My son thinks one of the best jobs in the world would be designing lego models. That would be the perfect STEM/STEAM job!
I’ve been collecting LEGO videos for my son on some of the coolest things built from LEGOs. Hope you like them too!
All posts in Education
New Storytelling Podcast: #circleround
Circle Round is that rare unicorn in kids’ entertainment in that it’s actually entertaining for parents too! Episodes are narrated by theatre, film, and TV actors that parents will no doubt identify with. I’m proud to partner with WBUR.
For my friends in Boston, WBUR is hosting a free, interactive launch party for Circle Round at the Boston Children’s Museum on Sunday, September 24 at 2 p.m.
Circle Round is a new storytelling podcast for kids ages 4-10, and comes from the WBUR producing team behind the popular podcast Modern Love.
image: WBUR’s Circle Round
And guess what? FOLK TALES!
Circle Round provides global perspectives with voices representing cultures from around the world. Episodes include prompts for discussion, giving children and their caregivers plenty of food for thought long after the story ends. Stories delve into diverse and accessible topics such as kindness, persistence, and generosity. Read more…
Our Total Eclipse Experience in Woodburn, Oregon
It just so happened on our art school tour of the west coast that we would be in the solar eclipse of totality if we were willing to wake up at 4am and drive for a few hours to get to Woodburn, Oregon by 10am. We were.
Actually, we didn’t have much choice. As we drove from San Francisco heading to Vancouver, British Columbia, my husband could not find a hotel for us in Oregon. We didn’t realize that people had booked up all the rooms in the cities of totality long before we planned out trip.
My husband opted to drive to Roseburg, Oregon since he was able to find a hotel there, and then leave very early in the morning to avoid traffic to get to within the band of totality. I, along with a lot of others, opted for Woodburn, Oregon. It’s the closest city of totality on the Oregon/Washington state border while still on the same highway from Roseburg.
We arrived a few hours early only to find Woodburn breakfast options to be quite crowded. We used Google maps to find a small park nearby to watch the eclipse. There were several more serious photographers at our location. We had only our iPhones but we did have the presence of mind to bring eclipse glasses from Massachusetts with us. The glasses really helped!
Easy and Fun Rainbow Science Experiments
A rainbow is made of the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Where did the rainbow come from? All the colors exist in sunlight. We can’t see them because they are mixed together.
When sunlight moves from the air to the water in the glass, it bends in a special way. When it bends, the light separates into all the colors of the rainbow. It’s called refraction. From How To Make a Rainbow video
DIY Bee House STEM Project for Kids
This STEM project is to help the bees. Offering native bees a home to build their nests is a good way to share our spades and support them in their hard work of pollinating our gardens. Native bees, if they decide to take up residence in your bee house, are docile and make good neighbors because they are unlikely to sting.
Thank you to Monsanto for sending us this DIY Bee House kit! Learn about bees with Val from Monsanto. She also goes over how to make the bee house. We made our own bee house, and our video is at the bottom.
Build Your Own Bee House from Monsanto STEM Education Outreach on Vimeo. Read more…
Phonics Museum App
Phonics Museum App is an interactive phonics app for kids to learn to read. It’s like a personalized educational TV show that takes kids on an adventure in an art museum.
What’s really fun about the app is that it combines animated characters in some segments with the character, Miss Biddle, also appearing as a real person.
The app first starts with animated characters including the person playing who gets to choose an avatar. Starting in the lobby of an art museum, a magical suit of arms called Percival tells the player how this adventure works.
By going through the different rooms of the museum and playing games, singing songs, and tracing letters on the screen, the player earns points. Read more…
#BeautifulOops! Prize Pack GIVEAWAY
I’m thrilled to be doing a giveaway with Workman Publishing on an arty interactive board book journal to inspire young artists. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.
My Book of Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
A Scribble it, Smear it, Fold it, Tear it Journal for Young Artists
My Book of Beautiful Oops! is a hands-on journal that’s designed to help young hands and minds turn an “oops” into art. The friendly green alligator-familiar to readers of Beautiful Oops!-prompts the reader to imagine the possibilities of a bent page. Decorate a smudge. Play with splats and spills. Even complete a poem that was accidentally ripped in half. [interactive board book, ages 3 and up]
Kindergarten Math Summer Learning Fun
I’m thrilled to partner with Zap Zap to announce their new Zap Zap Kindergarten Math app!
It’s no secret that kids love playing games on their screens, and they will practice math facts if it’s presented in the form of a puzzle or game.
Korean and Japanese Sword Making
My son has always loved making weapons from bows and arrows made from sticks, to wooden swords that he carves and decorates himself.
He made this Samurai armor and sword upcycling sketch book covers and cardboard boxes. Duct tape was also involved. It always is involved in his projects.
In earlier days, he made swords using aluminum foil and duct tape for a Percy Jackson book club with his friends. Now, he needs a run to Home Depot to buy wood without a curve in it, drawing out his designs that his father cuts out for him. Read more…
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