Here’s some information about our KIDS’ TRACK from Gifted Youth Coordinator, Melissa Jenkins.

SEMMantics 40 for Kids

Here’s a summary of planned kids’ activities at this year’s RG!

Friday night your kids will be learning the forensic identification of drug users via drug immunoassay technique.  We will follow that activity with the kids’ pool party and kids’ participation in the chocolate feast!

Saturday morning, we will begin as usual with the popular kids’ take-it-apart party.  Remember to bring your old mechanical and electrical appliances for the kids to take apart and find what is inside!

We’re planning other great kids activities too, such as learn about plastic polymers by building a bouncing ball, and ultraviolet bead art!

Is your kid a budding engineer?   Would he/she like to build his/her own simple robot?  We’ll be building and programming simple Arduino-controlled robots using a simple robot chassis, an Arduino controller, hobby motors, a motor shield, a switch and battery case, all for your kids to take home.

Does your kid like to compose music or write computer programs?  We’ll be presenting “Compose Music using the Sonic Pi” programming language.  This program uses a freely downloadable open source API, which will allow your child to write any music she/he desires.  We will learn how to use this tool to create various music and programming constructs.  ***Important:  Please bring a laptop for this event.  Phones/tablets will not work.

Is your child a budding gardener/naturalist/entomologist?  Come to the RG to meet our local Butterfly Lady, Debbie Jackson.  Debbie is extremely knowledgeable about how to attract butterflies to your garden.  She can recommend plants, and teach your kids how to experience the full life cycle of butterflies and moths.  By the end of this talk your kids will know how to tell a male from a female monarch butterfly and know a lot more about how butterflies live in the wild!

Did any of you attend the Indianapolis AG this past July?  Well, we borrowed some werewolves from the Indianapolis AG and they will be featured in our Saturday evening program for kids, “Werewolves at SEMMantics 40”.  You will enjoy participating in this interactive game with your kids.  Experience an old English village in danger of invasion by werewolves.  Seek out and destroy the werewolves before they kill all the villagers in the town!

Your kids will top off their Saturday evening fun by launching lighted aero copters into the air in the hotel courtyard.

All weekend long, we will have giant Minecraft block building and Lego-building.  One section of the kids’ room will be dedicated to be a kids’ game room with lots of kid-friendly games, puzzles and building tools, such as snap circuits.  We will also have our big marble maze to build.

Don’t miss our Lego-building contest.  Judging will take place at 11:30 AM Sunday, and winners will be announced at the noon meeting on Sunday.  Prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place will be awarded.

Overall, as you can see, this will be a great weekend for kids at SEMMantics 40!