A very popular pastime for children in summer
It all started from Kurt Vonnegut's famous dictum - "Science is magic that works". The idea of an urban camp grounded on this statement turned out to be very appealing, so the organizers set up a special area where children can conduct experiments and toy with notions of physics, math, logic, ecology and others. The experiments make abstract notions easier to understand. The area is structured in 8 sub-areas, each having its own experiments in a certain field.
At a time where children are increasingly inventive, holidays are getting longer and parents' leave shorter, urban camps are an engaging alternative to summertime activities.
We spoke about this concept to Ana-Maria Roata Palade, the founder of the Procunoastere Association:
"This is not our first edition. Ever since the association was founded we wanted to bring children closer to science by means of practical experiments. And since the summer holidays are sometimes a problem for those without grandparents, we thought this might be a great idea so that parents should mind their business carelessly, and children should try these experiments. This is how the urban camps sprang into being".
Ana-Maria Roata Palade told us the first two camps unfolded at the end of August 2016. The next year the organizers held three camps, and last year there were four, because from one year to the next the demand goes up. This year the organizers have prepared five one-week urban camps.
"With each new camp children engage in more experiments. Each camp is different than the others, in the sense that one day is devoted to physics experiments, the next to chemistry, biology, geography and so on. We try to encourage children to innovate and invent all sorts of machines that should observe the laws of science. Each camp comprises a maximum of 20 children, and there will be five series this year. Parents can sing up their children via e-mail or telephone. We have an inner courtyard, where we try to unfold some of our activities, in the morning programme and inside when the weather does not allow it".
The inner space comprises over 80 items, each consisting in an experiment. Children have to move balls, match items, touch and arrange objects, press buttons, spin mills and other activities. The experiments are intuitive, and there is plenty of information on what you have to do in order to understand the experiment. The starting idea is that by watching, hearing, smelling and touching, you can actually have fun too, also getting a taste of what science is all about. The purpose of the experiments is to develop children's motor skills and reasoning.
We've asked Ana-Maria Roata Palade to describe a typical day at the urban camp.
"Parents can bring in the children around 8 or 9 in the morning, then we have a socializing period when children get to know each other. Over 9 and 11 AM we have two series of experiments and games, then at 11 AM we have a fruit snack, followed by a new experiment. Lunch is around 12:30, then we have another three series of different experiments. We try to combine arts and science, so children do feeling and origami. These are activities we've developed over the years, each camp had them. Feeling and origami encourage children to develop their fine motor skills, which they sorely need. Then, at 2:30 PM we have an etiquette workshop, which we have been organizing jointly with Manieres Association. These workshops are very fashionable right now. Before they go home, from 4 to 5 PM we have theatre development games, which the children adore. Every year the children are very happy when the time comes to play with our friends from Carnaval Party. It's always a fantastic activity for them".
And since one of the mottos of the organizers is "Science solves a problem by creating another 10", children are thus encouraged to spend an active summer while developing a taste for scientific discovery.
(Translated by V. Palcu)Useful Links
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