Desperate for ways to entertain her three-year-old, doctor and Canberra Mum, Hae-Jin, recalls how her frantic googling turned up Questacon’s Science Time. The 45-minute hands-on learning experience investigates questions like how helicopters fly or why some things float in the air. Burning questions for inquisitive early learners.
With a background in science herself, Hae-Jin was excited to find her little ones could experience the magic of science learning. She recalls the very first Science Time session they attended with enchanting presenter, Michelle.
"The session was all about Autumn. The kids were sitting together, captivated by the presenter, whose every word and activity was tailored to their attention spans. I thought, 'My goodness, I struck gold!’ After the talk, the kids got hands-on with science experiments and specially designed toys, putting their new-found knowledge into action. It was a parent’s dream come true!”
Hae-Jin also noticed something remarkable reawakened in herself as she watched. "As parents, we actually remember things we had forgotten," she said. Science Time reignited her passion for science and connected her with her children as they explored the wonders of the Canberra autumn together.
The excitement of this encounter rippled outwards from her children as Hae-Jin's youngest, Nestor, aged three, excitedly shared everything he’d learned with his grandparents, proving that science can be a family affair and inter-generational.
When the family moved abroad and home-schooled their boys, they hired a science teacher. What they didn't expect was Science Time's influence still shining through. "The boys' teacher was amazed at how well they understood the basics of science. They thought I must be a science enthusiast, but I was like, 'I'm a lazy mum; I don't do that.' It was what they’d learnt at Science Time, giving them such a great foundation in science,” Hae-Jin recalled.
Although her boys had grown beyond Science Time age when they returned to Canberra, Hae-Jin couldn't resist the urge to give back. "I wanted to become a Science Time volunteer in thanks to the presenters for what they'd given our kids and for the fun we had.”
Hae-Jin fondly recalled her favourite moments as a volunteer. "You can see the presenters getting ready, and you can feel everything building with that intense preparation and then you see that enthusiasm explode in the session and impact on the children. You can see it on their faces. Then you clean up at the end and a whole new cycle starts again. I absolutely loved witnessing and being a part of it."
Hae-Jin has observed Science Time's evolution over the years. She believes Questacon's success lies in its ability to make science fun. "What you learn from Questacon and Science Time, you take outside and explore further. In that, Questacon excels at its mission."
Hae-Jin's hope is simple yet profound: "My hope is that Questacon continues to enrich young minds and help kids understand science in a fun way. If they can take that knowledge back home, then that mission is accomplished."
In a final heart-warming twist, Hae-Jin dreams of her boys becoming Science Time volunteers someday, continuing the chain of discovery down the generations and giving back.
“Parents, bring your kids to Science Time at Questacon,” she encourages, “it’s so much fun and it refreshes grownups’ memories of what we learnt in the past about science.”
Below is a picture of Hae-Jin and her boys now.
Explore more
