Building is fun, but testing our designs can be even more fun…especially if you get to sink a boat! Making mistakes is part of the engineering process! It helps us to figure out what does NOT work, so we can design it better next time. This experiment encourages you to engineer a stronger boat. You can use strategy and predictions to determine how much weight your cargo ship can carry! Have fun! Design & Build a strong Cargo Ship! Materials: Aluminum Foil Painters Tape Large bowl or bin that can hold water Water Pennies, feathers, paperclips, cotton balls, or other small items of var ..read more

Reading aloud together can boost social, emotional, and mental health! Use reading to start conversations or tackle big emotions. Reading aloud together can explore particular emotions that help children learn empathy or even acknowledge, accept, or voice their own feelings. Keisha Scribe, PHD, an early childhood literacy consultant says reading aloud can help people with stress management, hope and resilience.  (https://www.npr.org/2021/10/01/1041859001/reading-aloud-benefits-childrens-literacy) Here are 5 more benefits of Reading Aloud: 1. Improves Cognitive Development – which stim ..read more

“If you never did You should. These things are fun. And fun is good.”– One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,  Dr. Seuss Children are naturally curious, like sponges soaking up the world around them. Encouraging that curiosity, can admittedly take patience. But, it’s worth your investment! Being allowed to play and explore their environment  is crucial to a child’s development and well-being. “Curious children are more likely to learn and retain information, and stay involved and do better in school.” (Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-hea ..read more

Have you ever talked to your child about being a good “observer?” What does it mean to really take note of things? Practice your observation skills in this fun experiment that will have you hunting outside for treasures you didn’t even know were there! Use our “My Name In Nature” play sheet that has items you may find in your yard or neighborhood that correspond to each letter of the alphabet. Pick the letters that spell your name and start hunting! Click HERE for the "My Name In Nature Treasure Hunt" List! For example, our buddy Dax had to find:D: a smooth stoneA: an ant bedX: something ..read more

There’s nothing like catapulting marshmallows across the kitchen to get kids excited about engineering! https://tagmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_4897.m4v This is a great activity to experiment with! Be a scientist and try it different ways by changing the types of materials you use to see what works best. Suggested Materials:  Popsicle sticks (approximately 8) Rubber bands  (at least 5) Spoon (plastic or wooden is fine, experiment with both!) Marshmallows Step 1. Stack a few popsicle sticks together (about 6 sticks works well) and wrap rubber bands around each en ..read more

Need to get the kids out of your kitchen? Send them outdoors, to make their own! Here’s a super fun way to toast their scientific endeavors, by baking a s’more in their own Solar Oven! Materials needed:  Pizza box Aluminum foil Plastic wrap Black paper Tape 2 Wooden sticks (skewers, pencil, etc..) Utility Knife (for adult or experienced user) For S’mores: graham crackers, chocolate squares, marshmallows Step 1: cut out a large window in the pizza box lid  Step 2: cover bottom inside of pizza box with black paper Step 3: Glue aluminum foil onto the inside of the new lid Step 4 ..read more

Never let a rainy day stop you from having fun! Put your innovative skills to work, pull out that recycle bin and get crafting! Rain is nature’s way of refreshing our earth and helping plants to grow.  When raindrops fall that’s part of the Water Cycle, scientifically known as Precipitation.  How much precipitation does your yard need to stay healthy? Different climates are based on geography, annual temperatures, and the average amount of rainfall. Measuring rainfall can give us a lot of data on what’s happening to the climate in any given area. Are you curious about the rain that ..read more

Building is fun, but testing our designs can be even more fun…especially if you get to sink a boat! Making mistakes is part of the engineering process! It helps us to figure out what does NOT work, so we can design it better next time. This experiment encourages you to engineer a stronger boat. You can use strategy and predictions to determine how much weight your cargo ship can carry! Have fun! Design & Build a strong Cargo Ship! Materials: Aluminum Foil Painters Tape Large bowl or bin that can hold water Water Pennies, feathers, paperclips, cotton balls, or other small items of var ..read more

Reading aloud together can boost social, emotional, and mental health! Use reading to start conversations or tackle big emotions. Reading aloud together can explore particular emotions that help children learn empathy or even acknowledge, accept, or voice their own feelings. Keisha Scribe, PHD, an early childhood literacy consultant says reading aloud can help people with stress management, hope and resilience.  (https://www.npr.org/2021/10/01/1041859001/reading-aloud-benefits-childrens-literacy) Here are 5 more benefits of Reading Aloud: 1. Improves Cognitive Development – which stim ..read more

“If you never did You should. These things are fun. And fun is good.”– One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,  Dr. Seuss Children are naturally curious, like sponges soaking up the world around them. Encouraging that curiosity, can admittedly take patience. But, it’s worth your investment! Being allowed to play and explore their environment  is crucial to a child’s development and well-being. “Curious children are more likely to learn and retain information, and stay involved and do better in school.” (Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-hea ..read more