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Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Science, March Activities
March 10 - First successful telephone call.
Alexander Graham Bell had a theory that the human voice could be carried down a wire immersed in a conducting fluid. As he was about to begin an experiment to test his belief, he spilled the fluid—battery acid—and called to his assistant in the next room, saying, “Mr. Watson, come here! I want you!” Mr. Watson heard Bell’s voice come off the wire and the first “phone call” was successfully made!
Help your child “invent” a simple paper cup telephone. Poke a hole in the bottom of two paper or plastic cups. Thread a length of string through the bottom of one of the cups (starting from the outside of the cup) and tie off with a paper clip inside the cup. Repeat with the other end of the string and the second cup. Give one cup to your child, hold the other yourself, and stretch the string taut. Now take turns talking and listening into the cups. It’s low-tech, but it works!
Sunday, January 27, 2013 by Shelley Miles
February Activities, Science
FEBRUARY 18 – Cow milked when flying in airplane anniversary, Battery day, Pluto discovered, President's Day
Got Milk? Well, this poor cow did! In 1930 Elm Farm Ollie, was the first cow to be milked while flying in an airplane! She was milked and the milk was sealed in a container and parachuted down over St. Louis. To commemorate Elm Farm Ollie’s bravery, drink a glass of milk together. Add some cookies for dunking!
Where would we be without batteries? Help your child understand how batteries work with the classic science project. You can do this one at home.
Both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are said to have been very honest men. Lincoln’s nickname was “Honest Abe,” and legend has it that Washington admitted to his father that he had chopped down a cherry tree, even though the truth was going to get him into trouble.
Play a truth game with your child today. Make a statement, and ask your child to guess whether it is true or false. Then let your child have a turn. (E.g.: Your daddy has a beard; A cow can jump over the moon; Your baby sister likes to roller-skate. etc.) This is an excellent means of finding out what information your child has absorbed from the world. Be prepared to be surprised!
Today commemorates the discovery of the planet pluto. Take a visit to your local observatory and enjoy a planetarium show. Use this Planetarium Directory to find one near you. Of course, Pluto is also the name of one of my favorite Disney characters, Mickey Mouse's pet dog. He made his debut in Disney's animated short, The Chain Gang in 1930.
Sunday, January 27, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Book List, February Activities, Science
February 27-Polar Bear Day
Polar bears live in the circumpolar north, including Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. Their Latin name means “sea bear,” and indeed these mammals are uniquely adapted for both land and water. Polar bears are excellent swimmers—they have webbed front paws—and have insulating fur and blubber to keep them warm, both in and out of the sea. Though their fur looks white, each shaft is actually clear and hollow. Males can weigh between 700 to over 1500 pounds, while females tip the scales between 300 to over 500 pounds.
Today, cuddle up and read Little Polar Bear with your child—and be thankful you don’t have to swim in ice cold water just to pick up something for dinner! with your child—and be thankful you don’t have to swim in ice cold water just to pick up something for dinner!
For more info on polar bears, go to: Polar Bears International
Saturday, January 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Book List, February Activities, Science
FEBRUARY 11-National inventor’s Day (Thomas Edison's Birthday), Don't cry over spilled milk day
There’s an inventor lurking in even the youngest among us! Today, spread an array of everyday items on a table. Then challenge your child to invent something using what’s available, and ask him or her to explain what the invention does. Inventing can be as simple as looking at a familiar object and coming up with an alternative use for it. For example, a sponge can become a trampoline for a small doll or figurine; two empty toilet tissue rolls taped together can be a pair of binoculars.
The main objective is to get your little one to look at the world in new and creative ways. Another great idea for celebrating this day is to take all of those broken toys or parts from broken toys and encourage your child to think up a new use of the parts. You’ll delight in their imagination. Here is a monthly competition for young inventors sponsorted by the National Museum of Education. Student Inventions
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has accidents. It's important for children to learn that making mistakes is ok. . In fact, as author Barney Saltzberg points out " It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery." He explores how accidents can be wondrous and beautiful in his book "The Beautiful Oops" a one-of-a-kind interactive book that shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder." Watch Barney explain the wonder of Oops to a group of kids. Beautiful Oops Video
Sunday, September 30, 2012 by Shelley Miles
October activities, October holidays, Science
OCTOBER 22– National nut day
Most of the foods that we think of of as nuts are in fact nuts, or drupes ( a kind of fruit with a hard shell) One is a follicle (Macadamia nut) , and one is a legume (peanut) How many have you tasted? Get a wide variety of nuts still in their shells. Examine the different shapes, sizes and textures. Then crack the nuts open look and compare what you see. Try tasting the various nuts. (Supervise young children carefully. Nuts can be a choking hazard for children under 4. This activity should not be done around children with nut allergies)
Acorn
Almond
Australian cashew nut
Beech Nut
Breadnut
Brazilnut
Candlenut
Cashew
Chestnuts
Chinese, Malabar, and Sweet Chestnuts
Coconut
Colocynth
Chilacayote
Chilean hazel
Filbert
Hazelnut
Hickory
Shagbark and Shellbark Hickories and Pecans
Johnstone River almond
Kemiri nut
Kola nut
Kurrajong
Macadamia
Mamoncillo
Mongongo
Ogbono nut
Paradise nut
Peanut
Peanut tree
Pecan
Palm nuts
Palm fern and zamia nuts
Pili nut
Pistachio
Red bopple nut
Walnut
Saturday, September 29, 2012 by Shelley Miles
health, October Activities, Science
OCTOBER 3 –Alternative fuel day, Techies day, Walk to school day
Kids are endlessly fascinated with machinery, and they view levers, pulleys, winches, and gears as terrific toys. Why not set aside some special time to take an appliance apart and then put it back together? You can also legitimately try to repair something such as a broken toy or a bike. In addition to learning how things work, you are teaching your children how to take care of, respect, and repair the things they own.
Today is also Alternative fuel day. How Stuff Works has but together this kid-friendly overview and explanation of alternative sources of powers for cars. Alternative Fuels
Walking with your child for any reason can be a wonderful experience—the two of you experiencing the great outdoors, getting daily exercise, and enjoying each others' company. Not only that, but it provides the perfect opportunity to discuss. and model, how to be a responsible and safe pedestrian. According to Walkto SchoolUSA walking or biking to school enhances the health of kids, helps create safer routes to walk to school and is good for the environment. But my favorite reason for walking with my kids to school, is because it's fun - and the dog likes it too!
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