Mad Science at Spring Break Camp

In Girl Scouts, girls are always counting down to the next adventure they will go on together. With summer camp still a couple of months away, nearly 60 Girl Scouts are spending the week getting a taste of the fun to come when school lets out during Spring Break Day Camp at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center in Chesapeake.

The action-packed week has been full of activities for girls to spend time outside, take part in science experiments, let their creativity flow through art projects and make new friends. On Tuesday, the girls enjoyed an interactive workshop with Mad Science of Hampton Roads all about fire and ice. Foggy dry ice storms and playground balls floating in the air amazed the Girl Scouts as they learned about chemical reactions, air pressure and the states of matter.

“Our goal is to spark the imagination and curiosity of children,” Jen Marcus, owner and marketing director of Mad Science of Hampton Roads, said. “It’s really important to introduce girls to science, since there remains an issue of girls taking advanced science classes and pursuing science focused careers. That’s why I love to partner with Girl Scouts – we’re on the same page with this. I weave in stories about women scientists into the presentations and make a special effort to give them more hands-on experiences. When children learn that science is fun, they don’t see it as difficult or complicated.”

Mad Science of Hampton Roads offers programs for Girl Scouts all year long. They will be at Girl Fest on April 29 at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. Registration closes for Girl Fest on April 15 and can be completed online here.

Still to come this week, Girl Scouts will be practicing their aim on the archery range, making slime, exploring the world of engineering through LEGOs with BrickHeadZ, putting their culinary skills to the test during a cooking class and so much more. The girls are looking forward to Thursday night, when they will sleepover at A Place for Girls and have an up-close look at the sky with the Back Bay Astronomers.

Dorothy Morrison, a senior in the recreation management department at Old Dominion University, has been interning with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast since January to plan and organize the spring break camp. Her goal was to plan a week of fun and adventure for the Girl Scouts, full of time in the outdoors and opportunities to take part in engaging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities.

Similar to the spring break camp, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast will be hosting Camp Outback, a summer day camp, at A Place for Girls from July 31 through August 25. All girls in grades one through eight are welcome to attend, and registration is open now.