43
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The children guessed whether or not Peeps would float at a certain station. Another station included a cup of water with blue and yellow Peeps inside that turned the water green.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The children tried each of the stations at the Austintown library's Marshmallow Peep Science program, and they went to their favorite stations during the end of the program. Pictured, the children used a catapult to launch Peeps into Easter baskets.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The librarians had a program based on Peeps because Easter was nearing and Peeps are a popular Easter candy. The station from the program had the children describe the candy using their five senses.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Austintown library had a "Marshmallow Peep Science" program on March 14, which included seven different stations relating to Peep candies, such as the building station pictured. Children used toothpicks and jellybeans create structures around Peeps.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.Libraians Ashley Young and Nikki Puhalla organized the Marshmallow Peep Science program at the Austintown library. Pictured, Young poured baking soda and vinegar on a Peep to see what, if anything, would happen.
By ZACK SHIVELY
The Austintown library invited children to have fun with Peep treats for their Marshmallow Peep Science program on March 14.
Librarians Ashley Young and Nikki Puhalla organized the event to happen near the Easter holiday, since the sweet is a widely-sold candy during the holiday season. They created seven stations for the children to visit.
The children started at the station closest to the door. They used jellybeans and toothpicks to create shapes and structures to build around the Peep. They stuck the ends of the toothpicks in the jellybeans to connect a series of toothpicks and jellybeans. They made shapes, such as cubes and rectangular pyramids, and placed the Peep inside the structures.
Most of the children then went to a station where they described Peeps using their five senses. The librarians gave the children worksheets to write down their descriptions.
The children then visited three areas. One of the stations showed three Peep bunnies after hours in different cups of orange juice, soda and vinegar. The drinks did not affect the candies too much outside of changing color. The Peep in the cup of vinegar had changed shape though.
Another station had the children make a hypothesis of whether the Peeps would sink or float. The librarians also had a station where the children placed blue and yellow Peeps in a cup of water to watch the water change to into a green color.
Young then had the children gather around another table for an experiment where she poured baking soda and vinegar on a Peep. The children all guessed what they thought would happen. The concoction stripped away some of the candy covering of the treat, but the marshmallow remained intact.
Then, the children began to play with a catapult game. The catapult, made of craft sticks, rubber bands and plastic spoons, launched the Peeps into the air with a flick of the plastic spoon. The children tried to get the Peeps in Easter baskets the librarians provided for the station.
Once the children tried each station, they went back to their favorite station. Some tried to see how far they could catapult the peeps and others tried to see what types of structures they could make with the toothpicks and jellybeans.