Exploration Station

06/25/2026

Introducing Ms. Allyson Leggett, our newest addition to our team!
She attends the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where she is studying Birth–Kindergarten Education. She enjoys working with children and being part of their early learning journey.
Currently gaining hands-on experience in early childhood education, and enjoying creating a classroom environment that is fun, safe, and supportive, she believes kids learn best when they feel comfortable, cared for, and excited to explore.
Continuing to grow as an educator and looking forward to building her career in early childhood education she will serve as our newest Exploration Station Assistant.

06/24/2026

Amazon Prime Day is here!
Recently we created a special "Wish List" of items that get lots of love (and need frequent replacing!) along with new additions to spark creativity and curiosity for our little visitors.
Thanks to our wonderful donors, some of these wishes have already come true! 💛
As Prime Day warms up we invite you to check out our Wish List! You can choose to send a gift directly to us — anonymously or with your name attached. Every contribution helps keep our exhibits full of imagination, play, and learning.
🎁https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2OV7F6JEH4BVH...

06/23/2026

Please take a minute to welcome our summer intern, Ms. Loren Lamb. She is born and raised in Lumberton, NC. She is a rising senior at UNCP, majoring in Special Education. She comes to us with a diverse background working with children and education programs.
Please give her a warm welcome, as she is excited to work with our summer campers and having a fun filled summer! And thank you State Employee Credit Union's Summer Intern program!

06/17/2026

06/05/2026

Please give a warm welcome to Mrs. Jonie Chavis, our newest Exploration Station Assistant where she will support the organization's mission of engaging children through creative and diverse experiences in science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics (STEAM), and advanced manufacturing. Through hands-on learning opportunities, she will help inspire curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Jonie Chavis is a dedicated educator with 20 years of service in the Public Schools of Robeson County and nine years of experience as a kindergarten teacher. She is passionate about creating engaging learning experiences that help young children grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
Jonie is married to Thomas Chavis and is the proud mother of two daughters, Alisha and Allyson. Alisha followed in her mother's footsteps and became a second-grade teacher, while Allyson earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and serves as a veterinarian. Jonie takes great pride in her family and the impact education, hard work, and perseverance have had on their lives.
Through her work in education and community engagement, Jonie remains committed to helping children discover their potential, build confidence, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
We are excited to have Jonie join our team! Welcome!

05/28/2026

⭐NEW ARRIVAL at the Exploration Station!⭐
As a part of Robeson County Partnership for Children 30th Anniversary Celebration Gala, we hosted a Fund the Need to help refresh and bring new life to our exhibits.
Updates to our exhibits included an interactive Fire Truck to our Fire Station!
We're forever grateful to the City of Lumberton, for fueling our mission to make play a powerful tool for growth.
The children are loving this new addition—come see it in action!!

05/27/2026

Special Hours for June and the first week of July.
Friday, June 19th - Closed for Juneteenth
Sunday, June 21st - Closed for Father’s Day
Monday, June 29th - July 5th Closed for Independence Day and Maintenance

05/22/2026

Our Full STEAM Ahead outreach program stopped by another local site for a dino-mite hands-on activity all about mold fossils! 🦕

Students explored how mold fossils form when an animal or object leaves an imprint in soft sediment that hardens over many, many years. To model this process, they pressed toy dinosaur skeletons into air-dry clay, creating detailed impressions of bones and body shapes. After carefully removing the figures, students could clearly see the molds left behind, just like the fossil imprints scientists uncover and study today. 🔍

Through creative hands-on learning, students were able to better understand how fossils form while bringing prehistoric science to life in a fun and engaging way! 🦖

05/15/2026

Our Full STEAM Ahead outreach program made a splash with a fun Soda-Mentos Geysers experiment! 🥤💧

Students worked together to drop Mentos into bottles of Sprite, Coke Zero, and Diet Coke, then watched as the fizzy eruptions grew and grew! Through this experiment, they learned that the soda and Mentos created a physical reaction, causing the bubbles in the soda to quickly rush out of the bottle and shoot high into the air! Students loved watching each explosion and cheering on every geyser! 🙌

Through simple hands-on science, students strengthened their teamwork skills and explored reactions while having tons of fun learning together! 👨‍🔬👩‍🔬

05/06/2026

Special hours for May!

Sunday, May 10th Closed for Mother’s Day
Saturday, May 16th - Open 1:00-5:00pm