August 15, 2023

This summer the Museum of Life and Science teamed up with Book Harvest to join in on the Science Storytime fun! Each month, we ventured to the Family Space on University Drive or to Solite Park to share a story and do some science together.

Storytelling is a special art that has been practiced for centuries. It binds us together and asks us to expand our thinking and see new ideas or perspectives. Similarly, science pushes us to ask questions and think critically about the world around us. Both of these practices call on us to build a better world for all, so we could think of no better pairing than Science Storytimes.

Our first story, “What Would You Do with a Tail Like This?” is a fan favorite for Book Harvest’s incredible Book Babies program. It is also now featured at Durham’s first story walk, right next door to the Museum, at Edison Johnson Park. For our May story time in the Book Harvest Family Space, we read the story in Spanish and English and then the Museum’s resident bearded dragons, Deisel and Merida, showed off their long, lovely tails! Kids and their families learned all about these magnificent creatures and how they use their tails, along with other unique characteristics, to thrive in their environment.

In June, we traveled to the stars using the Museum’s StarLab. This unique planetarium experience allowed us to look at worlds beyond Earth and hear about how, for thousands of years, people have used the stars to navigate and tell stories. We read “A Big Mooncake for Little Star” and told our own stories under the stars.

July brought with it some extreme heat, and we decided to keep it cool! Reading “Water Protectors” and learning about how sweat cools us off was not only fun, but extremely relevant considering we were in Solite Park! We also did some fun sensory play, using freshly cut herbs, flowers, and leaves from the Museum’s educational garden. Freezing all the edible clippings and using the ice to smell and taste certainly cooled us off.

Like so much of our community work, it would not be possible or nearly as impactful without the hard and important work of our partners. Book Harvest is no exception. The space they have created on University Drive and in the community at large is incredible. Durham is invited to come, have fellowship, share some stories, and take some home with them. Whether it is through the warm smiled greeting to all who enter from Bria and Gabby, or the beautiful Bienvenido song sung by Wilma and guests before we begin, all are welcomed and appreciated in this space and program.

All in all it has been a fun summer celebrating stories and science with families in Durham! Join us for our final summer Science Storytime on August 17 in the Book Harvest Family Space. Learn more and pre-register for this free event here.