So far on Parentville, we covered theatres, playgroups, dance classes, language course, and even sledging. We talked about museums (here and here). Now is the time for science, technology, engineering, and maths – STEM.
Some say STEM is the future (that is unless we drown in the sea of plastic waste). Are there any jobs that don’t require any use of technology, even such a tiny device as a smartphone? This will probably develop further, with professions of the future not even existing just yet. At the same time, we know that kids learn best while playing. Is there any place in Geneva that combines both?
Where in Geneva can kids feed their natural curiosity, where can they acquire STEAM skills and knowledge? In several places!
PLACES IN GENEVA
Cern
Well, hello!? Aren’t we living in the canton that hosts one of the most important scientific organisations in the world? Do not hesitate to take your kids to the Globe of Science and Innovation, or to the Microcosm exhibition. The exhibitions are not designed with kids in mind, but they are still worth your time! Cern has also created a trail around the LHC (the Large Hadron Collider), recommended for kids aged 8+: the Passport to the Big Bang. For smaller kids « ABC Geneva » explains the goal of this organization in a simple way.
Exploracentre
Opened in November 2018, it is the first science centre in the canton explicitly designed for children! You can choose between the interactive exhibition, workshops, birthday parties. Click/tap here to read Parentville’s article about this place.
Musee d’Histoire Des Sciences
The Science History Museum presents objects and methods scientists have used. A lot of things to manipulate, touch, and look through. Be sure to check their current temporary exhibition, as well as Wednesday’s workshops! For more details visit the Museum’s website.
Maison de la Créativité
STEM cannot exist without creativity. We usually relate creativity to artists of all sorts, but scientists are one of the most creative creatures as well! Maison de la Créativité invites kids up to age 6 to enjoy many creative activities indoor and outdoor in a wonderful garden.
Bricks 4 Kidz centre
Pencil it in: March 6, 2019! It is the date of the opening of the Bricks 4 Kidz Centre in the Quartier de la Chapelle in Lancy. It will propose many types of lego-based activities, such as after-school on school days, on Wednesdays, and free access on Saturday morning.
COURSES, WORKSHOPS, ACTIVITIES
IT STEP ACADEMY – programming, coding, building animations and games, workshops for parents (on internet security for example), and more. For kids aged 8+. A super cool place in Nations. Visit their website for more details. #parentvillerecommended.
FUTURE KIDS – robotics, electronics, coding, creation of games, Minecraft, and more. They offer weekly courses, camps, birthday parties, and occasional workshops. They offer courses in Rive, Collange-Bellrive, Petit-Lancy, and Servette. Read more about them here.
BRICKS 4 KIDZ – there are two Bricks 4 Kidz companies in Geneva, one on Rive Gauche, and one on Rive Droite. They offer hours and hours of creative Lego fun, for beginners and more advanced builders. In their offer, you can find workshops, weekly courses, camps, birthday parties. #Z.approved, #parentvillerecommended
ADDICTLAB – They offer various STEM activities throughout Geneva, and opened a LabSpace in Espace Candide in Ferney Voltaire. You can also ask them to offer animations on birthday parties. Visit their website for more details.
AMAKIDS GENEVA – Did you know that in Japan math is thought in a very different way to the one we use in Europe? Amakids provide courses on math using Japanese methods, but the whole course is about so much more than mathematics. It is impossible to explain in one paragraph, but luckily there is an article about Amakids on Parentville that does the job well.
KNOCK ON WOOD – working with wood is as much filled with STEM as using Lego, or even more. Though the mission behind this project is different (« to promote manual fabrication, repurposing unwanted furniture or recycle old wood in the Geneva area by giving you the knowledge, space and tools to create your own masterpieces »), I believe building with wood means measurements, planning, geometry, in other words, it is filled with mathematics. More about this brilliant project here.
OUTSIDE GENEVA
Espace des Innovations, in Lausanne, click to open their website.
La Turbine sciences, in Annecy, click here.
Aquatis, in Lausanne, visit their website for details.
Espaces des Mondes Polaires in the French Jura. Read my article about it here.
Maison du Saleve, Parentville’s article about it here.
And a bit farther: Explorit Kindercity in Yverdon, that I find absolutely fantastic.