Abstract
Children begin life's journey as scientists--curious about everything around them, asking questions and "experimenting" to learn about themselves and their world. Informal education plays a vital role in the development of a child's mind and some may argue it could be more influential on their attitudes than formal education. For young children's optimal growth, they should be assured of early childhood experiences that maximize their development. A model system demonstrating the importance of informal and formal education is developed here as a guide for educators that are presented with learning opportunities outside the classroom. This model demonstrated effective tools and techniques for bridging the gap between children that learn by reading and children that learn by doing. Unfortunately, the longer children are in school, the less they want to learn about science. This scenario can be changed by starting when children are still curious and alive with the love of science. Science and technology museums, zoos, planetariums, marine exhibits, botanical gardens and similar places can play an important role in stimulating interest in scientific processes and phenomenon. This study serves as a baseline for further research
