The Elementary School Science Fair

Imagine an elementary school
Having a science fair,
Grades Kindergarten through 5!
What could children so young
Do within the scientific realm?
Then again,
If not at that age,
Then at what age
Should scientific inquiry start?
I was invited to such a fair,
And was amazed
By what I found.
There were a tremendous variety
Of exhibits and projects,
Some simple and childlike
And others that were
Intriguingly complex,
Apparent expressions
Of raw creativity.
There was clear evidence
Of parental intrigue as well.
It was a competition
Where whole families competed.
Some of the experiments
Were spectacularly sophisticated,
But coupled with
Some very inventive
Or amateur spelling.
Kids are obviously fascinated with flight,
What gives a plane lift,
And what design of paper airplane
Flies the farthest.
There were odd things
To touch and feel,
And also things to smell.
There were projects with signs
Telling everyone
To keep their hands off.
There was a lemon-powered battery
A saltwater buoyancy test,
And a rather professional looking
Waste water study.
There was also a worm test
To see which type worms
Were best at munching waste.
There was even a snail race
Proceeding at a snail’s pace,
A homemade camera
That actually worked,
And various studies of sound.
There was an insulation test
Of blubber from animals of the north.
Kids tend to be intrigued
By growing crystals
And collecting rocks and fossils.
There was an experiment
With hot air balloons,
And another to change
The color of flowers.
Kids showed interest in
A multitude of things
From outer space and astrophysics
To which brand of raisin bran
Has the most raisins.
Needless to say,
I was impressed by
Those budding scientific minds.