First children's chemical lab opens in Prague

Prague, Nov 23 (CTK) - The National Technical Museum (NTM) in Prague Friday opened a laboratory for schoolchildren to enjoy chemical workshops and try experiments, the first Czech facility of this type and the 35th within the international project in support of chemical education.

The laboratory is aimed at children aged from six to twelve, NTM expert Ivana Lorencova told CTK.

Schools are invited to book the laboratory with a capacity of 26 seats. A number of schools have already done so. The nearest free term is early February 2013.

On entering the lab, the kids receive colourful aprons and protective pairs of glasses. Their guides in the lab are specially trained instructors along with cartoon figures.

The first visitors Friday were fourth-graders from a nearby school. They made experiments highlighting the qualities of water.

"I like it that the kids work in pairs and in safety, which is a necessary pre-condition," teacher Eva Arazimova told CTK.

She said this type of lessons can teach the children more than a theoretical presentation.

The supra-national company BASF, which co-organises the project, over 35,000 children have annually visited the already existing laboratories all over the world, the first of which was opened in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in 1997.

The children's chemical laboratory is a part of a permanent exhibition focusing on chemistry that the NTM plans to open next spring. It is to highlight all areas of life linked to chemistry, Lorencova said.