How St. Louis Science Center Expanded Kingston’s Curiosity
Program: Early Childhood Education
In the Planetarium, 5-year-old Kingston stretched out on a mat. All of a sudden, the room when dark.
“Who turned out the lights?” he said.
They were on a field trip at the St. Louis Science Center, and the feature of the day was a movie called The Little Star That Could. The story featured an average star and his quest for some planets. Throughout the movie, the star solicits help from other stars, including Big Daddy the red star and Pearl the white star. As the story progressed, different constellations would light up in the “sky” of the Planetarium.
Kingston’s dad surprised him by showing up for the field trip, and they got to watch the movie together, which made it extra special, Kingston said.
“I hugged him when I saw him,” Kingston said.
But the movie wasn’t the only thing they did during the field trip: When the group first entered the Science Center, they saw a network of balls zigzagging on tracks around the ceiling, and Kingston got to run on “The Human Hamster Wheel,” which powers the tracks and balls. They also looked at a dinosaur exhibit on the lower level, which featured a Tyrannosaurus and its victim, a Triceratops. The exhibit was scary for some of the kids, but Kingston wasn’t scared, he said.
Since being at Caroline Mission, Kingston has gone on several field trips: to the pumpkin patch, to the St. Louis Symphony and Orchestra, and to the St. Louis Aquarium. These experiences have helped to expand his imagination and curiosity and to learn more about the world.
“Everything was my favorite,” he said, when asked what had been most impactful.
May Kingston’s curiosity only continue to expand!
*Actual student/name has been changed to protect child’s identity
