The mystique of space and galaxies is fascinating to adults and children alike. It invokes curiosity, sparks imagination and fuels the quest to explore, discover and learn about the unknown. That is the objective of the Methodist Preschool Signature Space Buds Programme. The first of its kind to be incorporated into a preschool curriculum, the STEM-focused programme for K2s was piloted at Faith Methodist Preschool in 2021 and rolled out to all centres in 2022.
The Bible teaches that God is the creator of the universe. “It is our hope that the learning and exploration of space inspires a sense of wonder and awe in our preschoolers about the vastness and amazing design of God’s creation,” said Adrian Lim, Director of Education Services, Methodist Preschool Services Pte Ltd.
In Part 1 of the Space Buds Programme that was conducted in April, educators from the Space Faculty conduct lessons and fun hands-on activities on various space-related topics to pique preschoolers’ curiosity and interest about space.
The aspiring astronauts are looking forward to Part 2 of the programme that will feature interactive learning with an astronaut through a live virtual session during World Space Week in October. As part of the celebration of World Space Week from 4–10 October, children of all levels across the family of Methodist Preschools will also engage in a myriad of space-themed lessons and activities throughout the week. Children will be transported to “outer space” through space themed lessons and setups that will ignite their imagination and fuel their passion for space exploration and STEM learning.
Methodist Message chatted with some young space cadets to see what they learnt during the engaging Space Buds journey! Here are snippets of the conversations:
Sheldon Lam
(Sengkang Methodist Preschool)
Q: If you were an astronaut, what experiment would you want to do in space?
A: I would try to create big explosions outside of the spaceship! I also want to find out how black holes suck things in.
Lucas Tan
(Sengkang Methodist Preschool)
Q: Which was your favourite Space Buds lesson?
A: The lesson on planets. I can also name the 10 dwarf planets, can you?
Q: What’s special about Uranus?
A: Uranus spins on its side. It is blue because it has methane gas. It smells like fart!
Advika
(Sengkang Methodist Preschool)
Q: What did you learn about the food in space?
A: The food is dry in space. If there’s water, it will get mouldy very fast.
Alden Wong
(Faith Methodist Preschool)
Q: Tell us about the space ice-cream that you tried.
A: I enjoyed the space ice-cream! It’s the flavour that I like—vanilla! Space ice-cream is not cold.
Lucas Teo
(Faith Methodist Preschool)
Q: What do astronauts wear in space?
A: Astronauts wear a special suit in space. The helmet protects the astronaut from the very hot sun!
Giselle Xie
(Faith Methodist Preschool)
Q: Can you tell us what you learnt about satellites?
A: Satellites are objects that go around the earth. The moon and the ISS are satellites.