“That’s a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. They have a different body structure than your typical cockroach, and when you pick them up, they make a hissing sound. That’s a tarantula up there on top. And then we’ve got the chinchillas. Everyone loves the chinchillas. It’s easy to love the fluffy animal. And then there’s a hedgehog down here. The white tree frogs. There’s our iguana, Crystal, up here,” says Sean O’Neal, co-owner of Science Sarari, as he guides me around the classroom, pointing out the different creatures that inhabit aquarium tanks and glass enclosures along the perimeter.
The Science Safari, located in Saltbox Village on Kildaire Farm Road, combines an educational toy store with interactive science classes for children ages pre-school through 5th grade. Sean says, “The idea behind the store is to offer museum quality classes with a museum gift shop, but no museum. It’s a wonderful specialty toy store with educational science classes, birthday parties, and group programs.”
A Museum Gift Store That Rocks
The toy store is modeled after a museum gift store, but the toys are way more captivating than any museum gift store I can remember. The toys are organized by subject matter rather than age. The exception, of course, would be the three and under section just because of choking hazards. There are sections for exploring nature and outdoors, flight, building mechanical things, experiments and projects, chemistry, physics, animals, dinosaurs, games, brainteasers and puzzles, and more. They even have a cave built into a corner that’s full of shiny stones and rock mineral samples.
“We don’t carry a lot of electronics or toys that require batteries, and that’s intentional. When a toy plays for you, instead of you playing with it, you’re not as engaged. And so when we’re looking at our toy lineup, we’re looking for toys the child will play with. We want hands-on. We want more manipulatives. Toys that encourage problem-solving or that will challenge the child to look at how things work and go together” said Sean.
Education Delivered Through Hands-On Experience
The theme of the science classes changes each month. One month might cover physics-related topics, like “Bridge Engineer,” which challenges students to “Build and Create, and test your designs like an engineer.” The following month might focus on chemistry and feature classes like Kaleidoscope Chemistry, which is described as “Mix up chemicals for some crazy colorful reactions.” The classes are interactive and hands-on, drawing the kids into an engaging learning experience.
Each week at Science Safari features a different class. The same class will be given multiple times weekly for different audiences determined by school grade. For a given week, parents will find class sessions for pre-schoolers, sessions for K – 2nd grade, and sessions for 3rd – 5th grade. Classes last for 1 hour and cost $15.
In the last six months, Science Safari has started hosting homeschool groups in the middle school age bracket. Instead of just a single class, students enroll for a series of classes six weeks at a time. The classes follow the North Carolina State Curriculum guide for middle school. Over the course of 3 years, a student would complete the required state curriculum. They’re currently hosting 2 classes of 10 students. The classes are longer than an hour and are lab-based.
Party Like a Scientist!
The educational component extends to birthday parties as well. Here parents can schedule a party for up to 12 kids hosted in the store and choose from a dozen themes. One of the themes, The Phenomenal Physics Party, is described as, “Einstein would love it! Race and have fun with a whole lot of hands-on activities that explore Bernoulli’s principle and Newton’s laws of motion.” Another one, The Incredible Electricity Party, is described as “Your hair stands on end! You make your own lightning. You change wind into light. Now THAT’S power!” Parties last for an hour and can be scheduled for Saturdays at 10:00 AM or 1:00 PM.
How It All Started
Today, Science Safari is owned and operated by Sean and Siobhan O’Neal. The store was started over 30 years ago. In 1992, while pursuing a degree in chemistry at NC State Sean started working at the store. He recalls, “The original founders were friends of mine, John and Becky Blair. Becky had a degree in biology and worked as an educator at a science museum in Charleston, SC. They moved to the area from Charleston to be closer to family, and it was her idea to turn her experience from the museum into Science Safari.”
Sean and Siobhan met at NC State while fencing. Sean laughs as he recalls how the couple met. “She won. At least, I like to think she WON. But I had only fenced foil. There are three weapons in fencing, and she was a sabrest. There was no one there to fence saber, and I was more than willing to get beat up by the attractive blonde. I guess she needed to get rid of some angst and anxiety from grad school and didn’t mind beating up the goofy, long-haired guy.”
“After a couple of weeks, she agreed to have coffee with me. And it’s funny, the first night we went out for coffee, we talked about hiking the Appalachian Trail. A couple of years later, before we got married, we started in Georgia, walked up to Maine, and got married at the end. Our two dogs, us, and 2000 miles and six months of walking in the woods, and she still wanted to marry me.”
Siobhan has a degree in biology and a Master of Science in entomology. She started her career at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and at North Carolina State Park educational facilities, where she focused on improving the visitor experience and educating the public on critical issues such as climate change, bioremediation, water issues, biodiversity, and sustainability. She joined Sean at Science Safari over 10 years ago to focus her passion for science on developing and leading the educational side of the business.
Combing Nature, Science, and Art
When you stop at Science Safari, be sure to look up at the ceiling. When you do, you’ll notice many of the ceiling tiles have designs painted on them. Over the past several years, whenever Siobhan hosts an animal-themed birthday party, she asks the child what their favorite animal is, and she paints a ceiling tile, putting the animal and the child’s name on it. Siobhan commented, “Art, science, and nature. I’ve got to have all three of those in there somewhere. And I’m happy to argue they’re all the same.” The ceiling tiles are just one of the many creative ways her passion shines through.
She went on to share how she brings nature into the class. “One of my favorite things to do is mysteries. We have these mystery challenges where I’ll bring in some things from the woods lay them on the ground, and set up a scenario. Then I’ll ask the kids what happened. They get to look at it ask me questions, and think about it. But I don’t answer. They go home and have a whole week to think about it. It’s fun to see if anybody comes back the following week with the answer. It lets them explore and think and come up with answers. It’s not me telling them stuff. It’s them discovering.”.
An Enduring Part of the Cary Community
Over the years this duo has kept the business strong and fostered a loyal community. Siobhan reflected, “What I enjoy most is the community our business represents, We have a phenomenal community here. And it truly takes a community to have a small business and to have a local brick and mortar business like ours. Our customers care, you know, they truly care. It’s just beautiful to have that, and we appreciate it.”
Many children visit Science Safari and attend classes weekly for several years. The classes, the vibrant and colorful toy store, and Sean and Siobhan become a part of their childhood memory. Sean reminisces, “Occasionally, we’ll have someone come in, and they’ll look around for a while, and at some point, they’ll tear up. And finally, they say, I used to come here when I was a kid. They’re 30 years old now, and they’ll say, I just wanted to see if it’s still here; I don’t live here anymore.”
Sean continues, “I had a dad run in this weekend. He literally ran in the door because they were driving by and they happened to be in the area. He says it’s the Science Safari, I gotta go in. And he quickly came in, and he said, I used to come here as a kid. Then he ran out the door and went on with his Life. I’ve had employees who came here as students when they were three or four. They worked for me in high school and college, and now I give them references for their jobs.”
Siobhan added, “It’s rewarding to be a part of something that ends up being important in people’s lives and positively impacts them. When they come back and share that, I just love it. I don’t need to know it, but it’s beautiful when they return.”
Where Curiosity Meets Community: The Science Safari Story
Science Safari in Cary, North Carolina, stands as a testament to the power of combining education with enjoyment. Through their innovative approach, Sean and Siobhan O’Neal have created more than just a store; they’ve established a community hub where children can explore, learn, and grow. As Science Safari continues to inspire young minds and contribute positively to the community, it remains a cherished part of Cary’s landscape, proving that the journey of discovery is as important as the knowledge gained.
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