Check out this newsletter from The Louisville Science Center on fun science activities to do together!
In most school systems, the 100th day of school occurs during January. This can be a reason to celebrate for teachers and children alike. It’s fairly common to think of January being the beginning of the end of the school year. Some children and teachers even begin counting how many days left. So, when you make snowflakes for an art activity, why not add 100th activities, as well. Kids can use cheerios to glue on papers, make funny looking faces out of the number 100 by adding hair, glasses, nose, mouth. Have each child bring in a picture of their favorite thing and see if they can make them add up to 100. Counting beads is a good activity and making necklaces with 100 Cheerios, Fruit Loops, pieces of pasta helps develop fine motor skills. You may have many, many more ways to celebrate the 100th day of the school year. Just remember to have fun! Children learn by playing!!
Pat
Want to add a little science to your art? Try making Frost Paint! The recipe is simple –water and Epsom salt- but the result is amazing. Crystals will form right before your eyes!
Add ½ cup Epsom Salt (found in the pharmacy section) to ½ cup boiling water. That’s it! Boiling the water is the key to make sure the salt dissolves completely in the water.
I had the opportunity to read the book, The Help, recently. January is when the country celebrates the birth of Dr Martin Luther King, JR, so it seems fitting to talk about where we were, where we are, where we still need to go. Needless to say, this book brought back terrible memories of a much darker era in the history of our country. It is thanks to Dr King that we have made significant progress in how we treat others. I vividly recall going to Sears at 8th and Broadway with my parents and seeing two water fountains and two bathrooms, one marked colored, the other white. It’s difficult to believe now that it was a reality then. A Parish bingo hall where I worked sent all of the minorities up a long flight of stairs and kept the “whites” downstairs. (Wonder if they patted themselves on the back for being integrated)? Yes, every bit of it is in my conscious memory, and it bothers me that it happened. Thanks to Dr King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”, the countless marches attended by people of many races, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, things are better now. Our children and grandchildren may not have any sense of the injustices suffered by minorities and that is a good thing. Discuss it. Talk about how it feels to not be included. How many times have our children told us they feel like outsiders, especially when it comes to sports or birthday parties they aren’t invited to? Talk about Dr Martin Luther King Jr. and how one man’s resolve, refusal to quit, can change the world for the better.
Pat
Ice explorations are wonderful science experiments for children. Watching something change through freezing and thawing, adding salt to alter the way it melts, and dripping colored water on it to see the path the drips take, all provide engaging ways for children to play with science. Try freezing small objects in ice cubes and give children tools to free them (be sure to use goggles!). Try freezing water in large containers such as an orange juice carton or water balloon so children can see the air bubbles trapped in the middle, or try freezing water in unusual shapes by using a rubber glove or other plastic molds. By adding droppers for children to transfer colored water, you are also providing an activity that strengthens fine motor skills.
Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol is the opportunity to show legislators that Kentucky cares about its children and youth, and talk with them about the most pressing issues Kentucky’s kids are facing today. Join us for the 8th Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Any and all are welcome to take a stand and raise their voice. Elected officials, social workers, teachers, law enforcement officers, judges, doctors, public health experts, therapists, members of the military, seniors, and kids will all come together to rally on children’s issues at the Capitol Rotunda and talk to legislators about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children agenda.
Register for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol here today! More information is available here.
Family traditions are those little rituals that are passed down from generation to generation. The greatest thing about family traditions is that they don’t need to cost a dime. It’s the little things, not the big things that are remembered over time.
I fondly remember helping my grandmother make Springerle cookies at Christmas. It was a special time between my grandmother and I that was repeated every year. I don’t recall one single gift that my Grandmother ever gave me for my Birthday or for Christmas, but I clearly remember the good smells, and overwhelming sense of love that I felt as a result of this simple tradition.
We all have busy lifestyles, but adding a small tradition here or there can make a huge difference in a child’s life. Family traditions give children a sense of belonging and memories they will hold for a lifetime. It’s simply a routine with meaning and all children love rituals and repetition.
By the way, I hate the way Springerle cookies taste. After our baking was complete, I always took a small nibble and secretly stashed the rest in the garbage. The cookie was not was mattered, it was the opportunity to celebrate a relationship that was important to me.
So what is your favorite family tradition?
Want to try an unconventional building material for play? Gum drops, marshmallows, thin pretzel sticks, spaghetti and straws are all great building materials that challenge children to try making structures in a new way. The softness of the gum drops and marshmallows make them easy to work with as connectors, and the ability to break or cut the pretzels, spaghetti and straws means that children can easily adjust how long they want the pieces to be.
Besides being fun, working with unconventional materials helps children to add more experimentation to their building play. Sometimes a small marshmallow is better than a large one, and although spaghetti is lighter, it also breaks easier than straws or pretzels. This encourages problems solving skills and achieving success through trial and error. In addition to being great for learning, their structures are also delicious!
