A Science or Math party is a hands-on daytime program at your school or facility. It is an incredible
way to generate excitement, interest and learning, by bringing the richness of a multi-experiment, hands-on activity day to your kids. Students gain insight into the role of science in their lives and begin to
view science as an enjoyable learning adventure. Without a doubt, this program, created by Wonderama
ten years ago, will be the most valuable one of the year. Experience has shown that its activities and
concepts are remembered by students, teachers, and parents into the next school year. Following is a description of the most common form, a Science party. Because every school is unique,
this program has to many successful variations to list here. Feel free to cal us and discuss what will
work for your school. All you will need to know is the grade levels, number of children, and reason for
the program (i.e. MEAP reinforcement, science fair fun, etc.). You may wish to look at our keys to help you know what to expect and what to do. Prior to the program, the school coordinator will determine the schedule of class groups for the day,
arrange for the use of gym or other room, recruit volunteers, check on table available, and check on
other needs, like water, sink, and paper towels. The day of the program, a Wonderama staff person will arrive at your facility at least one hour in
advance. After checking with staff and custodians, tables will be set in place and the materials for the
activities will be placed at each station. Parent volunteers should arrive 30 of 45 minutes before the 1st
session. They are given a station and then receive instructions on the procedures and ideas at that
station. When students have completed the station (5-8 minutes), they rotate to the next station.
Rotations continue until all stations have been explored. Students assemble for a brief wrap-up
discussion before leaving. The next group arrives and the process continues for the remainder of the day The schedule of class groups is completed by determining the number of sessions that can be offered
during the contracted time (usually 1 day). If we need to stop the program to avoid lunch conflicts in
the cafeteria, a large part of the day is wasted. Most schools brown bag the lunches for the day and have
the students eat in the classrooms. The kids think this is cool, and more of the day is opened up for
activities. Most sessions are an hour long, with a 5 to 10 minute break between sessions. This means 5
to 7 sessions can usually be offered during a day program. If the school is large and time is tight, the K
sessions can be shortened to 40 minutes. If there is extra time, we recommend adding it to the 4, 5, and
6 grades. Scheduling grades sequentially is the simplest, but grades can be switched to different
sessions. If grades need to be mixed together, then the closer the grades, the better the program. For
example, a 1st and 4th grade class mix is harder to teach than a 3rd and 4th grade combination. The
schedule is given to us in advance so we can better prepare our day. The number of stations is determined by the length of the program, number of kids per session and the
type of activities. Usually three are 5 to 6 stations in a normal 1 hour session. There may be more than
one experiment at a station. Volunteers usually assist with the program a half day or a whole day. The average minimum number of
volunteers needed at one time is 10. The activities are all simple, easy to understand, and fun. Anyone
can learn how to complete them. A Science or Math Party can do much for your school. Using the MEGOSE objectives and your
curriculum (when available) we link activities closely to your needs. You may select a standard set of
activities, a them, or the actual activities. Parent volunteers work at the programs activity stations, bring
science into the home. With mom or dad helping, science takes on a positive meaning. As one teacher
sad a month later, "...We are still talking about our Science Party. Teachers were impressed and the
parents and students had a wonderful learning experience together. We are so glad you were here.
Thanks!" A Science or Math Party removes the mess and preparation from the classroom. This program provides
a structured environment where students conduct simple short activities an experiments. Teachers are
also participants and observing and working with students. When the program is completed, many
teachers have their students discuss and write about the activities, thereby involving science in other
subjects. One main feature of Science Parties is Wonderamaīs ability to adapt them to almost any activity based
event your organization would sponsor for kids. For example, award ceremonies, science fairs, fund
raisers, street fairs, carnivals, company picnics, birthday parties, Halloween programs, or other holiday
events. What works well for a Science or Math Party is the controlled atmosphere. Students have fun, but within
limits. Students become intense listeners during the introduction to the activities an actively participate
in each experiment. They turn out taking a wonderful experience home with them at the end of the day.
Math Party
Science Party
Life in the Oceans
Halloween Party
Math Party
Science Party
Life in the Oceans
Halloween Party
Science Parties offer a chance for your students to perform a variety of fun experiments in a controlled setting.(You may also want to look at our Family Science Night.) Kids get to experience fun science activities, with the mess and hassle removed from the classroom. The parent volunteers also get a chance to experience things along with the students, a chance to take the learning home as well.
Life in the Oceans
An incredible variety of animals living in the oceans have diversified and adapted to inhabit hundreds of different habitats and environments. This hands-on program gives students the opportunity to explore and examine different animals from sharks to jellyfish. Students may handle preserved specimens, and examine both the internal and external design of each creature. The habitat, environment, purpose, classification, use, and life of these sea creatures are investigated. Comparisons and references are made to the similarities and differences between these creatures and people. Students gain insight into the balance and diversity of life and learn how all living things contribute to the health of our world.
This program can be structured in two different ways. For the first style, a Wonderama instructor can work with one classroom of students at a time. Sessions can be as short as 30 minutes, enabling a large number of classrooms, as many as 12, to be scheduled daily.
The other style is designed for larger groups of approximately 60-100 students, with sessions running at least 60 minutes. The format, setup and cost is exactly the same as a Science Party, so you may review the section on the Parties and the specific Science Party for more details.
Students make slime to take home during the program to answer the question, "is it alive?" This generates a discussion on the differences between living and nonliving things. Wonderama has a wide variety of specimens and can combine them in a variety of ways for specific curriculum objectives. The materials and ideas covered are selected for the age of the students. Students can view specimens from a comfortable distance. Many specimens can be kept in clear containers for easier viewing and handling. This program is a wonderful way to accent your curriculum with the actual animals you have discussed in class. Also, ths program can be combined with the regular activities of a Science Party or Family Science Night. You will be pleased with the excitement "Life in the Oceans" generates in the school and classroom!
This program is a thematic Science Party. It is a very unusual and unique hands-on program because it takes place in a darkened room (gym or multipurpose room). We arrive earlier than normal to set up lots of creepy (not scary) special effects (that use science, of course). The hands-on activities are selected to work well using the darkened room and the decorations as accents. For example, glow in the dark slime and colors in light are two popular activities. The program has been successfully used by schools as a substitute for Halloween costume day. The kids have so much fun at the Science Party they forget about costumes. The program can also be done on a smaller scale for small roups in the evenings or on weekends.
This program will only be offered during the month of October. See the Science Party for more details on the format. The pricing and facilities needed are the same as for a Science party. Please call us for more information.
