Informal Learning at SCI Port, Louisiana's Science Center

The first time we visited SCI Port, I was a little wary of how much my children, 1 and 3 would get out of it. Several people had advised against taking ones so young arguing that there really wasn’t much for them to see and do. Boy, was I glad I did not listen to the critics! While several areas of the museum were beyond my three year old and almost all were too much for my baby, the Children’s Gallery was a perfect place for both to explore, examine, and learn. A few of their favorite spots included: the playhouse, the critter corner (complete with geckos, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, turtles, guinea pigs, and a skink), a fully “furnished” child size fire truck and a water feature. The best part of this space: it was completely enclosed! (with its own set of bathrooms!!) With freedom to roam, my girls spent several hours hopping from activity to activity exploring, experimenting, and playing.

Ok, the stage is set for the informal learning experience that happened that day. In the corner of the Children’s Gallery there is an area called the “Smile Science Center.” This area is set up with various pieces of equipment, a dentist chair, dress-up items, instruments and a gigantic mouth for children to manipulate. The dentist’s chair was of particular interest to my child. Knowing that she would soon have her first dentist appointment, we used this opportunity to get an up close and personal look at what she would see and simulate what she might experience. She was able to handle oversized tools, pretend to be the hygienist, see and manipulate a large model of teeth, take a closer look at her own teeth in an enlarged mirror, pretend to be the patient and lay in the reclining chair, and see and feel the bright lights shining down into her mouth. This play opportunity allowed her to familiarize herself with an experience that is often traumatic for very young children. Being able to manipulate the equipment and move throughout the space at her own pace and according to her own interests eased her transition into the real experience. While we did have to distinguish between SCI Ports play space and the hygienist’s non-play space, she was able to integrate what she had learned in play into her real life experience. The hygienist was quite impressed by her ability to articulate much of what the exhibit displayed. 

By creating opportunities for children to play with real life experiences such as doctors, dentists, and other community helpers, the science center aids the continuation of learning far beyond the museum experience.

The first image is from the museum's site. It illustrates the Smile Science Center where children of all ages explore the world of dentistry. The second image is of my three year old's first visit to the dentist that happened after we were able to utilize SCI Port's newest addition to the Children's Gallery. 

Other sites (that are relatively close to us) that would offer similar informal learning experiences include: 

The Louisiana Children's Museum, New Orleans, LA:  http://lcm.org/

The Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, Monroe, LA:  http://nelcm.org/

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science,  Dallas, TX:  http://www.perotmuseum.org/