FLAME Lab UIC

We are so excited to join (instagram) / (facebook) on June 12 for Summer Nature Fest! Enjoy access to the Nature Museum, plus activities like face painting, nature walks, live music, and more! Get the details and grab your tickets at naturemuseum.org/snf

Get ready for an evening of summer fun! We are so excited to join @naturemuseum (instagram) / @thenaturemuseum (facebook) on June 12 for Summer Nature Fest! Enjoy access to the Nature Museum, plus activities like face painting, nature walks, live music, and more! Get the details and grab your tickets at naturemuseum.org/snf

We are so excited to attend STEM Fest this year!

Here's a little about us! Check out our website and learn about our new studies.

We had a blast at BOO-seum bash! Trick-or-treaters came for the Smarties and stayed for the optical illusions. We learned about the science of perception and that not everything is as it seems🎃👻

Don’t just hope your child will remember special moments - help strengthen the neural connections that support episodic memory!

Every so often, I print out recent photos from my phone and pick up an empty album from a thrift store. As I add the photos, I jot down details I recall: who I was with, a funny thing someone said, or something I learned that day.

You can do this with your kids, too! Ask them, “What do you remember from this day?” Talking through past events helps children practice organizing their memories into a story, and research shows that linking emotions, people, and context supports stronger, longer-lasting memories.

Over time, these kinds of conversations preserve memories and help kids build a richer sense of self. Flipping through a photo album becomes a memory-rich time capsule for the whole family to enjoy.

Follow us for more insights into child development and the science behind memory!

Summer break has come to an end, but was the perfect finale! As a lab that studies episodic memory, attending events like this is so cool - we witness people making memories that last and we get to be apart of the fun!

Shoutout to for helping with face painting! Can’t wait to see what we learn this academic year😎

We’ve all felt it - that restless energy with nowhere to go. That strange in-between space we often try to avoid… boredom.

But what is boredom, really? And why do we feel it?

Psychologists define boredom as an aversive state of wanting, but failing, to engage attention in a satisfying activity. Far from being “just nothing happening,” boredom signals a mismatch between our need for stimulation and what’s available in the moment.

Interestingly, this state can be useful. When external demands are low, the mind often shifts inward: reflecting on past experiences, noticing patterns, and generating new ideas. In children especially, boredom during unstructured playtime can open the doors to imagination.

Sometimes that “I’m bored” is the beginning of creativity. Sometimes, it’s the pause just before a breakthrough.

Follow us for more insights into child development!

Bucktown Arts Fest is happening this weekend! Join us at the kiddos tent for face painting, games, and exploring the science behind creativity 🎨🫟

We made science happen today in an entirely new way! It's not often that researchers get to participate in studies, so we had a blast visiting to learn and support research. We set goals, put our knowledge of each other to the test, and watched how facial changes affect how others see us! The FLAME Lab has joined the Mindworks club.

July Recap!

From knights, to brains, to Swedish horns - Ravenswood on Tap had a little bit of everything! We had so much fun face painting and sharing sweet moments with the community. This is what summer is all about. ☀️Thanks for having us @ravenswood_chi! #facepainting #buildingcommunity #getinvolved #FLAMElab