ESF Kindergarten Trip To HK Science Museum

Rockstar’s been super excited to go on his school excursion to the HK Science Museum – so much so Kings even spends 20mins away from his desk in (fairly nearby) ICC to come see what all the fuss is about.

The day leading up to the excursion, Rockstar forgoes Mr Men and Lego for….. I Wonder Why books. Love these, I’d bought them to help me answer some of Rockstar’s questions easier (and frankly I’m learning a lot from them!)

Anyway. Here We Go Expedition. Rockstar is handed an important-looking color printout of highlights which I notice roughly match some of the stuff he’s told me he’s been learning in school (frog and butterfly life cycle, how plants grow) – as well as the “fun” stuff. Rockstar listens gravely and accepts a pencil and map.

Well… At least while waiting I got something in about how the marble always rolls downwards (water flows downwards) because of gravity, and the little hole in the middle of the pan must be slightly lower down than the edges…

Around the Frog Life Cycle and adjacent various animal skeletons exhibit, I feel….. nostalgic, reminded of that gem of my childhood/adolescence, Sigourney Weaver’s Alien Trilogy. It was the bit about how tadpoles, caterpillars and larvae look nothing like the adult creatures… You know, like those scenes from Alien(s) where the egg hatches into that scurrying crab-thing with long stingray-esque tail that scrabbles about until it can spit its egg in your mouth before wrapping itself around your head waiting for when it’s time for the egg in your tummy to chew it’s way to freedom. <reminiscent sigh>

My mum was huge fan of sci-fi horror. My son is a huge fan of gross icky things that happen in nature (fungus spores that eventually dry up live ants, starfish limb/ lizard tail regenerations). I may have just found a way to make it even more interesting for him… Must try to get the evolution story in, there’s a warehouse in Ap Lei Chau that carries real fossils you can buy, in concrete…

I’m slightly disappointed to be a little stumped at the DNA/ helix exhibits, and when I recover and start explaining falteringly about “building blocks” and “instructions – like your Lego instructions” that determine how everything grows and whether we are blonde, dark haired, tall/ short etc, Rockstar cuts in because………

Interestingly near the bug/bird head thing is an attendant with a bottle of gel sanitizer, who gives each child’s hands a squirt after they’ve taken a turn. The germ freak in me is impressed.  

Teachers and staff are all in attendance to talk to the kids about what they’ve learnt in school and are now seeing at the museum, and Rockstar is soon shown a snake and moth exhibit…. Then he is asked if we caught the baby-in-womb exhibit we initially passed, as I hear the friendly remark from school staff that he must be particularly interested in his developing baby sister. Erm yes. Of course.

I decide now’s not the time to mention Rockstar has been:

1) Watching my Pregnancy Today Babycenter videos on my iPhone App after pronouncing the ultrasound picture I brought him “boring” because it’s in black and white and the pictures don’t move, and

2) Declaring authoritatively “at least (he) can understand penises” when one of said videos early on illustrates the development of different sex organs in the fetus. (Who knew the fetus develops its organs internally relatively much earlier before we can actually pick it up on the ultrasound?)

<Nonchalantly inch away from his conversation, willing him not to start another imperious I Know Penises, I Have One Soliloquy. “I. Only. Look. At. Penises.” was his initial reaction when the video showed fetal development of reproductive organs of both sexes – after that were the C-section videos and since my husband was supremely freaked, I finally have the sense to screen the videos first. But not before, “Don’t know what all the others are, so far-nee looking. Sheesh.” Apparently this is a good reason why girls can’t be understood.>

But not before we spend a bit of time with the simulated forklift and digger machines, plus a quick glimpse at the electricity and magnet stations (totally unprepared to talk to him bout those.)

 One of the mums comments all the parents passing around us by this time look tired, while all the kids still look wired…. 

“Space” ship I could still spin about… If just barely… “An Antarctic exploration ship might look a bit like a space ship because they both have to protect the explorers inside from extreme cold weather and of course they need instruments to help them steer the ship around icebergs or meteorites…” whew.

This simulated driving test game is funny – it sounds quite bossy and speaks with Hongkie accented English. “You are too slow.” “Step on the brake NOWWWW.” “You are bad driver,” or something. Don’t even know what was wrong with our driving, we followed the darn instructions exactly. Humph.

Of COURSE every self-respecting Science Museum must have giant bubble maker. What else do we bring our kids here for?

Oh. Right.

 We end up being one of the last to leave. And there I was dreading being able to stay standing for that long – been having cramps and lying down for long stretches leading up to this trip.

You would expect the Rockstar to pass out early, but nooooo. I was so looking forward to him falling asleep an hour or two early, but instead he wolfs down a massive dinner (by massive I mean as much as I ate for dinner and I’m a heavy eater when pregnant) and stays up til midnight. And the next morning I have to snap at him to go back to sleep, which he does – for maybe another 90 minutes before he declares he’s starving and then demands more I Wonder Why…..