Core Memory Now Unlocked: School Science Fair

I'm definitely biased given the fact that I dedicate an hour to each of my daily radio shows to all things throwback, but this week, I was feeling a little extra nostalgic and wanted to invite you all on this particular trip down memory lane.

Over the years we've discussed it all; everything from the Scholastic Book Fair, to Halloween memories as a kid, but recently I unlocked a new core memory, the elementary school science fair!

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Do You Remember Participating In The School Science Fair?

I wasn't the sharpest kid in the class growing up (hence my very successful career in talking, I mean radio), so I didn't geek out when the call came to participate in the science fair. I can vividly remember my parents asking us not to do anything that would create a huge mess, so the volcano was out of the running. I also tended to steer clear of anything that included electric currents, as the kid with the wildly curly hair already look like she stuck a fork in a socket...I digress.

As a parent of an elementary school kid, I find myself thinking similarly to my parents back in the day when it comes to our approach with science fair projects. My daughter came with a full playlist of YouTube videos with different options like paint explosions, something with currents and potatoes and an idea for some sorts of glitter slime, which is already a source of contention in our house already - no glitter, and no slime.

While I didn't tell her NO, technically, I got really excited when she found a project that didn't require us to buy anything we didn't already have in the house, and we ran with that.

SEE ALSO: Where Does NY Rank On The Least/Most Educated States List?

The Science Fair Hasn't Changed Much

Her 'walking water' experiment, showing the process of capillary action and the transfer of water across a line of several cups, food coloring and all, was a hit, and went off without a hitch. Other than a few blue and purple fingertips, we survived the at home test run along with the display at school, and she was so excited to speak with her classmates, teachers, and the judges about the process.

It was nostalgic to stand on the sidelines, sharing stories with fellow parents of running around last minute to print photos and picking up the display board the night before it was due. I also had to laugh when I heard a few horror stories from parents whose children picked a project that required a little too much help from mom or dad...

Do you remember participating as a kid, or some of the projects you did?