School holidays are riddled with boredom, which leads to tantrums among children. To avoid a day of hair pulling at home, the author decides to explore her backyard by taking her children on an excursion with Science at Petrosains.
Fun-filled school break at Petrosains
When it comes to the school holidays, parents have two thoughts: how will I entertain my kids while they are at home? How am I going to manage everything and the kids? With the 2022–2023 school year coming to an end and a month of school-going children staying home, boredom sets in.
While television, books, and other gadgets help alleviate their boredom, I feel that getting out of the house can be the cure. Mothers are sharing activities and places to visit on Facebook to help their children continue learning outside of school. Among the many suggestions, I realised that the Petrosains PlaySmart Kuching at Civic Centre was somewhere I had yet to take my children.
The Petrosains is a Malaysian science and technology museum and is the brainchild of the former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The Kuching Petrosains is a satellite version of the initial, which is located at Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur.
Exploring more through STEM
With Malaysia emphasising Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, Petrosains encourages both children and adults to engage in interactive and immersive learning. The goal behind Petrosains is to ensure learning through an entertaining way. This allows us to better understand what we learn.
Petrosains is a driving creation for the new generation of science and technology-minded, innovation-inspired Malaysians. It is an extension of the oil and gas company, PETRONAS’ commitment to nation-building through developing students’ interest in STEM.
By introducing the Petrosains PlaySmart outside of Klang Valley, each features interactive exhibits and engaging in scientific-based activities, as well as live science demonstrations, similar to the activities organised at the main centre in KLCC but on a smaller scale.
Visiting Petrosains during the school holiday
I decided to take my children to our local Petrosains in order to spark their interest in STEM education. The centre is open from 9am to 5pm, with breaks in between, from Tuesday to Sunday. When we arrived at 10am, it was already crowded with children and adults. There was even a group of schoolchildren with their teachers.
The most intriguing aspect of the centre for me was the opportunity to observe a science project that I had studied theoretically in primary and secondary school. In my opinion, the hands-on experience was beneficial since it exposed us to a world outside our textbooks. We got to feel the wind rush through our hair as we were in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, play the Mars rover, learn about the Physics of a pulley and pressure, and many other things.
We learned about what happened in space, how our forefathers discovered physics, and how the earth works. The interaction can be mind-boggling, but the understanding that occurred was important as the hands-on experience leaves an impact on us.
Albeit on a smaller scale, the programme tailored for children and adults was informative, since it also included mini games that we could engage in. The games available, though seemed entertaining, were truly educational at the same time. My children get to experience building miniature toy blocks. They also had fun with the big ones.
Laughter and excitement were shared by everyone who visited the centre in between all of the interactions. My children were not left out as we had a day of fun while learning and playing at the same time.
There are several activities available for everyone to enjoy.
