The Science of Sliding
Grouse Mountain's Sliding Zone is the perfect blend of fun and learning
Posted by Colleen Johnson January 25, 2016
On my way to work today I was chatting with my son (12) about what makes a field trip “great!” Fun, freedom and rides were his top three wishes. He asked what I was doing at work today, and I said I was being trained on our new Sliding Zone. He looked at me with shock and delight, and said “You are getting PAID to play on the sliding hill?! That’s freedom!” A bit sheepishly, as I knew that didn’t sound like a typical answer for most working parents, I replied “Yes”. His comment was “Best. Job. Ever!!” I grinned like a little kid as it dawned on me that I was getting paid to play today, and yes, I love my job.
While we are educating students, our mandate is Safe, Fun, Easy. Safety is always first in everything we do, we want to make sure everyone gets home safely. Time to play is second, since fun field trips make great stories and memories! Easy is our goal for the teachers – easy to book, easy to organize, easily tied to curriculum – we do the heavy lifting on field trip day so that even the adults get to play.
The new Sliding Zone is fantastic for cardio and laughing, both great ways to burn energy while learning! What kind of learning does a Sliding Zone propose? Here are a few questions that students could explore:
- Does a tall person slide faster than a shorter person?
- Would a teacher make it to the bottom first, or a Grade 1? Grade 6?
- Why does a magic carpet go faster han some other sliding devices?
- Which is faster – sitting up or lying down – and why?
- How does temperature or moisture level affect the sliding hill?
By the way, I had a blast playing on the sliding hill. The new Sliding Zone is going to be so much fun for school groups, and we know they will learn all the way downnnnnnnn!”
