Have you check out the new exhibit a ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain? We’re excited to share the inside scoop from our favorite ECHO insider Jessie F. Check out her overview of the new “science play” area because from what we’re hearing it’s absolutely worth the drive!

Something huge has taken ECHO by storm – Champ Lane! After years of planning, and months of construction, we are thrilled to welcome guests to this amazing new exhibit.

Designed especially for our youngest learners, those ages 0-6, Champ Lane offers science skills at their level. From playing in the water to “driving” the research vessel, then allotting the right foods to turtles in our mini animal care lab, kids will find the best fit for their own interests.

ECHO staffers have coined the term “science play” to help explain their philosophy – making the world accessible to young minds as they learn and providing chances to interact, engage, and learn in this beautiful storybook-come-to-life setting.

To ensure a rounded experience for kids, a set of standards were created, called CLIPS for short. They focus on communication, logical thinking, inquiry, persistence, and science identity – all vital pieces of development.

So what will you see in Champ Lane? Here are some of the incredible exhibit features:

Climbing – Treehouse, bridge, and slide to provide a feeling of risk-taking in a safe environment.
Streetscape – A café, market, home and puppet theater, boats, and more offer the chance for social interaction and practice of emerging skills.
Animal Care/lab – An introduction to animal husbandry through role playing and scientific inquiry.
Book Nook – This “quiet space” will offer tabletop activities, books, and more for a calmer atmosphere with problems waiting to be solved. (Includes a semi-private nursing station.)

Thanks to our partners in this project, including Let’s Grow Kids and exhibit testers from the King Street Center, Greater Burlington YMCA, Burlington Children’s Space, Gan Yeladim Preschool, and of course our members, we are proud of the sense of community that exists in Champ Lane.

To learn more visit ECHO’s blog and Meet Champ Lane, and don’t forget to tag us in your own photos as you check out the space – we love seeing and sharing them!