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February 13, 2017
Carol Tang

Finding the Time to Play

Kids And Creativity, Creativity, STEM Education / Play, Learning at Home, Learning Through Play, STEM, STEAM

Dr. Carol Tang is the Executive Director of the Children's Creativity Museum in San Francisco. She is on the Board of Directors for the National Afterschool Association, the How Kids Learn Foundation, and Artists United as well as a reviewer for the academic journal, Afterschool Matters. She previously was employed as the team lead for out-of-school time grant making portfolio at the S.D. Becthel, Jr. Foundation, the director of the Coalition for Science After School, and head of exhibitions and public programs at the California Academy of Sciences. Carol has a Ph.D. in paleontology and is the author of the Jurassic articles in the Encylopaedia Britanica Online. You can reach her on Twitter at @CarolTang1.

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February 11, 2017
Rachael Rufino

5 Education Trends Your Child Wants to be a Part of

Music Education, Kids And Creativity, Creativity, STEM Education / Play, Learning Through Play, STEM, STEAM

Education methods have always aimed to ensure future generations are fully prepared to contribute to the working force as adults.  But what about preparing children to also function as social members of society?  More recent approaches to education are now focusing on developing wholesome, happy children with the ability to develop healthy relationships and persevere through the trails of life.
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February 04, 2017
Kacey Templin

Beyond Different: Defining Gifted Education

Kids And Creativity, STEM, STEAM

These days, nearly everyone with grade school-aged children has heard about gifted education. It could be that your child has been identified, or a child that you know personally. Perhaps you yourself were once labeled as a gifted learner. If identified in elementary school, these children are often removed from regular classes routinely during the week to be amongst their gifted peers in special classrooms. When these children head into middle and high school, gifted classrooms turn into advanced placement courses. Many people assume the label “gifted” simply means that students have a high IQ score, but gifted education means so much more than that. But what is the true definition of gifted learning? And why do so many not know what being gifted means? To answer these questions, we must take a look at the students themselves.
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January 09, 2017
Rachael Rufino

3 Easy Enrichment Methods to Start Now

Kids And Creativity, Creativity, Learning at Home, Learning Through Play, STEM, STEAM

It’s difficult thinking up new ways to keep children interested, stimulated and occupied day-to-day.  In fact, the same can be said for all cognitive beings.  Preventing boredom in children, adults and even animals can reduce stereotypic behaviors (such as nail-biting, hair-twirling and pacing) and have profoundly positive effects on their quality of life.  By introducing new stimuli, you are providing a person or pet with an interesting, and sometimes challenging distraction. 
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November 12, 2016
Kacey Templin

Fall Learning Series Part 8: Science Career Experiments

Kids And Creativity, STEM

It’s career Saturday on ThinkFun’s Fall Learning Series! This time around, we look at four intriguing science-based careers your child might be interested in pursuing. Why not ignite that passion early with a little weekend experimentation? In this post, we’ll learn a little more about careers in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
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October 31, 2016
Kacey Templin

Terrors, Treats, and Trepidation: Halloween and the Science of Fear

Kids And Creativity, STEM, STEAM

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and each year I spend a considerable amount of time decorating my office to get in the spirit. Halloween at ThinkFun is serious business and when October 1st rolls around, the decorations are out in full force. This year I styled my office like a haunted mansion: hanging cobwebs, flickering floating candles, and dozens of eerie Victorian-era portraits. As much as I love this holiday, I despise any part of it that’s truly scary. I just don’t “do” scary Halloween. While several of my coworkers would agree, many feel that this is the perfect time to seek out terrifying experiences. Why does this holiday make us so fearful? Why do so many Americans get a kick out of being afraid? And what goes on in your mind when you become frightened? The answers are pretty fascinating.  
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October 22, 2016
Kacey Templin

Fall Learning Series Part 5: Halloween Science

Kids And Creativity, Creativity, STEM, STEAM

It’s the spookiest time of year again, when ghosts, goblins, and ghouls come out to play! That’s right, it’s Halloween time, and it only seems fitting to dedicate a Fall Learning post to the haunted holiday. The activities below are designed to get you and your children in the Halloween spirit, while also learning a little science along the way!
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