“I Want To Go Do Science”

On Monday, the White House was transformed into a sea of excited parents and children, all participating in the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll.  Over 30,000 people cycled through the South Lawn to attend this year’s Easter event and the “Get up and Go!”-themed activities it featured.

There were activities of all kinds for everyone to participate in, but there was particular excitement about those featuring science.

“I want to go do science!” exclaimed one excited young girl as she headed over to build and test her own kite—one of two aerial focused South Lawn projects.

Children 12 and under got the chance to learn a little science and engineering alongside the egg rolling through herb planting stations, kite and bunny copter construction sites, and examining the science inside their bodies.

Building science into the Easter Egg Roll was no accident. One of President Obama’s priorities is to have more boys and girls excelling in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, and as the faces of the children reflected, they want to excel in science as well.

Yesterday’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities were brought to the Easter Egg Roll thanks to the work of some wonderful organizations:

• The Lawrence Hall of Science, which taught kids science and engineering design concepts as they built their own paper bag kites and/or floppy ear bunny copters and then tested how well they flew by running across the Lawn. Check out a firsthand look of their booth here.  
• The American Association for the Advancement of Science, who hosted “The Science Inside You” booth where kids learned how to take their pulse, test their reaction time, and learned how much exercise it takes to burn off certain foods.
• The American Society of Plant Biologists, which helped kids plant their own herbs (dill, parsley, or basil) in an egg carton planter made from 100% recycled material, all while teaching them about plants and how to grow and care for them at home.

A special thanks to the organizations that provided a fun-filled and educational day for all of yesterday’s attendees. Check out photos and video from Monday’s Easter Egg Roll here, or photos from the science activities below.

 

 

 

(Photos by Steve Robinson and Tristen Pegram)