When it comes to outdoor education, I have struggled as a teacher. I tend to find excuses for staying inside, but then I feel guilty and try to make up for it. Ultimately, every year I have to remind myself of the plethora of robust evidence that says “outdoor learning is best.” What is outdoor education? “Is the organized effort of learning and studying biotic and abiotic aspects of the environment in an outdoor setting that is free of anthropogenic impacts.” (Fang, et al., 2023) Nature offers an incredible learning tool, one available to us throughout the year. Furthermore, it’s free! As par ..read more

If you are or have been a school teacher, you are probably familiar with the feelings associated with constant changes to the curriculum. You have heard the administration say phrases such as, “last year we did this” or “this year we are doing things differently”, or even “next year we will try that”. It’s a never-changing process. If you are not a teacher please visit Education Week and you’ll understand what I mean. Our profession is a never-ending experiment. Inconsistencies are the reality of many school districts and even private schools. Some inconsistencies are normal and part of the fa ..read more

I have been in the world of science education for over two decades, but it wasn’t until I became a mother that I started thinking that homeschooling is best. Homeschooling is one of the best methods of educating children because it allows for a safe, personalized and flexible learning experience. Schooling at home offers a wide range of benefits, such as the ability to tailor the curriculum to suit the individual needs and interests of students, control of the educational environment, and freedom to include meaningful context to learning. So if you have been on the fence about homeschooling or ..read more

The concept of playing has been on my mind a lot lately. I mean a lot. So I decided to revisit this topic in a blog post because it might be helpful to you too. We live in an era where we are so busy that we forget that children need to play. Play is an essential component of human development, and it has been widely recognized as a fundamental human need. From a young age, children engage in various forms of play, including imaginative play, physical play, and social play. Play allows children to explore their environments, develop cognitive abilities, and build social skills. Sadly, most sc ..read more

Do you have a pile of recyclable paper, such as mail, that ends up in the trash can or shredder? If you do, I have the perfect opportunity to turn all that paper into a fun STEM activity for the whole family! In this blog post, we dive into the history and science of paper making, and then I share how to make a simple kind of paper. This paper will be perfect for scrapbooking or letter writing. History of Paper Paper has a long history. Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient civilizations had other methods of producing paper-like material. However, in general, it is believed that paper ..read more

There’s a lot of buzz lately about AI. With that buzz, there’s fear, questions, concerns, and other emotions and opinions regarding the tool’s implications to the field of science education. So, I decided to test the ChatGPT AI to help me compose a blog post. The results may surprise you. I downloaded the application to my phone and proceeded to type “what is science education”. In a matter of seconds (literally) I had a few paragraphs about what is science education. As I read the essay, I immediately noticed that the content was relevant and in fact aligned with my thinking as a science educ ..read more

The holidays are over and my family is already back in the swing of the school calendar. That means, back to the usual birthday parties and events that require children’s gifts. If you are a planner like me, you are already reassessing the gifts you have at hand so you don’t have to run to the store at the last minute. Or perhaps, you are just looking for new ideas on what to buy or even gift your own children. So in this blog post, I am sharing with you six of my favorite science toys that won’t break the bank and will make your kid the super star. Okay, maybe not a super star but a child tha ..read more

Understanding Children’s Questions Over the school winter break, my daughter asked me a few times, “Mama, what can I do?” The first time she said it I was somewhat surprised. I calmly said, go play with your toys. It didn’t work. She came back a few minutes later with the same question. I gave the same answer this time a little louder. Yet, a few minutes later she was next to me asking the same thing. I was bothered. I thought, why is she asking me what to do? All I could think of was the big yard behind us, all the expensive toys and crafts neatly organized and available to her and the long t ..read more

Inspiring Children As a mother, I am *always* thinking of ways to inspire my daughters. Sometimes I feel like I am doing a great job at it; sometimes I feel defeated. During the less glamorous days, I have found that, good children’s books can help me fill in the gaps while I refuel my energy. If you are in need of “something” to inspire your children. Or you need a holiday gift suggestion, or you are simply looking for a new book to help you get through the rough parenting days, this blog post is for you. We are family that loves reading, so naturally books get us through the less glamorous d ..read more

Combining Play & STEM Learning Playing with figurines and learning science is a perfect match. Science & Play & Learning simply go hand in hand. Science toys can entertain children, spark imagination, and teach about scientific phenomena and living things. In this blog post, I share with you how to use an inexpensive toy to teach children about life cycles in a relax, Chillax Science way. Science Behind Life Cycles Life cycle is a term many scientists use to describe the phases a living organism undergoes while alive. All living organisms go through some sort of cycle whether is a ..read more