Legos and Locomotives

This program was the highlight of our programming this year. It brought together local history, STEM skills, family and community participation, multigenerational participation and lifelong learning in a single day. Legos and Locomotives combined local history with a classic kids toy: the Lego. Dale Hedlund, the President of the St. James Model Railroad Club and former teacher, presented a history of railroads in Watonwan County and provided a tour of the St. James Model Railroad Club Museum. Peter Hoh, a Science Musem of Minnesota instructor and former 4th grade teacher, created fun and educational challenges for kids to create with Legos. He set up eight Lego building stations, long enough to build a foot-long bridge. These stations were set up for pairs or individuals to work on and parents were encouraged to help the younger kids. After kids finished constructing their bridges, Peter tested them to see if they were strong enough to hold up to six pounds. If the bridges could not hold the weight, Peter gave the participants tips on how to fix the construction. Peter also demonstrated different bridge styles: drawbridge, truss bridge, beam bridge, and cable-stayed bridge. Hedlund and other Railroad Club Museum members assisted on this portion of the event as well.