Science day entertains, educates kids

PARKERSBURG - Although it was Saturday, 150 children got a day of science education at the Wood County Council PTA Science Day.

Tammy Burkey, chairwoman of the event for the council, said the program on the campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg was open to children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

During the program, presented by the staff of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston, the children went through three stations on bugs, building and the Star Lab, a portable inflatable planetarium to show students a night sky.

Burkey said this year's program only had three stations compared to four last year. However, she said the children, and their parents, enjoyed the day.

Kayte Brannon, lead educator, said the program is part of the Clay Center's outreach program that travels across West Virginia and parts of Ohio and Kentucky. Brannon said while the outreach is available they are usually out most in the spring months.

"In the Built It where the students learn to make dowel rods from minimal items to build something, Star Lab a portable planetarium to learn about stars and the session on bugs," she said. "We go out to where we are called."

Caden Bell, of Walker, said while he enjoyed the bugs he was waiting for his turn at something else.

"I'm waiting for the Star Lab," he said.

His mother, Amanda, said they came for a family outing.

"It seems like such a family oriented outing," she said. "We get to do something together and learn something."

Aryon Marshall, of Parkersburg, said her favorite was making the dowel rods in the Build It session.

Jennifer Dutton, of Parkersburg, said she enjoyed the Build It but she liked the Star Lab as well.

"I liked the Star Lab, we learned about the different constellations like the Big Dipper," she said.