Do different color flowers have the same pigments? Not always. We have 3 types of dark pink flowers at our house so we decided to experiment to see if all of them were made of the same pigments. The kids chose petals from the three different types of flowers to test--roses, gerber daisies, and pink flowers from our front shrubs. While they were doing that I set up the rest of the experiment that I found on Scientific American. This science … [Read more...]
Does it Dissolve? Kids Science Experiment
Today's science week theme is liquids and we have a fun water activity for you! We experimented to see which solids would dissolve in water and the kids loved finding out if their predictions were correct. There is something extra fun about any science activity where you get to mix things! I told the kids what we were going to do and they raided the pantry to see what items we should test. They predicted whether or not each solid would … [Read more...]
How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle!
My kids love checking the weather each morning. They memorize the forecast and then quote the percentages of rain to us all day so I knew they would love making a cloud in a bottle!Before we started we talked about how clouds are made of little droplets of water or ice in the air. When warm air rises, like in the wind experiment we did, it expands and cools. As it does it can't hold as much water vapor and some of the droplets condense stick … [Read more...]
Fine Motor Weaving Busy Bag
For this month's Busy Bag of the Month I am sharing a fine motor skills busy bag that I got at my last swap! One of my friends made this weaving busy bag and we have had so much fun with it I asked her if I could share it with everyone. How to Make a Weaving Busy Bag 1. Collect ribbons, pipe cleaners, string, yarn, whatever you have. 2. Tie the end of each one to the end of a dish rack mat. 3. Show your child how to weaving the ribbon in … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Ease Kindergarten Anxiety
Kindergarten can be very different from anything your child has ever experienced before. The thought of the unknown can make kids feel anxious and unsure about starting school. While there will always be some level of nervousness when faced with a change, there are things you can do to ease anxiety and help calm fears about school. 1. Talk to your child. Discuss what fears he or she may have about school. This sounds simple, but can be … [Read more...]
Easy DIY Dress Up Costumes
We love pretend play! My kids can happily spend hours imagining and playing together and I love to see what scenarios they come up with. They also love dressing up so we were excited that Sprout sent us some craft supplies to use to make our own costumes to encourage kids to dress up and play! They sent us a box of supplies and instruction cards and the kids (and their Nana) used them to come up with their own version of a pirate, a scientist, and … [Read more...]
Family Card Games: How to Play Spoons
Do you know how to play Spoons? It's so much fun! I remember playing with my family during the summer when I was younger so it was one of the games I was excited about introducing our children to this summer as part of our "Old School" Bucket List! It's a fun family card game that is probably best for ages 5 and up, but our 3 1/2 year old was able to play with us as long as we slowed the pace down. How to Play Spoons: 1. Gather a deck of … [Read more...]
Gross Motor Phonics Game: Walk the Word
Kindergarten readiness skills include letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and phonics skills. If your child can already recognize letters and can hear and say letter sounds then you may be wondering what types of phonics activities you should be doing with him. The truth is that you don't really need to do anything other than reading together every day, but if your child is ready to start reading playing phonics games can be both fun and … [Read more...]
