Scientific and Educational Activities to Promote Thriving Education in Child-Friendly Cities

In this day and age, the growth and development of children has become a major concern of society. In order to build a child-friendly city, it is crucial to create a caring environment where children can grow and realize their full potential. Science and education activities are of great significance as a key force in promoting the development of education in child-friendly cities. It energizes the education of child-friendly cities with rich and diverse forms and contents, and stimulates children's desire for knowledge and enthusiasm for exploration. At the same time, it also plays an irreplaceable role in promoting children's all-round development and upgrading the quality of cities. However, current science education activities still face many challenges, such as single form and lack of targeted content. This paper analyzes the important role of science and education activities in the education of child-friendly cities, the development status quo and existing problems, and puts forward targeted strategies, aiming to provide useful ideas and methods for the construction of child-friendly cities and the promotion of children's education, and to jointly contribute wisdom and strength to the vigorous development of education in child-friendly cities.

I. The Important Role of Science and Education Activities in Child-Friendly City Education

(1) Science and education activities inject vitality into child-friendly city education

Science and education activities have brought brand-new vitality to child-friendly city education with their rich and diversified forms and contents. Science experiments, popular science lectures, science and technology exhibitions and other activities allow children to feel the charm of science in hands-on experience, and stimulate their desire for knowledge and enthusiasm for exploration. These activities not only enriched the children's after-school life, but also cultivated their innovative thinking and practical ability. A lively and interesting science experiment class can let children witness the marvelous process of chemical reaction and stimulate their interest in chemical knowledge. A popular science lecture can invite experts and scholars to explain cutting-edge science and technology to children and broaden their horizons. Science and technology exhibitions provide children with an opportunity to have close contact with high-tech products, making them long for the future of science and technology.

(2) Science and education activities for children's all-round development

In child-friendly city education, science and education activities are not only teaching scientific knowledge, but also an important means to promote the overall development of children. Through participating in science education activities, children can develop teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills. In science and technology competitions, children need to form teams and work together to accomplish tasks. In the process, they learn to divide up the work, support each other and cultivate the spirit of teamwork. At the same time, they need to communicate with their teammates and judges, express their ideas and opinions, and improve their communication skills. And in the process of problem solving, children need to apply what they have learned, utilize their creative thinking to find the best solutions, and exercise their problem solving skills.

(3) Science and education activities enhance the quality of a child-friendly city

A child-friendly city full of science and education activities is bound to be a vibrant and innovative city. These activities not only provide children with quality educational resources, but also attract more families and talents to the city. At the same time, science and education activities can also promote the city's cultural construction and economic development, and enhance its quality and competitiveness. Organizing activities such as science and technology festivals and science popularization weeks can attract a large number of tourists and participants and bring economic benefits to the city. At the same time, these activities can also promote the city's cultural exchanges and innovative development, and enhance the city's cultural taste and innovative atmosphere.

II. The current development of science and education activities in child-friendly cities

(1) Rich and diversified forms

In the construction process of child-friendly cities, the forms of science and education activities show unprecedented richness and diversity. Science and technology centers, museums and other places have become important positions for children to explore science. In these places, all kinds of interactive exhibitions are brilliant. For example, in the “Light of Wisdom” exhibition area of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, there is a glow ball device, when the children put their hands on the ball, the brilliant electric current will dance with their fingers, so that the children intuitively feel the wonders of the phenomenon of static electricity. Virtual reality experience allows children to travel through time and space, personally feel the charm of ancient civilization or the fantasy of future technology. Schools have also invested more in science and technology education. Colorful science and technology competitions stimulate the students' sense of competition and innovative spirit. In the Guangdong Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition, an elementary school student in Foshan City designed an intelligent trash can that automatically sends a message to the cleaners when it is full, improving the efficiency of trash disposal. Communities are also actively involved in science education activities, with parent-child science activities and science lectures serving as a bridge between families and science. In a community in Hangzhou, a parent-child solar car-making activity was held, in which children, with the help of their parents, assembled solar panels and a model car to understand the principle of converting solar energy into kinetic energy.

(2) Expanding and deepening content

The content of science education activities is also expanding and deepening. In the past, science education activities might be mainly confined to the traditional teaching of scientific knowledge, but nowadays great changes have taken place. Nowadays, science education activities cover comprehensive contents in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and other fields, providing children with a more comprehensive knowledge system. Combined with the current social hotspots and the reality of children's lives, a series of thematic science activities have emerged. For example, in Shanghai's Science and Technology Museum, an exhibition on “Artificial Intelligence and Future Life” was held, where children could interact with intelligent robots, watch robots draw and play music, and experience the charm of artificial intelligence. The popular science activities on the theme of healthy life focus on children's physical and mental health, teach them correct lifestyles and health knowledge, and cultivate their good habits.

(3) Focus on ability cultivation

In science education activities, more and more activities focus on cultivating children's innovative thinking and practical ability. Science and technology innovation programs provide a stage for children to display their creativity and talent. Under the guidance of teachers and professionals, children can come up with their own innovative ideas and turn them into actual project results. In the process, they learn how to analyze problems, design solutions, work in teams and present results, and develop their sense of innovation and problem-solving skills. In Shandong Province's Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition, a middle school student in Qingdao designed a desk and chair that can automatically adjust its height and sitting position according to the height of the student, effectively preventing myopia and scoliosis. Science experiments were also popular among the children. In the laboratory, the children operated various experimental instruments and conducted scientific experiments. By observing experimental phenomena, recording experimental data and analyzing experimental results, they gained a deeper understanding of scientific principles. In a science popularization institution in Beijing, children were organized to carry out chemical experiments. Through the experiments, children understood the principles of acid-base neutralization reaction and made colorful fountains with their own hands.

III. Strategies for carrying out science and education activities to promote the vigorous development of education in child-friendly cities

Although science and education activities in the context of building child-friendly cities have made certain achievements, there are still problems such as lack of relevance and innovation in the content of the activities, less interactive and single forms of activities, uneven and poorly integrated allocation of resources, and insufficient professional support. These problems need to be highly emphasized and effective measures should be taken to solve them in order to promote the vigorous development of education in child-friendly cities.

(1) Designing targeted and interesting activity contents

Different activities should be designed for children of different ages, taking into full consideration their cognitive levels and interests. At the same time, the activities should be interesting and present scientific knowledge and technology in a lively and interesting way to attract children's attention. For example, activities such as scientific experiments, popular science games and scientific and technological competitions can be designed so that children can learn while playing. The content of such activities can be designed to ensure that children of every age group can benefit from them and meet their developmental needs at different stages. Interesting forms of activities can make children participate more actively, improve their learning effect, and really realize the goal of stimulating interest and curiosity.

(2) Enriching the form of activities and increasing interactivity

Adopting a combination of visits, lectures, experiments, games, competitions and other forms, children can experience the charm of science in different activities. At the same time, the organization of activities should be more flexible, and personalized activity programs should be designed according to the needs and interests of different children. For example, some parent-child science education activities can be organized, so that parents and children can participate together and enhance parent-child relationship; some group cooperation science education activities can also be organized, so that children can improve their communication and cooperation skills in teamwork. Diversified forms of activities can break the limitations of a single mode and allow children to better utilize their initiative and creativity in interaction. Parent-child activities and group cooperation activities can cultivate children's social skills and teamwork spirit and promote their overall development.

(3) Optimizing the allocation of resources and strengthening the team of professional instructors

All sectors of society should increase their investment in science and education activities, and build more science and education facilities such as science and technology centers, museums, and science popularization bases, so as to provide more activity places for children. At the same time, they should also strengthen the training and introduction of professional instructors to improve their professionalism and teaching level. Training courses and seminars can be organized to improve the business ability of professional instructors; some excellent science experts and scientific and technological talents can also be introduced to provide professional guidance and support for science education activities. Optimizing the allocation of resources can solve the problem of uneven distribution of resources, so that more children can enjoy quality resources for science education activities wherever they are. The addition of professional instructors can improve the quality of the activities, ensure that children can be properly guided and inspired during the activities, and better cultivate their innovative thinking and practical abilities.

Conclusion

Building a child-friendly city is a cause that is of great merit and benefit for the present generation. Carrying out science and education activities is a key initiative to promote the vigorous development of education in child-friendly cities. By clarifying the important role and significance of science and education activities, formulating corresponding strategies for existing problems, and ensuring that the strategies correspond to the significance, we can provide a better educational environment for the growth and development of children, and cultivate more outstanding talents with innovative spirit and practical ability for the future of the country. Let's work together to contribute to the construction of a child-friendly city and the vigorous development of education in child-friendly cities!