By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Those visiting a regular museum know there are usually few opportunities for any hands-on experience.
But for the students at Northside Child Development Center who had a travelling museum in their gym Thursday, it was quite the opposite.
That was after she had told the students to use all their senses when visiting the different stands the museum had set up around the gym.
Skoda said the program also gives children a taste of what the Curious Kids Museum in St. Joseph has to offer.
Skoda said for this event, they included information about the weather, our senses, magnets, dinosaurs, simple machines, the rain forest, and face painting, which appeared to be among the children's favorite stand.
Skoda said the program they take around is designed for pre-readers.
Mary Lappan, a teacher's aide at Northside, while busy looking after the students and the experiments they were involved in, said the outreach program gives the students a chance to do everything hands on.
Northside special education teacher Leslie Krouk, who said even college students benefit and learn from hands-on experience, said having a travelling museum come to the school is wonderful.
Not just because it gives the students a chance to touch things, but it also gives the children who don't have a way to get to the museum in St. Joseph, a taste of that museum, she said.
It wasn't just the organizers from St. Joseph and Northside teachers, however, that ensured the day's success.
Skoda said 10 volunteers helped out in the morning and 15 in the afternoon.
Most of them were parents, Skoda said.
She said it might even encourage them to do different things at home with their own kids.