CIERRA SPAULDING, a native of Versailles who grew up going to the Woodford County Library, will be bringing her 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter Niarah Spaulding to Science in Play2Go at the library. Spaulding took her older daughter Karsynn Smith, now 15, to the library nearly a decade ago so she could experience the Kentucky Science Center’s Science in Play 2Go. (Photo by Femi Oyeniran)
KARSYNN SMITH is pictured playing and learning when Science in Play2Go made its inaugural visit to the Woodford County Library in 2017. Science in Play 2Go is returning to the library on Sept. 19, and Cierra Spaulding said she plans on taking her younger daughter, Niarah, so she can experience what her sister Karsynn experienced. (Woodford County Library photo)
By Bob Vlach
Woodford Sun Staff
Another generation of young children will soon experience the fun, hands-on learning opportunities provided by the Kentucky Science Center’s traveling Science in Play2Go at the Woodford County Library. The learning experience for children, ages 8 and under, returns to the library Saturday, Sept. 19 through Saturday, Dec. 26.
With so many public libraries in Kentucky, Youth Services Librarian Bookie Wilson says she had no expectation that Science in Play2Go would come back to Woodford County. “So when (the Kentucky Science Center) reached out to us last fall,” she said, “we jumped at the chance because it was an overwhelming success.”
Nearly a decade has passed since Science in Play2Go has been here, so Wilson says a whole new group of young kids will want to experience this fun learning experience. Among them are Cierra Spaulding’s 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter Niarah.
“We’re definitely going to go,” said Spaulding, a native of Versailles who grew up here going to the Woodford County Library. She shared a love of reading and going to the library with her oldest daughter Karsynn, now 15.
Karsynn was just 5 when Science in Play2Go came to the library in 2017. So she doesn’t remember much about that experience, other than playing with the big blocks.
“Karsynn has always loved to build things,” said her mom, who vividly remembers watching – and taking photos of – Karsynn’s Science in Play2Go experiences nearly 10 years ago.
If it were up to Karsynn, “she would’ve been there all day … She was not ready to leave; she was having so much fun,” recalled Spaulding. “So it was neat for her to just be able to explore and try to build …”
Karsynn, now a sophomore in high school who still loves to build or make things and is pursuing an interest in engineering, said she can’t wait for her younger sister Niarah to have similar Science in Play2Go experiences. “I want to watch her have fun … because I feel like she’ll really like it,” she said.
Over 10,000 visitors experienced Science in Play2Go at the Woodford County Library during its three-month stay nearly a decade ago. “So we were delighted,” Wilson said, to receive another opportunity to host Science in Play2Go. The library is scheduled to host a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m.