Kidspace Launches First Ever After School Program

Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena is launching its first-ever After School Club on January 20, 2016, to run once a week, every Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., until March 9th.

The pilot program offers children a dynamic, hands-on way of exploring the natural, creative and scientific world around them. Kidspace promises the “fun and inspiring eight-week program will be full of experiential enrichment learning paired with self-directed play.”

Each week will include activities surrounding a science, art, or nature theme designed to encourage connection with fellow club members, sending children home excited about learning, and eager to return the following week, the Kidspace announcement said.

“At Kidspace, we believe that learning is best done through play, and best solidified through joy. Each weekly session will consist of specific subject exploration combined with periods of supervised free-play among the Kidspace exhibits. Subject exploration will consist of such things as close-up encounters with the Kidspace animal collection, entering a mobile planetarium, planting their own gardens, making and launching their own rockets, participating in musical jam sessions, and much more.”

With no more than 20 children, the club will be designed to foster a sense of community among Kidspace Kids and generate peer to peer autonomy.

Intended to be a deviation from the structure of the traditional classroom, the Kidspace After School Club will provide enrichment learning and playful exploration aimed at allowing children to let loose and decompress after school. Kidspace says this will not be a homework club, nor is it going to be a general childcare service. The learning outcomes of the educational curriculum will be entirely individual – they will not include any standards or grades, but rather will be designed to inspire individual curiosities and skills. Fun, not a grade, will be the primary goal of this educational experience, Kidspace says.

The After School Club will be designed and lead by the Kidspace Specialist Team, with assistance from senior Kidspace Educators. Each Specialist position focuses on specific expertise that will infuse the club activities, which will be overseen by the Education Manager of Public Programs.

Composing the team are Louise Leborgne, Nature Specialist; Jenna Ervin, Science Specialist; Jacquie Waldman, Art Specialist; Samantha Mendoza, Education Specialist; and Brooke Applegate, Education Manager, Public Programs.

The pilot program is for 5- to 7-year-old children. The age requirement is firm in order to ensure the most ideal environment possible. Each Wednesday session will run from 3:30-5:30 p.m., with drop-off between 3:15-3:30 p.m., and pick-up between 5:30-5:45 p.m.  Price is $250 for non-members, and $225 for members.

Schedule and registration information can be found at www.kidspacemuseum.org/events/after-school-club.

For more information, contact Brooke Applegate at (626) 449-9144, ext. 5201, or send an email to bapplegate@kidspacemuseum.org.