Big Box Play Product Review

Big Box Play sent us their castle set in exchange for a review.

Do you ever wish that you could spend thirty minutes doing a great activity with your kids, then get back to your own work, and they’d still be engaged?

Wouldn’t it be great to find a project that’s big enough to take your children’s attention for several hours? Maybe a couple of days? STEM projects are usually winners in the interest department, but it’s frustrating that we parents usually end up being the ones actually doing the project after the kids wander off.

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!

Fun simple machine project that anyone can teach

Use every day materials to teach basic engineering concepts with this fun home made toy. 

Today we have an awesome guest post from Christy at Engineer to Stay at Home Mom. If you haven't tried making home made toys before, this would be a great first project, and I love how she connects science objectives to real life.

How to set up an Environmental Engineering challenge in Minecraft

Give your child and environment engineering challenge to fulfill on their favorite video game. This challenge is aligned with NGSS standard K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between needs of different plants and animals and the environment in which they live. This challenge is not affiliated with Minecraft.

 After a generous two week vacation, my children were getting a little bored. Then, after going to back to school for exactly one day, my children were treated to a snow day.

50 Fun Kids Science Activities

Kids love science activities from chemistry experiments to ecology projects, physics and chemistry. 

The brakes of the school bus squeal to a halt on a sunny but crisp Friday afternoon. Two sets of sneakers pound up the drive way. One breathless child exclaims, "Mom! Guess what we did today?" There was no doubt in my mind how his teacher had chosen to spend that afternoon.

I knew how he had chosen to play as a toddler: stacking blocks to watch the tower tumble, splashing fearlessly into the water to examine the hidden treasures of the lake.  If you've ever wondered why your child makes so many messes, you know what I mean. His eyes were always full of wonder. I had seen that same wonder in the eyes of scientists and professors I met at university. They called their million dollar tools "toys" and forgot to go home for dinner for sheer excitement.

It was the weekend, but he was determined to repeat the project they had done at school.

Lovely Valentine Experiment for Kindergarten

This is simple science experiment that will dress up your Valentine cards.

My kindergartner and I had the best time experimenting with these home made Valentines. We made some beautiful designs, and got just a little messy. This would be a great way to spend time with your favorite kids.