Summer research: DIY chalk at the farmer’s market
Hi Friends!
We’re at the half-way point of our summer here at Kid Think and we have had an eventful past few weeks. On Saturday, June 20th we set up a tent at the Hope Street Farmer’s Market as a way to give back to the community. We brainstormed for weeks leading up to the market trying to decide what would be a good craft for the kids. We ultimately decided on do-it-yourself chalk. We experimented the whole week leading up to that day trying to figure out what was the best recipe and what was the easiest way for children to help. We were so excited to make chalk with the kids!
The weather ended up being great that Saturday morning and we eagerly set up camp waiting for the kids to roll in. The DIY chalk ended up being a great success. We helped more than 50 kids make chalk of all different colors and gave them Kid Think goodie bags to take home. It was nice to get some recruiting done at the same time! Lots of parents were curious about what we do here at Kid Think and were happy to register their children. Overall, it was a great way to get our name out there in the Providence community.
As for here in the lab, we continue to set up appointments and have children come in to play with us. So far, we have tested more than 30 children this summer. With most of the kids out of school for the summer, we have become a fun spot for parents to bring their children as a summer activity. In addition to children coming in for appointments, we have been helping our faculty advisor, Dr. Jennifer Van Reet, brainstorm ideas for possible new studies and grants we would like apply for. Some possibilities include making modifications to a previous study looking at children learning through “Fantasy versus Reality” and creating a study to learn more about guided play versus free play for children. We are excited about the future and we are already excited for the fall!
Next up on the calendar we have another community event at Fargnoli Park where we plan on making chalk again and hanging out with children at the summer concert series there! It’s been an exciting time here at Kid Think and we cannot wait for this last half of the summer!
Until Next Time!
The Kid Think Team
