the larger goal of the program which is helping kids see themselves as scientists.
“Science in a Bag can be a great way to connect our kid scientists with members of the adult public,” Wesley Marner of the Morgridge Institute explained. “We can meet adults where they are in meaningful ways — like in community spaces where parents are providing opportunities for their kids to grow.”
And apparently, curiosity is contagious. Tuszynski says she enjoys watching adults get as interested in the experiments as their kids.
By the way, the bags are part of the Wisconsin Science Festival‘s growing statewide reach. The festival featured more than 800 events in 56 Wisconsin counties last year.
Sometimes the best way to learn about science is to get your hands a little messy — and take the experiment home.
Find a participating library or science event near you here.
The post Science in a Bag is Bringing Hands-On Experiments to Wisconsin Kids first appeared on The Farm.