Kids went full STEAM ahead at library Monday

The world and places beyond were well within reach for La Conner area children on Monday.

A series of hands-on Space Quest activities, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, greeted kids who visited La Conner Regional Library that morning.

Guest presenter Heidi Larsen turned the place into a virtual space laboratory as part of a program designed to encourage youth to explore activities related to science and technology.

Larsen set up stations that allowed kids to make clouds, test gravity and simulate how the earth’s rotation is linked to wind currents and jet streams.

And much, much more.

A favorite activity involved remote control model lunar rovers that allowed kids to gather small rocks similar to those found on the surface of the moon.

Countless other gadgets filled the library.

A good time was had by all, said Library Director Joy Neal.

“I like how instead of just talking to them, Heidi lets the kids dive right in and try things,” Neal said. “They’re having fun and learning something at the same time. And I also like how there are things for children of different ages.”

Larsen, who previously lived on nearby Lopez Island, is now based in Olympia, where she has developed a multi-faceted STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) For Kids curriculum through her aptly named Idea Hatch non-profit.

The soft-spoken former pre-school teacher and children’s library specialist has also crafted reading, environmental science and music programs, among others.

“We had her here a couple years ago for reading,” Neal said, “and it was so successful that we really wanted to have her back.”

Neal said Larsen’s presentations for libraries change each year to dovetail with summer reading themes.

The Space Quest activities, which involved everything from simple marbles to a flat screen TV, made for a fully-engaged, fast-paced 60 minutes. Parents and grandparents pitched in as well, which came as little surprise to Neal.

“Heidi says a lot of her best ideas come from the parents,” she said.

Most encourage the kids to follow their natural curiosity, a learning style ideal for STEAM instruction.

Larsen tailored Monday’s session to fit this summer’s A Universe of Stars reading campaign.

For her part, she enjoyed re-exploring her former home base.

“I love traveling, especially when I get off the interstate,” Larsen told the Weekly News. “And I really love this area, of course.”

After all, she and the kids found La Conner Regional Library an ideal launching pad from which to shoot for the moon.