Tagged with 'Early learning'

Happy Earth Day! A wonderful way to celebrate our one-of-a-kind planet, this Earth Day art project is alive with color. Engaging the senses of even your littlest conservationist, recreate this masterpiece with a just few items you probably already have at home. 

You will need:

• A baking sheet with sides
• Shaving cream
• Food coloring or watercolor paints
• Chopsticks or craft sticks for swirling
• White cardstock
• An old gift card or credit card for scraping

  

On the cardstock, trace circles about 8-9” in circumference using a bowl or plate. Cut out and set aside.

Spray the shaving cream directly into the baking sheet. Now spread the shaving cream evenly in the pan. It almost feels like frosting a sheet cake.

Using a generous hand, drop your food coloring or paint all over the shaving cream in the pan. Then, with the craft stick, swirl the pain around. Be careful to swirl, not mix. This step is rich in sensory for the children – the smell of the shaving cream, the drag of the foam, the mixing of the color. Fantastic!

Grab one of the circles. Gently lay your soon-to-be-Earth on top of the shaving cream, pressing down gently. You want to make sure all the Earth’s surface is touching the paint/shaving foam mixture.

Grab a little section and gently peel up your circle off of the foam. Find a spot to lay it flat.

Next, using the former gift or credit card, begin on one end and scrape the paint off, getting very close to the surface of the card stock. Revealed under all that shaving cream is a beautiful, marbled, Earth-from-outer-space look!

Add some additional paint or food coloring to your mix if you feel like either color is coming through strong enough. It seems like it’s almost impossible to add too much color.

Enjoy this sensory-rich activity with all ages of kids.

Happy Earth Day!

 

Robotics is the way of the future, and women are leading the way for some of the most helpful technologies! For young girls, strong role models are key! From Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer, to women involved in robotics today, this list of female leaders is sure to inspire kids to consider robotics as a future career.

The World's First Programmer - Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace lived in the early 1800's and saw something others didn't see: that machines could be involved in complex computing. She published the very first algorithm for a machine.

Programming Pioneer - Grace Brewster Murray Hopper

Grace Brewster Murray Hopper was an American computer scientist who lead the way in computer programming in the 20th century.  Hopper and her team also invented the Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL), which is still widely used today.

Robotics Pioneer - Ruzena Bajcsy

For 40 years, Professor Ruzena Bajscy has been leading robotics research. Now in her mid-80's, she also continues to teach at the University of California, Berkeley. Her area of research is the communication between machines and people.

Can Robots Improve Life? - Dr. Maja Matarić

Dr. Maja Matarić directs the Interaction Lab at the University of Southern California. Her vision is to improve quality of life for people with special needs with affordable human-centered technologies since their medical expenses can be very high.

Human-Centred Robots - Ayanna Howard

Ayanna Howard is the most senior African-American female roboticists involved in higher education in the United States. Her work over the past two decades has focused on helping artificial intelligence interact with a human-centered world.

Social Robots - Cynthia Breazeal

If robots can perform in the deepest parts of the ocean, why can't they contribute at home? That question has driven Cynthia Breazeal to pioneer ‘social robotics' that interact with humans. She helped create the world's first social robot, Kismet, and founded Jibo, the world's first family robot. She also directs the Personal Robots Group at MIT's Media Lab.

Robotics for the World - Ayorkor Korsah

Ayorkor Korsah grew up in Ghana and studied in the United States gaining her Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. Now back in Ghana, she is a professor of computer science and robotics at Ashesi University. In 2012, she co-founded the African Robotics Network, a community that shares robotics resources.

Robots in Space - Dr. Kimberly Hambuchen

Dr. Kimberly Hambuchen is an engineer who develops and improves robots for missions in space. She was part of the team that developed Valkyrie, NASA's first two-legged robot. Hambuchen supports the international space community by improving robots in space.

Robots for Good - Marita Cheng

Marita Cheng is from Australia, and even at the age of 29 her work in robotics is amazing. Her start-up robotics company helps make things easier for people with diverse abilities and long-term illnesses. She has really helped out the medical field greatly.

Robots for Everyone - Kaijen Hsiao

Kaijen Hsiao is a roboticist who wants to bring robots to the masses. Most of all she develops robots that serve the agricultural sector and people with disabilities. Which of these women leaders inspires you most? 

Spring has sprung, and we all know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” This means, while the excitement of spring is upon us, most areas of the United States will also be facing LOTS of rainy weather. NEVER FEAR: Whether you are reading this as a parent, teacher, or both; these ideas will keep your kiddos engaged in learning, even if they are cooped up inside the house until sunnier days appear! 

Rainbow Round-Up

With spring showers often follow rainbows! Help your little ones pass the time during the storm by exploring the science of rainbows.. Set the stage and build background knowledge by exploring colors, light, and color mixing. These color paddles and color mixing lenses by Learning Resources are perfect for rainbow play and exploration. Let your students experiment with shining light through individual colors and also play with color mixing by overlapping primary color paddles to make secondary colors.

After that warm-up, transition from color mixing to into rainbow fun with one of my favorite, simple activities for this time of year. The best milk color changing experiment I have found is from Spangler Science (here). Watch the video and follow the simple instructions to have your littles mixing colors like rainbow experts. Ask your kiddos to record their materials, steps in the experiment, and observations using a blank paper or in a journal.

Weather Wonders Exploration

When you’re stuck inside due to rainy spring showers, use that time as a learning opportunity, whether at home or school! Using fun, visual, and engaging weather trackers like these (large & small)  from Learning Resources, you can turn the rainy day blues into a meteorologist broadcast. Then, extend that experience with the fun spring craftivity below, and perhaps even pair it with some weather-themed poetry.

 

 

Cupcake Wrapper Umbrellas

This activity is simple, adorable, and perfect for home and school creation. I made these gems applicable to fourth grade by having students start by creating the umbrella visual and then writing poetry about rain to celebrate National Poetry Month in April. You can do the same at home/school to enhance this craftivity.

Materials needed:

Assorted cupcake wrappers/liners

Assorted colors of pipe cleaners

White construction paper

Blue tempera paint

Paintbrushes

Scissors

Glue

Instructions:

Fold 2-3 cupcake liners in half.

Arrange on white construction paper.

Glue back half of the liners to the paper.

Cut pipe cleaners in half (or smaller, if needed).

Curl the bottom end of the pipe cleaner to form the handle (J) of the umbrella

Glue the top of the handle inside the umbrella.

Secure bottom of the pipe cleaner handle to the construction paper by applying glue underneath.

Using blue paint and paintbrush, make raindrops falling all around the umbrellas.

Clean up any mess and display the beautiful finished products! 

While you and your little ones might be thinking, “Rain, rain, go away,” you can make the most of your time inside with these hands-on spring themed activities. They will have a blast, and when the showers pass, they’ll be geared up and ready to explore outdoor spring weather!