March 15 & 25: 'Experiencing Psychology' Events for Children

Friday, March 15, 2019
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
First day of event

KEYC TV coverage

Mankato, Minn. – Faculty and students in Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Department of Psychology will provide a variety of demonstrations to children at the 2nd annual “Experiencing Psychology” events Friday, March 15 and Monday, March 25 at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (224 Lamm St., Mankato).

Times of the events are Friday, March 15 from 1-3 p.m. and Monday, March 25 from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m.

The event, intended to get children excited about psychology, is geared toward children ranging in age from 2-12, but is most appropriate for ages 4-10. The event requires paid admission to the Children’s Museum.

Demonstrations will include showing what a human brain looks like, how people can improve memory skills and how psychological science shapes people’s lives.

A few of the many activities for children will include:

• Match emotion games that ask children to explore similarities and differences in human and animal emotions.
• “Create a brain cell” in which children will build neurons using fun, colorful supplies.
• “Build your own brain” in which children will use Play-Doh to construct a brain.
• Wearing perception shift goggles that will change children’s spatial awareness.

This event was held for the first time in 2018, when more than 50 undergraduate students in psychology participated in providing 12 demonstrations to children at the museum.

This year, a second day has been added in order to reach more families and children and provide more opportunities for students to get involved. This event is just one example of the commitment to outreach and raising public awareness of psychological science by Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Department of Psychology.

Minnesota State Mankato faculty members Karla Lassonde, Adam Steiner and Emily Stark coordinate the “Experiencing Psychology” partnership with the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.

For more information, contact Lassonde by phone at 507-389-5827 or by email at karla.lassonde@mnsu.edu.

Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Psychology is part of the University’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,227 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.