Kids love pre-school science park

Nearly 40 pre-schoolers found themselves on a “Serpent Path” in Queens recently, and their parents were delighted.
The occasion was the opening of “Exploring the Natural Environment,” a $2.7 million complex of science-inspired play space for pre-schoolers at the Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Thanks to a grant from Borough President Helen Marshall, the new addition more than doubles the size of the Science Playground at the Hall, making it larger than a football field and the largest such facility in the U.S.
“It isn’t my money,” Marshall said later, “it’s from taxpayers - I had a chance to put it to the best possible use, because I understand how important early-childhood education is.” Before entering politics, Marshall taught very young children for eight years.
The opening, on Thursday, June 21, was attended by a contingent of pre-schoolers from P.S. 28 in Corona as well as other kids and parents, Marshall, City Councilmembers Helen Sears and David Weprin and New York City Parks Commissioner Andrew Benepe.
But as far as the kids were concerned, the most important dignitaries were Mr. Met and “Digit,” a character from a Public Broadcasting program, “Cyberchase.”
The very first moppet to enter the new area was a wide-eyed Lucas Libshutz, who soon broke away from mother Jill and grandfather Richard Horowitz, a strong supporter of the Hall of Science, to roam the expanse. Little Lucas seemed to enjoy himself so much that he abandoned his lollypop in favor of the activities.
The concept was first devised in India, and the Consul General of India, Neelam Deo, approved of the new addition. “We built our first science playground in 1968 and named it after Vikram Sarabhai, the head of our space organization,” she said. “He was a strong advocate for the concept,” Deo continued, “and it worked so well that we started a program in the mid-1970s. Now we have them all over our country.”
The area has Music, Mirror, Shelter, Sand and Bridge paths, each with stimulating features which are designed to give visitors a real-world example of scientific principles. In the sand area, Marshall and Sears demonstrated the equipment to the tykes and by all accounts, thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
“Kids should know that when they play like this, they’re doing physics,” Marshall said, “It’s just great.”