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- Kids can learn and have fun at AgMagic April 20-26
Frances Gould, Merrill, Thomas A., Dumas, Terry L., McCallum, Elma Sue
News Release Distributed 04/09/09
Want to know why bugs rule or help kids learn where their food actually comes from? Or how about exploring the inside of the brain?
All that and more is possible during AgMagic, the LSU AgCenter’s fun, interactive and educational journey through Louisiana agriculture and much more, April 20-26 at Parker Coliseum on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.
The event offers opportunities for youngsters and adults to see eggs hatch; stroll through a miniature forest; learn about all the products we get from trees; see alligators, crawfish and baby catfish; and get to know how 4-H’ers learn by doing. And those are just a few examples of the free family fun available during the event, which is open for scheduled school tours April 20-24 and for a weekend especially for the general public April 25-26.
“Today’s children are at least a couple of generations removed from the farm,” said Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor and director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. “They think their food comes from the grocery store. They don’t have the opportunity to be on a farm. We’re trying to help them understand the importance of the agricultural industry here in Louisiana and in their daily lives.”
The annual event features a variety of interactive exhibits that cover plants, animals, wildlife and other topics. They range from showing the growth stages of plants to activities designed to help children learn about forestry, aquatic life and more. Kids also will be invited to make leaf prints, animal tracks and crayon rubbings of insects.
During the week, school tours also will take part in various educational programs presented in cooperation with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s Ag in the Classroom project. On the weekend, visitors will get to tour the "Body Walk," an interactive educational exhibit designed to combat childhood obesity that guides young people through giant replicas of parts of the body. The exhibit is sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and is part of an overall program known as "Smart Bodies."
Don’t miss the fun. Learn how animals produce for you and that bugs rule. See how plants grow and provide products to us, and find out about farming the waters. You’ll truly be in a world of wonder!
Parker Coliseum is located on Highland Road near the south gates of LSU, and the fun is available to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 25-26. For more information, visit our Web site www.lsuagcenter.com/agmagic .
Contacts:
Frankie Gould
Terry Dumas
Elma Sue McCallum
Writer:
Tom Merrill