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Tagged with 'Activity'

Whip Up A Shaving Cream Rain Cloud

Storms intrigue all of us. The sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of rainy weather can be a true scientific wonder. Kids often have questions about the rain and why it happens. Here’s a very simple experiment to do with kids, simulating rain clouds, moisture, and the atmosphere.

Shaving Cream Rain Clouds Supplies

You will need:

  • Inexpensive shaving cream
  • Tap water with little mixing bowls
  • Food coloring
  • Several clear containers of various sizes
  • A dropper
Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsFirst, mix up about 10-15 drops of food coloring with about a quarter cup of water. Be sure to stir it up.Grab one of your clear containers and fill it with warm tap water, about three quarters full. Take the shaving cream – this is the big hit with the kids – and create a dense mound of it on top, simulating a cloud. Yes, you want the shaving cream touching the water. The water is acting like the Earth’s warm, wet atmosphere, similar to conditions when it rains.Using your dropper, extract up some of your food coloring/water solution, and begin to drop over the shaving cream cloud.Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsAfter a few drops, your child will notice that not much is happening. But as you begin to add more and more drops, the “cloud” becomes saturated. This is the same phenomenon that makes rain clouds occur – when water droplets become heavy enough in a cloud, they fall. Looks like a brewing storm from below!Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsExperiment with different colors, as well as different shaped containers.Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsWhat about different colors all the same container? The same results, just a bit more muddled!Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsLastly, try adding shaving cream atop water that is already colored. You’ll get a beautiful mix. Creating a rainstorm in a jar will keep kids fascinated, but more importantly, asking great questions about weather!    Learning is Where We Play:

Healthy Eating for Toddlers

What to Do With All Those Broken Crayons

Make Your Own Sensory Table

  
Whip Up A Shaving Cream Rain Cloud Storms intrigue all of us. The sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of rainy weather can be a true scientific wonder. Kids often have questions about the rain and why it happens. Here’s a very simple experiment to do with kids, simulating rain clouds, moisture, and the atmosphere.

Shaving Cream Rain Clouds Supplies

You will need:

  • Inexpensive shaving cream
  • Tap water with little mixing bowls
  • Food coloring
  • Several clear containers of various sizes
  • A dropper
Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsFirst, mix up about 10-15 drops of food coloring with about a quarter cup of water. Be sure to stir it up.Grab one of your clear containers and fill it with warm tap water, about three quarters full. Take the shaving cream – this is the big hit with the kids – and create a dense mound of it on top, simulating a cloud. Yes, you want the shaving cream touching the water. The water is acting like the Earth’s warm, wet atmosphere, similar to conditions when it rains.Using your dropper, extract up some of your food coloring/water solution, and begin to drop over the shaving cream cloud.Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsAfter a few drops, your child will notice that not much is happening. But as you begin to add more and more drops, the “cloud” becomes saturated. This is the same phenomenon that makes rain clouds occur – when water droplets become heavy enough in a cloud, they fall. Looks like a brewing storm from below!Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsExperiment with different colors, as well as different shaped containers.Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsWhat about different colors all the same container? The same results, just a bit more muddled!Shaving Cream Rain Clouds   Shaving Cream Rain CloudsLastly, try adding shaving cream atop water that is already colored. You’ll get a beautiful mix. Creating a rainstorm in a jar will keep kids fascinated, but more importantly, asking great questions about weather!    Learning is Where We Play:

Healthy Eating for Toddlers

What to Do With All Those Broken Crayons

Make Your Own Sensory Table

   READ MORE

Fall into Gardening

Planting bulbs is a fun way to prepare for winter and learn the life cycle of perennial plants.
As summer wanes, the smells and sights of autumn are beginning to fill our minds. The leaves are turning, the weather is getting cooler, and pumpkin spice and apples and cinnamon are on the menu.The last thing we are thinking about is springtime, but spending a bit of time this autumn planting tulip bulbs will have its reward a few months down the road. After several months of winter weather, seeing the first tulips start to shoot up from the earth feels magical and hopeful.
Planting spring bulbs in autumn is a fun and tactile way for kids to learn about the life cycle of perennial plants. Plant a bulb now and wait for it to surprise you the spring!

How do tulip bulbs work?

Perennial plants have a unique life cycle that is different from annuals – their root systems can withstand cold winter months. While everything above ground dies in freezing weather, including the stalk, leaves, and flowers, the tulip bulb itself is alive and well, waiting to grow in the spring.
Tulips and many other springtime bulbs actually require a season of cold weather, called wintering over. Without this patch of cold, they won’t bloom! Tulips, daffodils, crocus and several other types of springtime bulbs need at least three or four months of near freezing temperatures. In colder climates, this is easy – simply plant bulbs in autumn.
If you don’t live in a cool climate, you can force tulip bulbs into a wintering over phase by keeping them in the fridge for several weeks prior to planting.

Choose your bulbs

The best time to purchase tulip bulbs is in late August or early September. For people living in a climate with cool winter that lasts several months, plant your bulbs between September and November. For those living in milder climates where the winter months are shorter, you can wait as late as December to plant your springtime bulbs.
Choose tulips that are large and firm and avoid bulbs that are soft, moldy, or missing their papery cover.
 

Now it’s time to get planting!

What you’ll need:

  • Gardening Trowel
  • Watering Can
  • Tulip Bulbs

Planting Time: Dig in!

Dig a hole roughly three times as deep as the bulb’s height, around 6-8 inches.

Plant the bulbs.

Place tulip bulbs pointy side up in the hole. If the bulb gets turned around, it can still grow but needs to turn itself around before it flowers in the spring.
Tulip bulbs can be planted in groups. Get creative with color combinations.
Scoop soil back over the bulbs until they are covered. Add a bit of mulch on top if you’d like to keep the soil moist.

Water your bulbs

Newly planted bulbs need a good drink of water to set in the soil and prepare for a long winter ahead. Now it’s time to wait! Over the winter months, the tulip bulbs will "winter over". Come spring, you can expect tulip flowers in your garden.  
Fall into Gardening
Planting bulbs is a fun way to prepare for winter and learn the life cycle of perennial plants.
As summer wanes, the smells and sights of autumn are beginning to fill our minds. The leaves are turning, the weather is getting cooler, and pumpkin spice and apples and cinnamon are on the menu.The last thing we are thinking about is springtime, but spending a bit of time this autumn planting tulip bulbs will have its reward a few months down the road. After several months of winter weather, seeing the first tulips start to shoot up from the earth feels magical and hopeful.
Planting spring bulbs in autumn is a fun and tactile way for kids to learn about the life cycle of perennial plants. Plant a bulb now and wait for it to surprise you the spring!

How do tulip bulbs work?

Perennial plants have a unique life cycle that is different from annuals – their root systems can withstand cold winter months. While everything above ground dies in freezing weather, including the stalk, leaves, and flowers, the tulip bulb itself is alive and well, waiting to grow in the spring.
Tulips and many other springtime bulbs actually require a season of cold weather, called wintering over. Without this patch of cold, they won’t bloom! Tulips, daffodils, crocus and several other types of springtime bulbs need at least three or four months of near freezing temperatures. In colder climates, this is easy – simply plant bulbs in autumn.
If you don’t live in a cool climate, you can force tulip bulbs into a wintering over phase by keeping them in the fridge for several weeks prior to planting.

Choose your bulbs

The best time to purchase tulip bulbs is in late August or early September. For people living in a climate with cool winter that lasts several months, plant your bulbs between September and November. For those living in milder climates where the winter months are shorter, you can wait as late as December to plant your springtime bulbs.
Choose tulips that are large and firm and avoid bulbs that are soft, moldy, or missing their papery cover.
 

Now it’s time to get planting!

What you’ll need:

  • Gardening Trowel
  • Watering Can
  • Tulip Bulbs

Planting Time: Dig in!

Dig a hole roughly three times as deep as the bulb’s height, around 6-8 inches.

Plant the bulbs.

Place tulip bulbs pointy side up in the hole. If the bulb gets turned around, it can still grow but needs to turn itself around before it flowers in the spring.
Tulip bulbs can be planted in groups. Get creative with color combinations.
Scoop soil back over the bulbs until they are covered. Add a bit of mulch on top if you’d like to keep the soil moist.

Water your bulbs

Newly planted bulbs need a good drink of water to set in the soil and prepare for a long winter ahead. Now it’s time to wait! Over the winter months, the tulip bulbs will "winter over". Come spring, you can expect tulip flowers in your garden.  
 READ MORE
D.I.Y Book Lovers Party to Celebrate Read a Book Day

D.I.Y Book Lovers Party to Celebrate Read a Book Day

Your kids may have spent the past two months at the pool, park and playground without a thought to books, but all that can change today! Help them get excited about back to school by celebrating Read a Book Day by helping them plan a fun D.I.Y. Book Lovers Party for their friends.

B.Y.O.B.

Before your guests R.S.V.P. make sure they know this party is strictly B.Y.O.B.—Bring Your Own Book! Kids can bring a favorite book to show and spark book-themed conversations. Help kids get started by asking them simple questions about their book. Who is the main character? Is their book funny or is it sad? What is their favorite part?

Swap It 

You can also ask guests to bring another book they no longer want, and use it for a book swap. That way, everyone leaves your get-together with the best party favor ever, a book that was once loved by a friend. You can also give each guest their own dollar store flashlight to take home, perfect for reading their new book under the covers. (Reading seems more fun when kids think they’re getting away with something!)

Forehead Detective

 
As each guests enters your party, assign them a children’s book character by affixing a nametag to their forehead. You could simply use a sticky note, but we like to create a simple band of construction paper kids wear like a crown around their head, then tape the name tag to that. Guests can’t see the name on their own forehead, so they’ll have to ask questions of the other guests to try to solve the mystery. This game gets lots of giggles just from the novelty of having a silly character name on your forehead. Encourage cooperation by promising a group treat when everyone has successfully guessed their character.

Kid Lit Charades

Charlotte’s Web. Goodnight Moon. Where the Wild Things Are. Little House on the Prairie. Green Eggs and Ham. Within minutes you can think of dozens of great children’s book titles for kids to act out in a game of charades. Don’t be surprised when even the parents want to get in on the fun of this classic game!

Dramatic Readings

If your child, or any of their guests, has a flare for the dramatic, let them entertain the other kids with an over-the-top-reading of a simple children’s book, like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Instruct the young orator to read the words as if reading a very serious poem, and invite other children to mime the actions in similarly dramatic fashion. Imagine the laughs as kids bring to life lines like, “Some are sad. And some are glad. And some are very, very bad. Why are they sad and glad and bad? I do not know. Go ask your dad.”

Craft Corner

 
Set up a simple craft corner where kids can make their own bookworm bookmark. Stock it with colorful construction paper and even spare wrapping paper and paint color sample strips. You can cut circles ahead of time for younger kids, and let older kids practice their scissors skills by cutting their own segments for their heads and bodies. We used toilet paper tubes as templates to draw the circles then stacked several papers and cut them all at once. Tape segments together to make a bookworm as long as you like. Don’t forget to draw a cute face, complete with eyeglasses!

Snack Attack

The bookworm theme can easily be carried out on your snack table, too. Try decorating brownies with gummi worms or create your own bookworms by lining up colored marshmallows or gumdrops and pressing them gently into the frosting. Arrange small bowls of snacks in a caterpillar shape on your table with a large tomato or apple as the head. A simple tray of chocolate chip cookies fits the book theme beautifully when you prop up a copy of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  next to it. Or get inspiration from Green Eggs and Ham by making deviled eggs with avocado in place of mayo. And a veggie tray with carrots looks extra tempting with a copy of Peter Rabbit nearby.

Personalized Party 

Your Book Lovers party can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. On the simple end of the scale you could just create a cozy nook with lots of comfy pillows and invite 2 or 3 of your child’s friends to come read together and enjoy some snacks. On the more elaborate end of the scale, you could invite guests to come in costume, dressing as characters like Where’s Waldo, Pippi Longstockings, Laura Ingalls and Peter Pan. Big or small, your party can help kids see the fun and social side of reading and encourage them to look to books for their late summer entertainment!
D.I.Y Book Lovers Party to Celebrate Read a Book Day
D.I.Y Book Lovers Party to Celebrate Read a Book Day
Your kids may have spent the past two months at the pool, park and playground without a thought to books, but all that can change today! Help them get excited about back to school by celebrating Read a Book Day by helping them plan a fun D.I.Y. Book Lovers Party for their friends.

B.Y.O.B.

Before your guests R.S.V.P. make sure they know this party is strictly B.Y.O.B.—Bring Your Own Book! Kids can bring a favorite book to show and spark book-themed conversations. Help kids get started by asking them simple questions about their book. Who is the main character? Is their book funny or is it sad? What is their favorite part?

Swap It 

You can also ask guests to bring another book they no longer want, and use it for a book swap. That way, everyone leaves your get-together with the best party favor ever, a book that was once loved by a friend. You can also give each guest their own dollar store flashlight to take home, perfect for reading their new book under the covers. (Reading seems more fun when kids think they’re getting away with something!)

Forehead Detective

 
As each guests enters your party, assign them a children’s book character by affixing a nametag to their forehead. You could simply use a sticky note, but we like to create a simple band of construction paper kids wear like a crown around their head, then tape the name tag to that. Guests can’t see the name on their own forehead, so they’ll have to ask questions of the other guests to try to solve the mystery. This game gets lots of giggles just from the novelty of having a silly character name on your forehead. Encourage cooperation by promising a group treat when everyone has successfully guessed their character.

Kid Lit Charades

Charlotte’s Web. Goodnight Moon. Where the Wild Things Are. Little House on the Prairie. Green Eggs and Ham. Within minutes you can think of dozens of great children’s book titles for kids to act out in a game of charades. Don’t be surprised when even the parents want to get in on the fun of this classic game!

Dramatic Readings

If your child, or any of their guests, has a flare for the dramatic, let them entertain the other kids with an over-the-top-reading of a simple children’s book, like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Instruct the young orator to read the words as if reading a very serious poem, and invite other children to mime the actions in similarly dramatic fashion. Imagine the laughs as kids bring to life lines like, “Some are sad. And some are glad. And some are very, very bad. Why are they sad and glad and bad? I do not know. Go ask your dad.”

Craft Corner

 
Set up a simple craft corner where kids can make their own bookworm bookmark. Stock it with colorful construction paper and even spare wrapping paper and paint color sample strips. You can cut circles ahead of time for younger kids, and let older kids practice their scissors skills by cutting their own segments for their heads and bodies. We used toilet paper tubes as templates to draw the circles then stacked several papers and cut them all at once. Tape segments together to make a bookworm as long as you like. Don’t forget to draw a cute face, complete with eyeglasses!

Snack Attack

The bookworm theme can easily be carried out on your snack table, too. Try decorating brownies with gummi worms or create your own bookworms by lining up colored marshmallows or gumdrops and pressing them gently into the frosting. Arrange small bowls of snacks in a caterpillar shape on your table with a large tomato or apple as the head. A simple tray of chocolate chip cookies fits the book theme beautifully when you prop up a copy of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  next to it. Or get inspiration from Green Eggs and Ham by making deviled eggs with avocado in place of mayo. And a veggie tray with carrots looks extra tempting with a copy of Peter Rabbit nearby.

Personalized Party 

Your Book Lovers party can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. On the simple end of the scale you could just create a cozy nook with lots of comfy pillows and invite 2 or 3 of your child’s friends to come read together and enjoy some snacks. On the more elaborate end of the scale, you could invite guests to come in costume, dressing as characters like Where’s Waldo, Pippi Longstockings, Laura Ingalls and Peter Pan. Big or small, your party can help kids see the fun and social side of reading and encourage them to look to books for their late summer entertainment!
 READ MORE

The All-American (Screen-free) Road Trip!

Ah, the family road trip. Back in the day, there were no tablets, no in-car media centers, and no handheld devices to keep little ones busy during a cross-country excursion. Imaginations were free to fly as the American landscape rolled past.Before you hit the open road this summer, explore some engaging, no-screen activities for the kiddos to make the most of your family windshield time. After all, you are all in this together!Alphabet FinderHave each (non-driving) family member hunt the letters from the alphabet using road signs and billboards, counting down from “A”. Each passenger should quietly go about this activity, so not give away his or her findings. On occasion, ask what letter everyone is “on”. Just wait until the whole family is stuck on “Q” together. The quiet competition keeps everyone guessing. I Spy JarBefore your family heads out, put together your own I Spy Jar. You will need a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, a box of rice, and some small objects around the house like a doll comb, Snap Cubes, crayons, etc. Make a checklist for everything that will go in the jar. Pour in a small layer of the rice, add a few items, and then repeat. Seal the container and let the challenge begin!        The License Plate GameAs you motor along, keep a tally of every state license plate your family spies. This also keeps kids thinking about geography. If you are in California, discuss how far a car from Iowa must have had to travel. What states did it have to cross to get to get here? When you stop for something to eat, take an extra spin around a crowded parking lot to search for plates missing off your list! Dry Erase BoardThe dry erase board is a perennial favorite, whether on or off road. They are inexpensive and can keep hands busy for a long time. Make sure to pick one up for each family member, loading them up with a ton of extra colors. Many boards are magnetic, so don’t forget your Learning Resources numbers and letters, too.Busy WalletFor the younger set, upcycle an old wallet and fill it with items like used gift cards, ribbon, crayons, etc., for them to take out and put back in again. Little ones love to take a part Mom’s wallet, so why not give them one of their own? Just be prepared to be searching the car floor on your next rest stop to put it all back together. Window ClingsMake your little passengers’ window their own canvas. Grab window clings at your local drug store and pass them out when your riders become antsy. No mess, no worry, and lots of fun!  FlashlightsNighttime driving can be especially challenging. Hand out individual flashlights to each of the kids. These can be used to read or simply to make funny faces or have “light wars” with their brothers or sisters.   Have a safe trip! (And remember to pack lots of snacks!)
The All-American (Screen-free) Road Trip! Ah, the family road trip. Back in the day, there were no tablets, no in-car media centers, and no handheld devices to keep little ones busy during a cross-country excursion. Imaginations were free to fly as the American landscape rolled past.Before you hit the open road this summer, explore some engaging, no-screen activities for the kiddos to make the most of your family windshield time. After all, you are all in this together!Alphabet FinderHave each (non-driving) family member hunt the letters from the alphabet using road signs and billboards, counting down from “A”. Each passenger should quietly go about this activity, so not give away his or her findings. On occasion, ask what letter everyone is “on”. Just wait until the whole family is stuck on “Q” together. The quiet competition keeps everyone guessing. I Spy JarBefore your family heads out, put together your own I Spy Jar. You will need a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, a box of rice, and some small objects around the house like a doll comb, Snap Cubes, crayons, etc. Make a checklist for everything that will go in the jar. Pour in a small layer of the rice, add a few items, and then repeat. Seal the container and let the challenge begin!        The License Plate GameAs you motor along, keep a tally of every state license plate your family spies. This also keeps kids thinking about geography. If you are in California, discuss how far a car from Iowa must have had to travel. What states did it have to cross to get to get here? When you stop for something to eat, take an extra spin around a crowded parking lot to search for plates missing off your list! Dry Erase BoardThe dry erase board is a perennial favorite, whether on or off road. They are inexpensive and can keep hands busy for a long time. Make sure to pick one up for each family member, loading them up with a ton of extra colors. Many boards are magnetic, so don’t forget your Learning Resources numbers and letters, too.Busy WalletFor the younger set, upcycle an old wallet and fill it with items like used gift cards, ribbon, crayons, etc., for them to take out and put back in again. Little ones love to take a part Mom’s wallet, so why not give them one of their own? Just be prepared to be searching the car floor on your next rest stop to put it all back together. Window ClingsMake your little passengers’ window their own canvas. Grab window clings at your local drug store and pass them out when your riders become antsy. No mess, no worry, and lots of fun!  FlashlightsNighttime driving can be especially challenging. Hand out individual flashlights to each of the kids. These can be used to read or simply to make funny faces or have “light wars” with their brothers or sisters.   Have a safe trip! (And remember to pack lots of snacks!) READ MORE
Brainy Bubbles- Make Your Own at Home
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