Everything you need to know to safely view the Eclipse, even without glasses

A collection of tips on safely viewing the eclipse with young children and students.

My breath came a bit short just thinking of the cosmic events that had to perfectly align. Witnessing the tiny moon block its massive benefactor, the sun was an event I never forgot. Next week, my own kids have the chance to watch their first eclipse. To be honest, I'm a little scared.  Our district chose to send the children home so that we parents could keep a close eye on their viewing. It's a serious responsibility. Retina damage from the sun is an irreversible injury. This amazing collaboration in the heavens could easily turn tragic.

The good news is that you and your kids can watch the eclipse safely. Here's what you need to know.

How you can make a toy boat that really floats

These toy boats really float, and would be perfect for a preschool unit, or high school science experiments in buoyancy.

The other day I wanted a couple of quick, cheap toy boats that would float. We were headed out out to our favorite puddle. Both of my little ones LOVE stomping back and forth through the puddle, and I love that their naps usually happen in a timely manner afterward.  However, our last puddle day had ended with swimming, and it's still a little chilly for that, even here in Alabama. So,to encourage wading in the puddle, I made a quick toy.

When we lived in an apartment and weren't fortunate to own our own puddle, I'd put my children in their bathing suits, and let them play in the bath on rainy days. These boats would work great there too!

How to Use an Obstacle Course to Give Thanks

"We need to hang a pumpkin from the tree."  On a recent bright fall day we had some friends visit. They kindly brought us lunch, and T-Rex was excited to set up this Thanksgiving obstacle course our friends to try. Of course a hanging pumpkin was high on his list of obstacles.

3 Steps to a Kid Friendly Garden

I love gardening! My family always grew large gardens when I was a child. Now that I have my own kids, we garden together. One year it was basil on our seventh floor balcony, another year it was squash in flower beds at the duplex we rented.  Every year my children look forward to being involved and learn something new.

This year I was envisioning a huge, organic plot, like the one my grandpap used to grow. Then life with kids happened, and it was time to plant here in the Southeast, and I did not even have seeds! If you had wanted to do a garden for your kids this year, but it's already planting time (or a little past!) where you are, don't give up! There is still time to harvest the benefits of gardening with your children.  Just follow these three easy steps.

What is a kid friendly garden?

A kid friendly garden is a space with growing plants where children are welcome.  It can have special features, or it can just have plants.  Children are naturally drawn to growing things, as long as we make the space safe and allow them to participate, the garden is naturally kid friendly.

Step one to a kid friendly garden: go shopping

Now, if you are a seasoned gardener, or have plenty of time, it is better to make some plans. If that is you, check out what Evelyne at Nemsock farms has to say.  However, if you are like me this year, and just want a great learning experience, grab the kids and head to the local hardware store.

Shopping list if you have dirt to plant in

Seeds, 1 packet per 3 square feet or 1 square meter you intend to plant

Shovel, if you don't have one already

Soil test kit, optional

Shopping list of you do not have dirt

Seeds

Dirt

Pots

Step two to a kid friendly garden:  Plant the seeds

Follow the dates on the back of the seed packet the best that you can, but remember this is about the experience.  Better to plant and fail than to not plant.  If you are looking for more detail, check out what Nelle at Rhythms of Play has to say about working with each plant with her kids.

You may need to spend some time preparing the soil before the seeds can go in.  Seasoned gardeners will spend significant time preparing the soil.  In our case, my husband borrowed a rototiller from some generous neighbors and we put the seeds in.  We did test the soil, record the results, and add some fertilizer.  I plan to improve as we go.  A kid friendly garden is all about learning.

Step three to a kid friendly garden: Watch.  

The point of a kid friendly garden is to explore how to grow plants.  In my case, I am new to gardening in this area, so it is  a learning experience for me too.  I started keeping a journal last summer to help is track how our plants are growing.

One of the main lessons we learned last summer was to protect the young plants from chipmunks until they were big enough that they wouldn't be eaten whole. This summer, we are adding to our knowledge. 

See how easy gardening with kids can be?   Now, grab your kids and head to the store!

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Kid made nesting supply station

Caring for the wild creatures in our own neighborhood is my favorite way to teach my children to respect the environment.  The Pony Artist wanted to welcome the Robins.  I did a little research, and discovered that birds may appreciate nesting supplies.   Here's how she made her own nesting supply station.

If you would like to make a nesting supply station, here's what you need:

Two strips of felt

Thread

Needle scissors

Yarn (Be sure to use cotton, not synthentic, for the safety of the birds.)

First, the Pony Artist chose two strips of felt from our left over stash.

Next, she sewed the ends together.  This was the most challenging part.

Now it was time to prepare the actual supplies.  She chose some yarn and some string she thought the birds would like and snipped it into pieces.

She put it in the holder, and we tied it to a tree branch.  

It was emptied quickly and my husband thought it looked like the birds were trying to take the holder too!

This was a fun project that gave us a great opportunity to discuss the specific needs of the birds living in our neighborhood.  Of course, we got some fine motor work in as well.   If you have some extra felt and yarn on hand, why not welcome the birds by providing some nice soft lining for their nests?

Several bloggers have been working on using up our craft stash by making up learning activities with things we have on hand.  You can check out the other Learn with your craft stash projects here.






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How to raise kids who care for the earth

Earth Day is drawing to a close.  In celebration, my son planted some grass at school.  I am sure there was more to the project, but he really loves seeds. The planting itself is what grabbed his attention.

 Earth Day is a good holiday, but like Thanksgiving, it reminds us of a habit that needs to be ingrained more deeply in our daily life.  How do you raise eco-conscious kids who really care for the earth?

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How do you raise kids who are passionate about ecology? You teach them to love the little creatures in your neighborhood. 

My children love to save earth worms after a rainstorm.  They don their boots and we head up the street to a place where we know that dozens are drowning.  

As they work, we discuss why the puddle is so dangerous to the little annelids.  We talk about how they make our community a better place.  We talk about native earthworms and invasive species from the bait shop. Their brains are sponges at that moment, soaking up the facts. 

However, something even more important is happening. They are learning to love those little worms.  As they feel their live, wriggling bodies, and mourn the ones who didn't make it, they know there is something wondrous about each little life.  They feel how vulnerable the worms are, and they sense that they can make a difference.  

We all know how recycling works, but what prompts you to grab a piece of trash you didn't drop, or to conserve when it is so easy just to get a new one?  You have to care.  

So, by all means, make crafts from your trash and plant seeds.  But, if you really want to help your kids love nature, go out and find the little animals living in your neighborhood, and see if there is something you can do for them.


P.S.  After I published this post, I came across a similar post from Mae at Mommy Loves Trees, that includes some research and a few more ideas about helping kids love nature.  Check out 3 Totally Crazy Ways to Spend Earth Day.





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I spy rot!: Effortless science lesson

Bottle Toss: Fun and the Physics of Flight

Today, I have another junk play post to share.  T-Rex invented this game and both he and his sister really enjoyed it. If you have elementary kids, this would be a great activity to pull out for some after school fun.  You'll be sneaking some great physics too!

Materials for "bottle throw"

Conditioner bottle

String (We used our clothesline)

Water (Optional)

The goal of the game is to catch the bottle and then throw it back over the line, in the yard, without your opponent catching the bottle.

This is a nice demonstration of standard projectile motion.  However, you also get the added complexity of a rotating object instead of a point.

The Pony Artist added a variation which includes a second bottle.  The goal is to hit your opponent's bottle and knock it back onto their side of the string.

This is a beautiful momentum and collision demonstration.

Finally, I suggested adding some water to the bottle.  I asked what difference they observed. They noticed that the bottle did not go as high.  Equal force with greater mass results in less acceleration.

I did not spend much time discussing physics with my kids.  In fact, it would have been just as well if I had not discussed any at all.  They were learning just the same.  These experiences of basic play where children experience how the world works first hand are incredibly valuable.  They are building the background knowledge that they will pull from as they study science formally in the years to come.  

 An occupational therapist would have her own list of reasons that this play is useful.  Active, hands on play is extremely valuable.  The best news is, all you need are simple objects, some of which you were going to discard anyway.

For more great ideas on how to use your junk for play, check out the Junk Play Challenge hosted by Best Toys 4 Toddlers.

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Cotton Gems: Fabric Dye Process Art

Today, I have a really fun process art project for you to try, perfect for spring or summer.  My kids invented this while we were working on some out door math activities, and spent over an hour experimenting.  I love it when they get into a process art project like this because their natural love of science takes over and they set about engineering their own creations while learning the properties of matter, all on their own.  Here's how the project came about, and how you can try it too.

We were working with wet cloths on the cement pavement when my daughter decided it would be fun to wash the chalk we had used the day before.  She was delighted to learn that the chalk stained the dingy cloths beautiful colors.  Her brother joined in the fun and then asked for some cotton balls to stain.

Materials you will need to make your own cotton ball gems

Cotton balls

Sidewalk chalk in various colors

Water

You can start by covering the area with water, then color in the water with the chalk.  Or, you can color the area with chalk and cover it with water.

Then, just take the cotton balls and rub them in the wet chalk.

You might enjoy mixing colors to see the result.

Set everything out to dry!

This was our first experience with dying fabric of any kind. Do you have a favorite textile project?

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How to make your own constellations

We love looking at the night sky.  If your child is interested in space, or you would like them to be, here is a fun project that brings the heavenly bodies a little closer home. It was also a good way to sneak in some fine motor practice.

Materials:

A polystyrene (styrofoam) tray--Ours come with squash.

Tooth picks

Pictures of the constellations in your night sky

To get our constellation pictures, I used the Star Chart app on my phone.  Have you sen this?  You can just point your phone at the sky and it fills in the pictures the constellations represent.  Snap a screen shot, and you have a picture of the exact constellation you are studying.

If you don't have access to Star Chart, you can do a quick image search, and come up with a printable picture. (If you are using this in a group setting check the copy rights.)

Then just print out the photo, and lay it it over the tray.

Use a tooth pick to punch out the designs. 

After doing a few real constellations, my kids decided to "make up" some constellations of their own.

Holding the trays against the window gives the effect of stars shining in the night sky.

This post is part of the 60 Day Junk Play Challenge.  Be sure to check out the other great activities being done with items from the junk pile, and try a few with your own kids!

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