DUBOIS – Classes in Kids in College for four, five and six year olds who are intrigued by animals can learn about a wide variety of species at Penn State DuBois this summer.
“They’ll learn about dinosaurs, penguins, polar bears, elephants, lions, tigers, and lots more,” said Sueann Doran, Youth Program Coordinator for Kids in College at Penn State DuBois. She adds that classes will be offered to suit almost any child’s interest.
“Whether parents are simply interested in supplementing what children have experienced in preschool or kindergarten or introducing them to species they know little about, the stories, pictures, games, songs and other activities will be great fun for the children and educational as well. There are also classes for those who envision themselves as space explorers, junior scientists, adventurers to the land of Mother Goose and so much more. All of the classes are designed to be developmentally appropriate for the participants,” Doran said.
The ever-popular dinosaur will be the focus of All About Dinosaurs. “Four, five and six year olds love these magnificent creatures. This class is a chance to spend several days roaring and walking like dinosaurs as they learn more about them,” says Doran. Carol Smith will conduct the class in DuBois and will use songs, stories, games, and art and science projects to pique interest. Class enrollment is limited to 12 to ensure individual attention for all participants. The dinosaur explorers may create a fossil or go on a dinosaur hunt during the class that meets from July 7 through July 10, from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
Another class, designed for four, five and six year olds is Who Lives in the Ocean? with instructor Carol Smith. Stories, crafts, songs and games will focus on the wealth of fascinating creatures living in the ocean and on the beach. Children may find themselves making an octopus or creating a window of the ocean to reinforce the fun they have had in exploring the sand and water. The class will meet in DuBois from 10:00 am to noon, July 7-10; class size is limited to 12.
Maybe your child would like to stay on dry land and still travel to see the animals. The African Animal Safari will travel by land on this imaginary trip to see native wild animals of Africa. Posters, games, stories and art projects will help them explore and note the animals they see during the week of June 23 to June 26. Peggy Wilson will be the guide for four, five and six year olds from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
If Africa is too hot for a summer visit, perhaps your youngster would accompany us to visit Arctic and Antarctic Animals. We’ll look at penguins, seals, and polar bears as we ask the questions of: How do they stay warm? What do they eat? The frigid cold of our imaginary journey will not keep us from stories, crafts, songs and games involving these fascinating creatures. Carol Smith will lead four, five and six year olds on this expedition daily between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm, from June 16 to June 19.
For those who want to remain closer to home, Pets on Parade with Peggy Wilson (Friday, June 20) focuses on animals who are our pets and children are encouraged to bring a picture of a favorite pet or a stuffed animal for the pet show. Bring a lunch and enjoy this day of pets from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Others may wish to go to the Big Top with Circus Time. Come one, come all and join Peggy Wilson and meet elephants, clowns, lions, tigers, ringmasters, and trapeze artists who inhabit the circus. The excitement will be felt by all who enlist for the adventure June 23 through June 26 from 10:00 am to noon.
While the class will meet from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, the creatures will be those more commonly seen at night – bats and owls. Five, six and seven year olds will join Peggy Wilson and Carol Smith for Creatures of the Night and use echo location skills to play bat tag or make an owl puppet. Bring a lunch for this activity-packed day, Friday, June 27.
If the interest runs more to the tiny creatures, Interesting Insects participants will learn how ladybugs, caterpillars, butterflies, bees, crickets, spiders and ants can be our friends. Games, stories, crafts and songs will help four, five and six year olds discover how these creatures help us. The class meets 10:00 am to noon, June 23 to June 26.
If space is the place your child wants to explore, such a trip can be completed during the week in the Space Explorers class. Stories, crafts, and games will be used to take the trip and four, five and six year-old youngsters may find themselves viewing a star show, making space rocks and investigating aliens. With a class size of 12, children will be ensured of personal attention as they explore their own space related ideas. Peggy Wilson will work with the children July 7-10 from 10:00am to noon.
The imagination could also take you to Mother Goose Land. Peggy Wilson will lead four, five and six year olds to the land of Mother Goose to explore nursery rhymes with puppets, story necklaces, games and crafts in the class Adventures in Rhyme. While there, participants may engage in lunar leap, blackbird tag or pin the wool on the lamb. Perhaps we’ll be inspired to write a new nursery rhyme. We’ll take our adventure from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm on July 7 through July 10.
For four, five, six, seven and eight year-olds the Jr. Scientist experience is a must! Youngsters will have the chance to ask all of those ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions as they experiment with ideas about solids and liquids, gravity, surface tension and bubbles. The fun and experiments will go on all day long on Friday, July 11 at Penn State DuBois with Carol and Stan Smith and Peggy Wilson. The official junior scientists are asked to bring a lunch for the day that begins at 9:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm.
For children, ages three to five, Little Genius Music Time will be available. The involvement in music and rhythmic experiences, as a young child, has been shown to be related to improved motor skills, communication, coordination, and spatial reasoning. Pick up ideas for music experiences, that you can use with the child after the class, as you participate in singing, dancing and playing rhythm instruments with your child during the class. Becky Sensor, music teacher and choral director at DuBois Middle School, will instruct this class in DuBois on June 23 to 26, 9:00 am to 10:00 am. (Make it a family affair for a younger sibling with Mommy (or Daddy) and Me Music Time. The emphasis is on allowing parents to connect with their child through music. These classes are for infants through 2 years old and will be taught by Becky Sensor in DuBois, June 23-26, from 10:15 am to 11:00 am.)
“The summer schedule for some of the youngest participants in the Kids in College program encourages the children to use their imaginations and creativity. At the same time, they acquire new ideas in a fun-filled environment,” comments John Piccolo, Director of Continuing Education at Penn State DuBois. The goal of Continuing Education at Penn State DuBois is to assist individuals and organizations in obtaining a competitive advantage through education and training. Workforce, professional, and personal development programs are provided for organizations and individuals of all ages. Programs are conveniently offered on campus, at outreach sites and/or at work sites across the region.
Classes are filling quickly, for more information or to register for a class, call Sueann Doran at 814-375-4716. Registration forms and information are also available on the Web site. Students registering by June 1 will receive a free t-shirt. All classes will meet in the DEF Building at Penn State DuBois.