الْعُلُومُ بِاللَّعِبِ فِي الْكُوَيْتِ

فِي «الْمَرْكَزِ الْعِلْمِيِّ» فِي الْكُوَيْتِ، قَاعَةٌ لِلِاكْتِشَافِ. هُنَاكَ، يَكْتَشِفُ الزُّوَّارُ الْعُلُومَ بِاللَّعِبِ وَالْمَرَحِ. وَالْمَعْرُوضَاتُ فِيهَا مُنَاسِبَةٌ لِكُلِّ الْأَعْمَارِ. فَتَرَى هُنَاكَ أَطْفَالًا صِغَارًا، وَشَبَابًا، وَآبَاءً وَأُمَّهَاتٍ. مَثَلًا، تَزُورُ عَائِلَةٌ الْقَاعَةَ. الْأَطْفَالُ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يَلْمِسُوا الْمَعْرُوضَاتِ، وَأَنْ يُجَرِّبُوهَا بِأَيْدِيهِمْ. وَيَسْتَطِيعُ الْآبَاءُ أَنْ يَلْعَبُوا مَعَهُمْ أَيْضًا. فَالْأَلْعَابُ هُنَا تَشْرَحُ أَفْكَارًا عِلْمِيَّةً بِطَرِيقَةٍ مُمْتِعَةٍ. وَهَكَذَا يَتَعَلَّمُ الْأَطْفَالُ، وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ. وَإِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَهُمْ سُؤَالٌ، يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يَسْأَلُوا الْمُرْشِدِينَ. وَقَبْلَ سَنَوَاتٍ، كَانَ هُنَاكَ عَرْضٌ لِلدُّمَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، فِي مَكَانٍ اسْمُهُ «سَفِينَةُ الْفَضَاءِ». وَكَانَ هَذَا الْعَرْضُ مِنْ أَحَبِّ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَى كُلِّ الزُّوَّارِ. وَكَانَ عَرْضًا يَعْمَلُ بِالْحَاسُوبِ. وَكَانَ الْعَرْضُ عَنِ الْمَاءِ. وَكَانَ هَدَفُ الْعَرْضِ أَنْ يَفْهَمَ النَّاسُ أَهَمِّيَّةَ تَوْفِيرِ الْمَاءِ. لِمَاذَا نُوَفِّرُ الْمَاءَ؟ لِأَنَّ الْمَطَرَ فِي الْكُوَيْتِ قَلِيلٌ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ. وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْ مَاءِ الشُّرْبِ يَأْتِي مِنَ الْبَحْرِ، بَعْدَ تَحْلِيَتِهِ. وَهَذَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى طَاقَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَمَالٍ كَثِيرٍ. وَيَسْتَطِيعُ كُلُّ طِفْلٍ أَنْ يُسَاعِدَ. مَثَلًا، يُغْلِقُ الْحَنَفِيَّةَ وَهُوَ يُنَظِّفُ أَسْنَانَهُ. وَهَكَذَا كَانَ الْأَطْفَالُ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْعَرْضِ، وَهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَ كَيْفَ يُوَفِّرُونَ الْمَاءَ.

At the “Scientific Center” in Kuwait, there is a hall for discovery. There, visitors discover science through play and fun. The exhibits there suit all ages. So you see young children, teenagers, and fathers and mothers there. For example, a family visits the hall. The children can touch the exhibits and try them with their hands. And the parents can play with them too. The games here explain science ideas in a fun way. In this way, children learn while they play. And if they have a question, they can ask the guides. Some years ago, there was a puppet show every day, in a place called the “Spaceship”. This show was one of all the visitors’ favourite things. It was a show that ran on a computer. And the show was about water. The aim of the show was for people to understand why saving water matters. Why do we save water? Because there is little rain in Kuwait, and it has no rivers. Much of the drinking water comes from the sea, after the salt is taken out. This needs a lot of energy a