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All week long we are celebrating STEAM. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. We will be doing activities that are going to excite the little inventor in your house. This project is the beginning of Halloween decorations for the house. My kids have really enjoyed the 4th of July and Birthday Party projects. This time we are going to harness a little of the creepy factor and combine it with STEAM to make a spider with light up eyes on a web. Today's focus is spider webs. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure here.

Spiders and Spider Webs

Today we are focusing on the first step, which is the web. Most people think of spiders as creepy. Maybe they are, but they are amazing engineers. Not all spiders build webs, but the ones that do are engineering the tools to help them capture prey, protect their homes, hold their egg cases, and move around. Did anyone besides me just think about Charlotte's Web?

Spiders build webs that will transfer movement across the web (so that the spider can be alerted when prey enters the web), but that doesn't fall just because one part of the web is disturbed. Spider are the consummate conservationists because in order to rebuild they can consume the broken part of webs and recycle the silk to rebuild. Spiders that spin webs use silk. These spiders make two types of silk. They make a sticky silk which helps in capturing prey and a non-sticky silk which helps to reinforce the structure. There are also different basic web structures: orb webs, funnel webs, and irregular webs. You can find out more information about spiders here. For our project, we are going to make an orb web.

Materials:

yarn

school glue

wax paper

template or paper/pencil/ ruler

tape

shallow bowl or plate

This is inspired from the tutorial I found at SheKNOWS. I modified it for my needs. This is a great art activity that activates the senses while still being able to talk about the spider and its web.

The first step was to make a template. I wanted to make an entire spider web.

Tutorial:

Creating the Template:

1. I gave the kids a piece of paper (in our case a square), a ruler, and a pencil. We started by drawing a straight line down the center dividing the paper in half. A quick way to find the half mark is to just fold the paper in half and then open it back up. This paper is just a template so it doesn't matter if it is a little wrinkled. You will draw a vertical line and horizontal line. This will result in a a cross in the middle of the paper.

2. The next step is to add to the web. We are creating an orb web like you see above. These webs have vertical spokes and then horizontal webbing for strength. You an make as many spokes as you want. I would say that you don't want them to be more than 4 inches are so apart at the widest point. This will help make it more stable.

3. After all the straight lines were drawn, I had my kids use a small object to draw a circle in the middle (but you could eyeball that part). We erased the center and started drawing in our horizontal sections of web. I highly encourage you to let the kids have fun and create their own web. They will naturally comment on the fact that webs are not all identical AND it will keep competition down about who has the best one.

Creating the Yarn Web:

1. Once the web template is ready, you need wax paper, glue, yarn and I suggest tape. I suggest a colored tape, but you can use what you ha

2. Lay the template down. Put the wax paper over it and tape the wax paper over the template onto the surface. This will keep the wax paper from moving and help your kids not get so frustrated. This step is especially important if you have a perfectionist.

3. During this phase (before the glue comes out), I suggest have the kids (or you) cut the yarn. Cut it about 20-35% shorter than the template because the glue will make the yarn stretch. How much yarn you will need depends on the template. I would cut a little extra now.

4. Now we are ready to get messy. This activity is heavy sensory. I had a kiddo with sensory issues. He is interesting because while he is typically sensory seeking he HATES getting his hands dirty. This is a good one for him to build his endurance. He wound up loving it. Give each child a container of glue. I think a small bowl works best. Put enough glue in the bowl so that it will completely cover the yarn.

5. They will submerge the yarn in the glue. Take it out and run two finger gently down the glue taking off the excess. Then lay it on the wax paper following the template. I think it goes better to do the straight lines first. This lays the foundation for the horizontal pieces. Then lay in the yarn that is the horizontal webbing. Remember to overlap the pieces.

We did this on a gorgeous day and put them outside to dry in the sun. They were completely dry in about 4 hours. I would definitely let them dry 8-12 hours or overnight. Once they are dry, gently peel them from the wax paper. You will have your own spider web.

Want More Halloween activities?

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Next we will be tackling the spiders with light up eyes. That project is inspired from an activity in STEAM Kids.

Are you ready to tackle more STEAM projects? I will be featuring STEAM all week. #STEAMKids

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All week long we are celebrating STEAM. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. We will be doing activities that are going to excite the little inventor in your house. This project is the beginning of Halloween decorations for the house. My kids have really enjoyed the 4th of July and Birthday Party ...

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Why not make an apple erupt before you have one for snack?

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Why not make an apple erupt before you have one for snack?

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Erupting apple science for awesome fall activities for kids! After our PUMPKIN- CANO was a big hit, we wanted to try an APPLE-CANO or apple volcano too! Share a simple chemical reaction demonstration the kiddos will love to try over and over again. Fall is an excellent time of the year to put a little twist on classic science experiments. Seasonal themes really get kids excited for science and STEM!

ERUPTING APPLE VOLCANO FOR AWESOME CHEMISTRY FOR KIDS!

Our erupting apple science activity is an awesome example of a chemical reaction, and kids will love this amazing chemistry just as much as adults! This erupting apple science experiment uses baking soda and vinegar for a classic chemical reaction experiment. You could also try lemon juice and baking soda and compare the results! Check out our lemon volcanos too.

We have a whole season of fun apple science experiments for you to try. Doing experiments in different ways really helps to solidify understanding of the concepts being presented.

It might look like play, but it's so much more! Read our newest series on Next Generation Science Standards.

Let's keep it basic for our younger or junior scientists! Chemistry is all about the way different materials are put together, and how they are made up including atoms and molecules. It's also how these materials act under different conditions. Chemistry is often a base for physics so you will see overlap!

What might you experiment within chemistry? Classically we think of a mad scientist and lots of bubbling beakers, and yes there are reactions between bases and acids to enjoy! Also, chemistry involves states of matter, changes, solutions, mixtures, and the list goes on and on.

We will be exploring simple chemistry you can do at home or in the classroom that isn't too crazy, but is still lots of fun for kids!
Check out>>> Chemistry Experiments For Kids
You can easily pair this apple volcano experiment with our parts of an apple activity too and a fun apple theme book or two. Did you know you can also do this volcano experiment with mini pumpkins for later fall and Thanksgiving?
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy STEM challenges.
APPLE VOLCANO EXPERIMENT

Grab your apples! You can check out different color apples too. In fact, if you don't want to waste food, grab some bad apples and give it ago. The first time we did this we took a couple of apples from the orchard that were going to be thrown out anyway.

YOU WILL NEED:

HOW TO SET UP AN APPLE VOLCANO

1. Put your apple on a dish, pie plate, or tray to catch the runoff.

An adult should use a knife to cut a hole or vessel in the top of the apple about halfway down.

2. You can then have the kiddos put a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda into the hole.

Hint: Add a drop of dish soap if you want a foamier eruption! The chemical eruption will produce more bubbles with the added dish soap and create more runoff too!

3. Add a few drops of food coloring if you want. Mix it up and pair different colors with different apples.

4. You will want to pour your vinegar into an easy to use cup for the kiddos. Additionally, you can provide them with eye droppers or turkey basters for extra fun.

Pouring straight from a cup into the apple will produce a more dramatic volcano effect. While using a baster or eyedropper will have a smaller eruption. However, your kids will also have a blast exploring with these science tools.

Check out fizzing red and green apples with all sorts of colors!

BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR REACTION

Chemistry is all about states of matter including liquids, solids, and gasses. A chemical reaction occurs between two or more substances that change and form a new substance, and in this case a gas called carbon dioxide. In this case, you have an acid (liquid: vinegar) and a base solid: baking soda) when combined make a gas called carbon dioxide which produces the eruption you can see.

The carbon dioxide escapes the mixture in the form of bubbles. You can even hear them if you listen closely. The bubbles are heavier than air, so the carbon dioxide collects at the surface of the apple or overflows the apple because of the small vessel we have given it.

In this baking soda apple volcano, the dish soap is added to collect the gas and form bubbles that give it a more robust apple volcano lava like flow down the side! That equals more fun! You don't have to add dish soap but it's worth a try. You can even set up an experiment to see which eruption you like more.

You can experiment with a variety of containers to find your perfect volcano vessel or create a more traditional one. We have enjoyed a variety of volcano projects with different fruits as well as a LEGO volcano and an easy sandbox volcano activity.

MORE FUN APPLE ACTIVITIES

ERUPTING APPLE SCIENCE FOR FALL CHEMISTRY IS A HIT!

Click on the link or on the image below for the best science and STEM all year round!
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy STEM challenges.

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Erupting Apple Science with An Apple Volcano

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Erupting apple science for awesome fall activities for kids! After our PUMPKIN- CANO was a big hit, we wanted to try an APPLE-CANO or apple volcano too! Share a simple chemical reaction demonstration the kiddos will love to try over and over again.

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This family activity requires a small pumpkin.

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This family activity requires a small pumpkin.

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To bring in the start of fall activities we wanted to bring you a fun, easy, and somewhat messy STEAM Challenge that your students are going to love.

The challenge is to make an erupting pumpkin volcano!

What you per class...

What you per student...

What you need to do...

Start by gathering students in one area and hand out the Creator Sheets.

We recommend you do this as a class because it can get messy.

If the weather is nice this is the perfect challenge to take outside!

Ask students if they think it's possible to make a pumpkin explode.

Have students write on their Creator Sheets what it is they already know.

Continue the discussion by asking how, what, and why?

Next have students write down what it is they want to learn from this STEAM Challenge.

Ask students to share what it is they want to learn and keep their answers in mind as you move forward.

Bring out your mini pumpkins and place them on a tray where all students can see.

Get out the baking soda, dish soap, vinegar, and measuring spoon.

Add two spoonfuls of baking soda into the mini pumpkin and a few drops of dish soap.

Ask students what they think will happen when you add the final ingredient, vinegar.

Add the vinegar and get ready for students to be amazed by the erupting pumpkin volcano!

To add an explanation explain to students that the reason for the explosion is due to a chemical reaction.

When the vinegar and the baking soda combine they make carbon dioxide which is what causes the eruption.

Finish by asking students to write down what they learned from the STEAM Challenge.

Have students share and reflect on what they learned. Did they expect the pumpkin to explode?

We would love to see you try this STEM Challenge. Share your results with us through social media!

Happy Making,

Maker Maven

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STEM Challenge - Can You Make A Pumpkin Explode?

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To bring in the start of fall activities we wanted to bring you a fun, easy, and somewhat messy STEAM Challenge that your students are going to love. The challenge is to make an erupting pumpkin volcano! What you per class... What you per student... What you need to do...

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You might want to work on your cup stacking skills while you are home. Time yourself to see how much you improve with practice. Many other great videos to watch at this site.

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You might want to work on your cup stacking skills while you are home. Time yourself to see how much you improve with practice. Many other great videos to watch at this site.

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Sport stacking (also called cup stacking and speed stacking) may look pretty straight forward - upstacking and downstacking x-number of cups in a certain order as fast as possible - but it's the millisecond improvements that the sport stacking pros are chasing.

In this Vox video, The incredible sport of cup stacking, explained, Phil Edwards learns the basics of stacking with Melissa Gomez, Zhewei Wu, and Mark Sykes to find out what drives a stacker to stack, and how they try to improve their times.

Next, learn how to stack: An Individual Cycle Sport Stacking World Record of 5.000 seconds.

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The incredible sport of cup stacking, explained | The Kid Should See This

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Sport stacking (also called cup stacking and speed stacking) may look pretty straight forward - upstacking and downstacking x-number of cups in a certain order as fast as possible - but it's the millisecond improvements that the sport stacking pros are chasing.

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NASA sends rovers to Mars to collect data and carry out scientific studies. The Perseverance Mars rover is designed to take that data collection one step further by gathering rock cores in sample tubes and leaving them on the surface for a future "fetch rover" to collect. The fetch rover would collect the samples and bring them to a Mars ascent vehicle - a rocket that would carry the samples from the surface to orbit around Mars - for eventual return to Earth.

In this project, you will use Scratch, a visual programming language, to create a video game that simulates the way NASA collects samples on Mars!

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Student Project: Code a Mars Sample Collection Video Game | NASA/JPL Edu

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Use Scratch, a visual programming language, to create a video game that simulates the way NASA will collect samples on Mars!

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Mars activity for grades K-2.

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Have you ever wondered how scientists learn what a rock is made of, how it was formed, and when it was formed? In this activity, you'll make your own "rock" and then use simple tools to explore inside!

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Student Project: Explore Rocks Using Core Sampling | NASA/JPL Edu

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Have you ever wondered how scientists learn what a rock is made of, how it was formed, and when it was formed? In this activity, you'll make your own "rock" and then use simple tools to explore inside!

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An example of a family project. Message me if you need any help.

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An example of a family project. Message me if you need any help.

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Do you <3 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Check this out.

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Do you <3 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Check this out.

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade YouTube VR/AR Videos

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Tour 1 The Design Room Tour 2 The Production Room Tour 3 The Workshop & Floats Tour 4 Paint & Balloons Scan or click on the QR codes to virtually visit the Macy’s Parade Studio.

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Navajo Grandma Fry Bread Dough Recipe Episode 2

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A fun family project!

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My preschool students love to make these coffee filter planets!They're just the thing to add to your preschool space theme.

Are you following Fun-A-Day's Space Theme Pinterest board?

Without fail, whenever we learn about space, the questions my students ask are always amazingly thought-out!

These coffee filter planets are one of my favorite space activities to do with them. Best of all, they're full of learning.

How to Make Coffee Filter Planets

I keep calling this a preschool craft, as it has an end goal in mind. However, it is more of a mix of craftiness and process art.

The children don't need to make their coffee filter planets the same we did, and they get to explore what happens when water is absorbed by colorful coffee filters.

Check out the process in the attached video!

Materials

One of the best things about these coffee filter planets?

You can make them with just a few simple materials!

Coffee Filters Paper Plates
Spray bottle filled with water

Contact paper (optional)

Prep for the Planet Suncatchers

Cut the eight planets out of coffee filters. I did this free-hand, and the planets are obviously not scaled correctly!

I left Jupiter, the largest planet, as an intact coffee filter. Then I cut out the rest of the planets in descending order by size. I wanted to have them sized differently to help the kiddos see how the planets compare to each other.

I like to read a lot of fun planet books to the children before we make coffee filter planets, so they have a basic understanding of the solar system first.

Real photos of the planets are a must, too! This craft is a fun way to extend their knowledge and help them order the planets.

Related: Glowing Galaxy Water Bin Space Activity
Making the Coffee Filter Planets

My son really enjoyed testing out the coffee filter planets, and he had so many plans for more ideas to teach the preschoolers about space!

Here are the colors we went with for each planet (based on observations made from books and photos):

Mercury - gray and brown

Venus - yellow and brown

Earth - green and blue

Mars - red and orange

Jupiter - red, brown, orange, and yellow

Saturn - brown and yellow

Uranus - blue

Neptune - blue and purple

Starting with Mercury, have the kids color in the coffee filter planets with markers.

I've found it's best to do this by putting them on individual paper plates.

By using plates, the inevitable maker mess (and the upcoming water mess) is neatly contained!

Related: Galaxy Slime
Once the coffee filters are colored in, let the children spray water onto them.

It's best to thoroughly coat the marker drawings with water without totally drowning the coffee filters.

Related: Starry Night Glitter Art for Kids
Remove the coffee filters from the paper plates and place them on a rack to dry. Of course, if you don't have a rack, no worries! Place them anywhere you have room.

But I've found that they definitely dry faster when they're off of the wet plates.

Once all of the coffee filter planets are dry, put them up in the windows! They make pretty sun catchers, if I do say so myself.

At first, we put them up in the windows with tape, but they didn't stay as well as we'd hoped.

So we placed the planets on a piece of contact paper that's taped up in the window, sticky side out. I made sure the planets were labeled too, of course!

Learning With This Planets Craft

Here's a taste of the early education concepts the coffee filter planets incorporate:

Fine motor skills (coloring and using the spray bottle)

Science (talking about the planets' locations and other details)

Math (discussing colors, ordering the planets from 1st through 8th, and comparing sizes)

Literacy (all of the oral language involved throughout the craft and the words labeling the planets)

(Please note that we didn't include the dwarf planet Pluto when making our space suncatchers. We generally talk some about Pluto, and I personally love this interactive site from NASA about it! If my preschoolers want to include Pluto when they do this activity, they absolutely can!)
Related: Fizzing Planet Science Experiment
Done-for-You Lesson Plans

Save time and get right to the playful learning with Preschool Teacher 101's printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, along with related printables.

Join our waiting list while you're there, so you can be the first to hear when our membership is open next!

Space Lesson Plans

Shape Monster Activities

Circle Time Song Pack

More Space Crafts for Kids

If you and the kids loved the coffee filter planets, here are even more ideas for your preschool space theme:

My Space Book from Powerful Mothering

Rocket Landings Word Families Game from Rainy Day Mum

Space Science Experiments from No Stress Homeschooling

Jupiter's Moons - Counting by 5s from Capri Plus 3

Literacy Activities in the Kitchen: Rocket Pizza from Growing Book by Book

Learning About the Moon: Making Moon Bread from The Educators' Spin On It

Space Scene Play Mat from Fun Learning for Kids

Passport to the Planets: A Science Writing Prompt for Kids from Still Playing School

Originally published April 1, 2015. Post updated to include video and more images.

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Coffee Filter Planets Space Craft for Kids | Fun-A-Day!

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My preschool students love to make these coffee filter planets!They're just the thing to add to your preschool space theme. Are you following Fun-A-Day's Space Theme Pinterest board? Without fail, whenever we learn about space, the questions my students ask are always amazingly thought-out!

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If you have some gourds save them to do this:

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If you have some gourds save them to do this:

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How to Make a Longhouse Out of Pipe Cleaners : Pipe Cleaner Crafts

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To celebrate May the Fourth:

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Play official Star Wars Games! Check out free games from all your favorite Star Wars characters like Yoda and Ezra Bridger.

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Rovers are a kind of carlike spacecraft that NASA uses to explore the surfaces of other worlds! So far, rovers have gone to Mars and the Moon - and one day, they might go even farther. NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024. These astronauts could use rovers to drive across the Moon's surface, carry supplies, and explore the area.

In this challenge, you will build your own rubber-band-powered rover that can scramble across the room. Build your rover out of cardboard, figure out how to use rubber bands to spin the wheels, and use the engineering design process to improve your rover based on testing results.

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Student Project: Make a Cardboard Rover | NASA/JPL Edu

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Rovers are a kind of carlike spacecraft that NASA uses to explore the surfaces of other worlds! So far, rovers have gone to Mars and the Moon - and one day, they might go even farther. NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

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Who doesn't love blowing bubbles? You can blow bubbles year round indoors or outdoors too. Freezing bubbles is definitely on our list of 25 Best Science Experiments to try. Since it's pretty cold here, 19 degrees to be exact, I thought we would see if our bubbles would freeze outside for an extension on our indoor bubble play. Freezing bubbles is pretty cool but not all that easy!

HOW TO FREEZE A BUBBLE ACTIVITY FOR KIDS

BLOWING BUBBLES IN WINTER

Bubble science is real and fun! Read more about the science behind bubbles below. If you like, you can draw snowman on a large cup (see below) and explore bubble science indoors first!
CHECK OUT: Winter Science Activities
My son loves blowing bubbles into great masses! The bigger the better. How big will the bubbles get?

FREEZING BUBBLES

What about freezing bubbles? I suggested we try blowing the bubbles outside to see if it would be different. What would happen since it is so cold outdoors?

I checked the temperature at 19 degrees on our back porch, so we headed out. We were still able to blow great masses of bubbles like indoors. However, we noticed them start to freeze a bit over a few minutes.

Sadly, there was a breeze and since the freezing was not immediate, we would loose our bubbles if a gust came along!

You could see the freezing bubbles change though which was pretty cool. Instead of the very transparent sparkling of the indoor bubbles, they became a bit cloudy {as he called them}. You could tell the bubbles were freezing and forming a shell. This was definitely evident when the freezing bubbles popped and left behind partially frozen pieces of the bubble! We tried the freezing bubbles over and over again to see what would happen until we were too cold to continue. The waiting was the hardest part especially when a good breeze came along just as the freezing bubbles were looking good!

FREEZING BUBBLES RECIPE

YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons of corn syrup

4 tablespoons of dish soap

HOW TO MAKE BUBBLES

Add all the ingredients to a container and mix together.

HOW DO BUBBLES FORM?
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges? We have you covered...

MORE FUN WINTER ACTIVITIES

FREEZING BUBBLES FOR WINTER PLAY

Click on the image below or on the link for more fun winter activities.

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Freezing Bubbles In Winter | Little Bins for Little Hands

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Who doesn't love blowing bubbles? You can blow bubbles year round indoors or outdoors too. Freezing bubbles is definitely on our list of 25 Best Science Experiments to try. Since it's pretty cold here, 19 degrees to be exact, I thought we would see if our bubbles would freeze outside for an extension on our indoor bubble play.

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All occasion ornaments:

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In this adventure, youth take Subbie the submarine through underwater challenges, using code to help him find various items on the ocean floor.

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These coffee filter snowflakes are such a fun craft to make on a snowy winter day! They're really easy to make, they look gorgeous hanging in the window (or anywhere!) and it's a great opportunity for kids to experiment with colour blending. It's a craft and science experiment mixed together in one - and it ends up looking beautiful!

Today was one of those mornings where I woke up in the darkness and made my first cup of coffee - because let's be honest, I'm not doing anything until I have that steaming cup of coffee in my hands.

Then I walked over to the front door and looked out the window to assess how much snow had come down last night (about 6 inches!). I smiled at the beautiful blanket of snow that had fallen over the neighbourhood. And I felt grateful for the warm and cozy plaid slippers that were keeping my toes warm on the cold tile.

There's nothing more beautiful than perfect and untouched sparkling snow. Of course, the untouched snow doesn't last very long with the kids around!

They were out there in no time making tracks all over the front lawn as we were getting ready to walk to school. But of course, when I look out the window now and see all their tracks, I still smile knowing how excited they are to finally have snow out there!

Check out our video for how to make Coffee Filter Snowflakes:

If you're loving coffee filter crafts, here's a few more of our favourites:
DIY Coffee Filter Flowers
How to Make Coffee Filter Snowflakes

This craft is so perfect for a cold winter day! Here's a list of affiliate links similar to the supplies I used:

I bought the coffee filters at the dollar store. The coffee filter size doesn't really matter, but we used the smaller size meant for 4 to 6 cup coffee makers. (The larger size might look too big hanging in the window?)

I recommend giving each child a cookie sheet to colour their coffee filter on. It really helps contain the mess!

We chose wintery colours for our snowflakes - blues, purples and pinks and they ended up looking SO PRETTY! You can of course use whatever colours you like, but the winter colours really do make them look beautiful.

Since the colours are going to blend, it really doesn't matter what you draw onto the coffee filters. Just keep in mind that the more marker you use to cover the coffee filter (less white space is better), the brighter the colour will be when you're done. And if you want to see what happens when you use dark colours, check out our coffee filter bats.

You can see how the patterns changed before and after adding water/drying in the photos below:

Use an eye dropper (a small measuring spoon will also work) to drip water onto the coffee filters.

You want the entire coffee filter to be wet. Just make sure it's not "swimming" in a giant pool of water or it will take forever to dry!

I normally like to take my wet coffee filters into the sunshine to dry. But seeing as there's 6 inches of snow out there, it wasn't exactly an option.

How to Dry the Coffee Filters

You have two choices:

1. You can leave them overnight to dry (or longer if they are really wet).

OR

2. I figured out that you can put them in the oven to dry! (I'm excited about this discovery because it saves sooooooooo much waiting time!). But it will only work if your oven will heat to a super low temperature. I dried mine in the oven at 115F (yes, Fahrenheit) and it only took about half an hour (I tried a second time at 120F and it only took 20 minutes). DO NOT dry them at an oven temperature much higher than mother nature would give you outdoors. Keep an eye on them and take them out of the oven as soon as they're dry so the edges don't curl up too much.

Once they are completely dry - and it's important that they are completely dry or your fingers will get really messy - You can fold them into a triangle to make the snowflake pattern.

How to Fold the Coffee Filters

See the photo below:

1. Fold the coffee filter in half.

2. Then fold the right corner of the coffee filter to the left so that it is 1/3 of the way over.

3. Fold the left corner of the coffee filter so that the edges line up on the right. (If you open it up to check, you should have perfect thirds.)

4. Fold the coffee filter in half one last time.

This method of folding will give you a snowflake with 6 points - Did you know that all snowflakes have 6 points!?

If it's too tricky for your little ones to get the edges to line up, you can follow a similar method, but simply fold the coffee filter in half 4 times. This will give you a snowflake with 8 edges. Perhaps not as scientifically accurate, but easier for kids to fold and still beautiful.

Next cut out the pieces from your folded coffee filters to make your snowflakes! It's always a surprise when you open them up to see the beautiful patterns you've made!!

On a side note, after I opened up my snowflakes, I ironed them between two sheets of parchment paper using the lowest iron setting, just so they'd lie flat.

Be creative with the patterns you choose! You can cut half circles, half hearts, half diamonds, half tear drops, and all sorts of other shapes to make a beautiful snowflake! When you cut the tip off, it will give you a hole in the center.

Below are photos of what my snowflakes looked like before and after opening them up. So pretty!

How beautiful are these coffee filter snowflakes!? They make me smile just looking at them!

I love how the blues and pinks and purples look just like the sparkle you see on real snowflakes in the sunshine!

The blended colours look so pretty!

When you're done making them, you can use a little bit of transparent tape to hang them in the window.

They make beautiful sun-catchers and are a festive little winter decoration.

These coffee filter snowflakes are so easy to make and they are SO PRETTY! This is such a fun winter craft idea! A great activity for a snow day but simple enough to do in the classroom at school. These snowflakes make beautiful sun catchers and are a great Christmas decoration that can stay up all winter long!

Here's some more coffee filter craft inspiration:

For more fun craft ideas, check out our new book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids for 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!

You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books- A- Million | Indiebound | Indigo | Amazon Canada

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How to Make Coffee Filter Snowflakes | A Simple Kids Craft for Winter

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These coffee filter snowflakes are such a fun craft to make on a snowy winter day! They're really easy to make, they look gorgeous hanging in the window (or anywhere!) and it's a great opportunity for kids to experiment with colour blending.

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A fun family activity.

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Make your own Christmas wrapping paper design with these Harry Potter themed potato stamps | Wizarding World

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Our latest craft video makes good use of our favourite carb of Christmas dinner: potatoes! Enjoy our festive guide that teaches you how to make your own wrapping paper with Wizarding World prints!

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Become a snowflake scientist. You will need a magnifying glass or a smart phone with a magnifying app.

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Become a snowflake scientist. You will need a magnifying glass or a smart phone with a magnifying app.

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Not all snowflakes look like six pointed stars. Many do, but there are also quite a few odd-looking crystals falling from the winter clouds. You will see them if you go out looking, but it helps if you know what to look for. On this page we examine a few examples from the snow crystal menagerie.

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This is for grades K-2. My favorites are The Cat in the Hat activities.

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This is for grades K-2. My favorites are The Cat in the Hat activities.

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Learn about building and engineering and play games with your favorite PBS KIDS characters like Elinor Wonders Why, Ready Jet Go!, Hero Elementary, and Team Hamster!

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There is a lot here for kids in grades 3-5 to explore and try.

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There is a lot here for kids in grades 3-5 to explore and try.

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What is design? How does it affect our daily lives? Join KidsThinkDesign as we travel the world to observe how good design is alive in communities across the world. Our first stop is New York City, international arts center and home of National Design Week.

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Choose to watch, design, build, or game.

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Choose to watch, design, build, or game.

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Be creative and help people with engineering at DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL. Watch videos, play games, try activities, and share designs with the community.

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Spring is here! Our STEM Challenge is a great way to invite students to practice the scientific method in a way that will get them excited for the new season.

For this challenge, students must engineer a rainbow with the given materials.

Are you up for the challenge? Can you engineer a rainbow?

What you need per group...
What you need to do...

Start by breaking students up into groups of three to four.

Tell students that the objective of this challenge is to engineer a rainbow out of the materials provided.

Give each group of students the materials needed.

Have students write their group name on their Creator Sheets and ask them which liquid they think will dissolve the jelly bean colors faster, have them talk in their group and write down their prediction.

Tell students to start by arranging 20 jelly beans into a rainbow color pattern around the edge of each paper plate.

Have each group start by pouring the water into the center of one paper plate.

Once all groups have poured the water onto the paper plate have them set their timers.

Have students observe what is happening as the water disperses. They should draw what they are seeing.

A fun way to have students observe what is happening is to have them capture photos as the colors begin to dissolve. This is a great way to have them reference back too.

As soon as all the colors have met the center, have groups stop their timers.

Now have students repeat the same-steps above, but with the vinegar.

Invite students to note any differences they see between the two experiences.

To end, have students write down on their Creator Sheet if their prediction was correct, and ask them if they could go back what would they do differently.

We would love to see you try this STEM Challenge. Share your results with us through social media!

Happy Making,

Maker Maven

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STEM Challenge - Can You Engineer A Rainbow?

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Spring is here! Our STEM Challenge is a great way to invite students to practice the scientific method in a way that will get them excited for the new season. For this challenge, students must engineer a rainbow with the given materials. Are you up for the challenge?

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This is so much fun!

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‘Create your own Google logo’ is part of the ‘Create your own Google logo’: ‘Create your own Google logo’ lesson from CS First, one of the many Google initiatives focused on computer science education.

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Siblings can work together. Straws, tape, and index cards needed.

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Our STEM Challenge for the week focuses on engineering. Students in this challenge are going to build a bridge that can hold pennies.

We want to really challenge them and see if they can build a bridge out of straws, scotch tape, and index cards that can hold 100 pennies for at least 30 seconds!

Think you are up for the challenge?

What you need..

What you need to do...

Before students start building have each student brainstorm three ways they think might work for building their bridge to hold 100 pennies for at least 30 seconds.

Once students are done brainstorming have them pair up with another student.

In pairs let students discuss how they think they can build their bridge to hold the pennies.

Have each student choose one of their three brainstormed methods and give students all the materials they are going to need.

We recommend at least 10 straws and index cards per student.

When students are done building and they feel their bridge is ready to be tested have each student come to the front of the room and give their bridge a try to see if it meets our challenge!

We would love to see you try this STEM Challenge. Share your results with us through social media!

Happy Making,

Maker Maven

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STEM Challenge - How Many Pennies Can Your Bridge Hold?

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Our STEM Challenge for the week focuses on engineering. Students in this challenge are going to build a bridge that can hold pennies. We want to really challenge them and see if they can build a bridge out of straws, scotch tape, and index cards that can hold 100 pennies for at least 30 seconds!

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Straw rockets are fun on their own, but when you add a STEAM challenge you make them even better! The challenge is to see how far you can make a paper rocket fly with one puff of air.

What you need per student...

Additional....

What you need to do...

Start by taping the measuring tape to the floor and make sure students have all the materials needed.

Explain to students that for this challenge they must build a straw rocket using the materials provided and it must travel as far as possible.

Have students make and write down a hypothesis about how far they think their straw rocket will travel.

Now time to brainstorm! Tell students that there is no wrong or right way to build their rocket.

Here is a super easy way to make a straw rocket for reference:

Cut a piece of paper in to a 2″ by 4″ piece.

Decorate the piece of paper.

Roll the paper strip loosely around the straw.

Tape the roll along the edge to keep it rolled.

Fold the top of the paper tube down and tape it.

Ask students how they will you build a straw rocket that can travel far. Once they have their idea have them draw it on their worksheet.

At this point have students start to build their straw rocket. Go around the room and assist students as needed.

To experiment have students stand on one end of the measuring tape and use on puff of air to launch their straw rocket!

Help them measure how far their straw rocket went. Have them record their data.

Once all students have tested out their straw rockets have a class discussion about students hypotheses. Answer any questions students may have and have them write their analysis from the challenge.

Finally have them answer if their hypothesis was correct

Who had the winning straw rocket? Make sure the class gives them a congratulations!

We would love to see you try this STEM Challenge. Share your results with us through social media!

Happy Making,

Maker Maven

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Straw rockets are fun on their own, but when you add a STEAM challenge you make them even better! The challenge is to see how far you can make a paper rocket fly with one puff of air. What you need per student... Additional.... What you need to do...

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Exacto knife needed.

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Make a "camera," and learn how a real one works!

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Here's an easy paper plate craft for kids- a Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch! This craft is perfect for a unit on American symbols or for the 4th of July.

Do your kids enjoy dressing up? Mine absolutely LOVE it! Lucy and Theo especially love dressing up in costumes they've made themselves.

With the Fourth of July almost here, we thought it would be so much fun to dress up like The Statue of Liberty! Here's how to make a crown and torch from paper plates. (This post contains affiliate links.)

Materials for Crown and Torch

Directions for Making the Crown

1. Cut off the bottom of a paper plate. (Save this little piece to make the spikes on the crown later on. I was able to get two spikes from each little piece so you'll need about 4 total.)

2. Cut out the center of the plate. (Save this piece to make flames for the torch. Each piece can make one flame piece. You can make as many as you want depending on how you want your finished torch to look.)

3. Do this for all your paper plates.

4. Paint the crown and spike pieces a greenish-blue gray. We started with white paint. Then we added some green. When we were happy with that color, we added a few drops of black paint to give it a grayish hue.

5. Set the pieces aside to dry. (This would also be a good time to paint the base of your torch- the cardboard tube- since it is the same color as the crown.)

6. Once they are dry, it's time to make the spikes. The Statue of Liberty's crown has 7 spikes (representing the 7 continents and 7 seas). Cut out 7 long triangles from your small scraps to make the spikes. You can either glue or tape them to your crown.

7. Your crown is finished!

Directions for Making the Torch

1. For the flames we used the circles we cut from inside the plate. First, cut out random flame shapes from the circles.

2. Paint them an orange-red to look like fire. We started with orange paint and then added some red to it until we liked the color we had created.

3. You can also add some details with red glitter glue like we did. (We were given ours for free from Craft Project Ideas.)

4. Set your flames aside to dry.

5. Now paint your toilet paper roll the same color you used to paint your crown and allow it to dry.

6. Once everything is dry, it's time to build your torch!

7. Fold your flames in half vertically so when they unfold they remain bent a bit.

8. Cut some slits in the top of your toilet paper roll.

Slip your flames into the slits in the tube one flame at a time. (I also taped each flame from the back to make it more sturdy.)

9. Once you have arranged your flames all around the cardboard tube, you are ready to carry your torch proudly!

Lucy loved wearing her new homemade costume!

If you'd like to learn about the Statue of Liberty, here's a great site. You can take a virtual tour of the monument!

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Crafts for Kids: Make a Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch - Buggy and Buddy

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Here's an easy paper plate craft for kids- a Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch! This craft is perfect for a unit on American symbols or for the 4th of July. Are you following our Patriotic Crafts for Kids Pinterest board? Do your kids enjoy dressing up? Mine absolutely LOVE it!

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Make a cootie catcher. Remember -  the paper must be perfectly square, not rectangular.

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Make a cootie catcher. Remember -  the paper must be perfectly square, not rectangular.

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Learn How to Make an Origami Cootie Catcher!

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Learn how to make an origami cootie catcher, also known as origami fortune tellers, with this easy step-by-step picture tutorial.

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It is May - time to think about planting! How about peas and pumpkins? Here are some tips:

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It is May - time to think about planting! How about peas and pumpkins? Here are some tips:

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Creating a love and knowledge of gardening is a wonderful thing to cultivate in children. Kids love growing, especially when they see results quickly and easily. These vegetables are our top choices to encourage gardening with children. They are easy to grow from seed, which means a quick and cheap project that's sure to satisfy.

Sugar snap peas: Get your garden going early in the season with sugar snap peas. These crispy vegetables will be one of the first ready to harvest in very early spring. The sweet tasting peas can be eaten straight off the vine, and the hulls are tender and sweet.

Radish: The quickest maturing of the cole crops, radishes are ready to be harvested about 30 days from the time you plant your seeds. Kids are often delighted and amazed at the difference between the radish seed and the fruit it produces. They may or may not enjoy eating the peppery vegetable raw, but they will love the experience.

Pumpkins : From small to large, pumpkins are loved no matter which size. Plant these fun vegetables in the late summer for a fall crop. We recommend planting some for carving and some small ones for the best results in baking.

Cucumbers: This cool and crunchy vegetable is a great addition to a kid's garden. Given a support, cucumbers are a very easy vine to grow from seed. They generally take 50-70 days from planting to production, but they are well worth the wait. Be aware the cucumbers hate frost, so plant seeds once all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. If you'd like to get a get a head start on your garden, cucumbers are a wonderful plant for children to start indoors up to 3 weeks before planting outside.

Watermelon: Nearly every child loves melons, especially watermelons. These delicious summer fruits are much easier to grow than you may realize. The vines do not need support; they can grow right on the ground. Make sure they get plenty of water and sunlight. However, do be aware that the vines grow quickly and densely, and can therefore overtake and choke out other plants. Plan ahead! Seeds can be started in a small container or pot and transplanted out after frost, or can be started from seed planted right in the ground after all danger of frost has passed.

Beans: Beans are one of the easiest plants to grow from seed, and they are the perfect plant to observe the growth cycle of a plant. Whether you choose a bush or a vining variety, beans will grow quickly and easily once the warm weather is here to stay. As an added bonus, "eat your beans" becomes much more fun when you grow them yourself!

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Gardening for Children- Growing Vegetables from Seed - Garden.org

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Creating a love and knowledge of gardening is a wonderful thing to cultivate in children. Kids love growing, especially when they see results quickly and easily. These vegetables are our top choices to encourage gardening with children. They are easy to grow from seed, which means a quick and cheap project that's sure to satisfy.

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A tricky but fun folding/cutting/designing activity - make a pop-up house. Rubber cement recommended but glue might do.

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A tricky but fun folding/cutting/designing activity - make a pop-up house. Rubber cement recommended but glue might do.

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Print, fold and color this card and mail it to someone you miss.

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Print, fold and color this card and mail it to someone you miss.

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A simple gesture can mean the world to someone. Download this free greeting card from the Library Shop and share a reminder of the importance of simple joys with family and friends.

Print, fold, and sign!

Product: Free downloadable gift tags, 1 PDF per download

Dimensions: PDFs formatted for 8.5" x 11" paper.

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Library and Garden: Printable Greeting Card

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A simple gesture can mean the world to someone. Download this free greeting card from the Library Shop and share a reminder of the importance of simple joys with family and friends. Print, fold, and sign! Product: Free downloadable gift tags, 1 PDF per download Dimensions: PDFs formatted for 8.5" x 11" paper.

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A fun family activity that will be a lovely keepsake of this time.

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A fun family activity that will be a lovely keepsake of this time.

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While it hasn't been easy being stuck at home (tomorrow is the 3 week mark for my family), this time of being together has definitely been a bonding experience. My family has been spending more time together, we've watched a lot of movies and TV together and have worked on a lot of projects together around the house. So, while being stuck at home isn't ideal, I'm trying to look at the positive that this can bring to our families.

People all over are trying to do the same things. We've all seen the handprint art projects on Pinterest that have various themes depending on the holiday or time of year. Well, now people are doing handprint art to remember what this time was like for their families.

On Facebook and Instagram, people are showing off their creations. Some are just simple paper hand cutouts, one for each family member. Some have phrases, such as. "When the world stayed apart, this was my favourite place to be" or "During a moment of time in which the World needed everyone to stay apart...We stayed in together". While others added in paw prints of the animals that are staying in with them.

While this is a trying time for all of us, it's nice to see that families can look back on this time and remember what they did during this time of togetherness.

RELATED STUCK AT HOME POSTS:

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While it hasn't been easy being stuck at home (tomorrow is the 3 week mark for my family), this time of being together has definitely been a bonding experience. My family has been spending more time together, we've watched a lot of movies and TV together and have worked on a lot of projects together around the house.

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All ages can do the no-sew version, but a little sewing would make it better so see if you have a needle and thread and try a few stitches.

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All ages can do the no-sew version, but a little sewing would make it better so see if you have a needle and thread and try a few stitches.

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We put together a quick and easy tutorial showing how to make a "No-Sew" Covid-19 mask. Since it's hard to find masks during the pandemic, this is a really helpful project. The best part is you don't need a sewing machine. Consider making a few of them for yourself and others.

There is also another variation of No Sew masks that the CDC came out with recently. Check out the CDC tutorial and video here.

Step 1 - Find a Shirt

The first step is to find a long sleeve shirt that you're willing to "sacrifice" for the cause.

Step 2 - Cut Your Shirt

Cut the entire arm off the body of the shirt.

Step 3 - Add The Ear Straps

The next step is to use rubber bands or hair ties for the ear straps. Put them through both ends of the arm and fold the shirt over as shown. You can also tape them in place if needed.

If you don't have any long sleeve shirts, you can cut a regular shirt or bandanna. See the CDC website for instructions.

Hope you found this helpful !

Looking for other projects? Check out our makerspace project kits.

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Make a "No-Sew" Covid-19 Mask - Makerspaces.com

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We put together a quick and easy tutorial showing how to make a "No-Sew" Covid-19 mask. Since it's hard to find masks during the pandemic, this is a really helpful project. The best part is you don't need a sewing machine. Consider making a few of them for yourself and others.

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A DIY from the Gundalow Company.

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In case you have always wanted to have Ravenclaw shoelaces. (I'll have to tell Mrs. Remsen about this..)

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In case you have always wanted to have Ravenclaw shoelaces. (I'll have to tell Mrs. Remsen about this..)

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Our handy guide on how to give your shoes a Ravenclaw-blue twist will surely have you dancing around in joy.

We hope you're watching carefully, for there's a lot of looping to be done here!

Hop to it!

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Watch our guide on how to make your own Ravenclaw shoelaces | Wizarding World

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Our handy guide on how to give your shoes a Ravenclaw-blue twist will surely have you dancing around in joy. We hope you're watching carefully, for there's a lot of looping to be done here! Hop to it!

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Enter the inventing room and build a new machine for Willy Wonka’s factory. All ages.

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Enter the inventing room and build a new machine for Willy Wonka’s factory. All ages.

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Willy Wonka is a master of invention and a chocolate-making genius. His factory is full of weird and wonderful machines making scrumptious and surprising sweets.

He has a waterfall to mix chocolate and a Great Gum Machine covered in hundreds of glass tubes that whizz and splash. He even has a room to make warming-candy that's 'like the engine room of a gigantic old-fashioned ship'. There are humming turbines, huge pistons, wheels and pipes, dials and boilers. Just imagine the sounds they must make!

But, just like Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka is always searching for new ideas. And he thinks YOU can help...
Above: a section of an early draft of the book.
Family challenge

Don your top hats, grab your canes and enter the Inventing Room! Can you make a new machine for Willy Wonka's factory?

Tools you might need

Recycled junk modelling materials. You could try boxes, pots, lids, bottles, tubes... the more interesting the better. (But make sure they're clean. Willy Wonka doesn't want a machine gunked up with old yoghurt and smelling of banana skins!)

Scissors

Building materials like glue or tape. You could also try elastic bands, string or paper fasteners.

Instructions

1. Decide what your factory machine will do. What kinds of sweets will it make? Will they be a brand new kind you've just come up with or another way of making one of Willy Wonka's special sweets?

2. Gather together your tools and get inventing! Investigate putting your recycled bits and bobs together in different ways before you decide on your final machine and stick it together.

3. Unveil your new Wonka machine to family and friends. Wow them with your creative invention!

Extra, extra!

Make it move! Can you make any moving parts for your factory machine? Try adding something that turns, something that moves in and out, and something that opens and closes.

Decorate it. Paint, colour or collage your machine to make it extraordinary. Willy Wonka likes his factory to be bright and mischievous!

Make some warming-candy. Find something small and round, like a marble, bead or grape. Imagine it is a piece of warming-candy. Can you make a machine that your warming-candy will travel through and pop out at the end?

Set up your own factory. Willy Wonka's factory is jam-packed with inventions. Create a few more machines of you own then lead a tour around your factory, just like Willy Wonka. But don't turn anyone into a blueberry.

Join in

When we re-open you can join us for more great craft activities like this! Come and visit us at the Museum in Roald's home-village of Great Missenden.

Share with us

Grown-ups! We'll love to see what you make. Feel free to share your creations with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Willy Wonka is a master of invention and a chocolate-making genius. His factory is full of weird and wonderful machines making scrumptious and surprising sweets. He has a waterfall to mix chocolate and a Great Gum Machine covered in hundreds of glass tubes that whizz and splash.

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Nasa set up a whole website for you to explore! Have fun!

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Nasa set up a whole website for you to explore! Have fun!

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Make an elephant. Or a wooly mammoth. Careful cutting needed.

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Make an elephant. Or a wooly mammoth. Careful cutting needed.

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Here's a fun craft to make a cute elephant from a recycled milk bottle. We used a 2 litre bottle but you could try making different sized elephants from any size.

You will need:

How To Make The Milk Bottle Elephant:

Cut the top off the milk bottle at the bottom of the handle. The handle becomes the elephant's trunk.

Cut out some arches to make legs for the elephant.

Cover the elephant with pieces of tissue paper, sticking it on with PVA glue.

When dry, stick on google eyes

Find more great recycled craft activities for kids on Red Kite Days.

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Recycled Milk Bottle Elephants - Red Kite Days

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Here's a fun craft to make a cute elephant from a recycled milk bottle. We used a 2 litre bottle but you could try making different sized elephants from any size. Cut the top off the milk bottle at the bottom of the handle. The handle becomes the elephant's trunk.

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All ages. This is so fun! (From the author of Astro Nuts in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute.)

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All ages. This is so fun! (From the author of Astro Nuts in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute.)

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All ages. Littles will need help. Download a stop motion app. PLEASE send us your movies!

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All ages. Littles will need help. Download a stop motion app. PLEASE send us your movies!

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Grades 3 to 5 with supervision. AR at home! This looks so cool I'm going to try it! Printer, white card-stock paper, tape and smartphone needed.

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Grades 3 to 5 with supervision. AR at home! This looks so cool I'm going to try it! Printer, white card-stock paper, tape and smartphone needed.

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Students can print and build their own paper Merge Cube, then download Merge EDU apps for hands-on augmented reality experiences that kids and parents will love. Merge products are simple and easy to use, and even younger students can complete activities with accessibility features like Immersive Reader.

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All ages: Click on the bird to hear its call. Then go outside and listen for birds. Can you ID any?

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All ages: Click on the bird to hear its call. Then go outside and listen for birds. Can you ID any?

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Your browser does not support the audio element.

Click any bird to hear the sounds they make! Click a second time to pause the sound.

Click any bird to hear the sounds they make! Click a second time to pause the sound.

Use our quick, clickable guide for identifying backyard birds by the sounds they make! Chose any of these popular species to hear its typical bird sounds, from vocalizations of parrots to the chirping of songbirds. As you?re gardening in your backyard or wandering in the woods, you might be able to use our guide to identify a few distinctive bird calls. Identification of songbird sounds has a rich history; in the past, it was fairly complicated and frequently required mnemonics. For instance, the blue jay is recognized for singing ?queedle, queedle, queedle,? and the mourning dove sound can be written as ?hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo.? The northern flicker sounds like ?squeechu-squeechu-squeechu,? which might be easy to confuse with ?queedle? unless you?ve heard it in the wild yourself! It?s also helpful to consider where you are when you?re trying to identify birds; check out the maps to see if a particular bird is actually found in your area.

Today, identification is easier when you can listen to birds singing in short sound clips. Click a bird to hear birds tweeting their ?language.? Note that some of these birds have different sounds based on the situation, too. For instance, many songbirds have an ?alarm? noise along with its normal tittering that can sound a little different. Tweets can also have a different tune than full calls. But this list of 50 birds should certainly be able to get you started!

There are plenty more migratory bird sounds to discover, too. If you really want to become a pro bird-sound-identifier, you'll want to learn more about the pitch, rhythm, and repetition of birdsong!

Embed this image on your site:
Sources:

"Asian Koel warbles.ogg" by Jappalang (Wikimedia.org)

"Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula artica) (W1CDR0001416 BD3).ogg" by The British Library (Wikimedia.org)

"Hirundo rustica - Barn Swallow - XC83449.ogg" by Jonathon Jongsma (Wikipedia.org)

"Poecile atricapillus - Black-capped Chickadee - XC70185" by Jonathon Jongsma (Wikipedia.org)
"120323-010-canada_geese.wav" by reinsamba (FreeSound.org)

"Cardinal.wav" by CGEffex (FreeSound.org)

"Koekoek.mp3" by haysmitts (FreeSound.org)

"Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) (W1CDR0001461 BD5).ogg" by British Library (Wikimedia.org)

"Bird Whistling, Robin, Single, 13.wav" by InspectorJ (FreeSound.org)

"Flamingo Calls, Esemble, A" by InspectorJ (FreeSound.org)

"2012_4_13_lark.wave" by reinsamba (FreeSound.org)

"Horned Owl Sound" by Mike Koenig (SoundBible.com)

"house_sparrows.wav" by soundbytez (FreeSound.org)

"120406-000_Hyacinth_Macaw_zoo.wav" by reinsamba (FreeSound.org)

"magellanic_penguin.wav" by soundbytez (FreeSound.org)

"Zenaida macroura vocalizations - pone.0027052.x009.oga" by Francis C. Ortega C, Cruz A (Wikimedia.org)

"Nightingale song.wav" by reinsamba (FreeSound.org)

"Coloptes auratus.ogg" by Tony Phillips (Wikimedia.org/SunySB.edu)

"Mimus polyglottos.ogg" by ZooFari (Wikimedia.org)

"sw_bird_sounds.wav" by jppi_Stu (FreeSound.org)

"20080728.peacock.wav" by dobroide (FreeSound.org)

"Dryocupus.pileatus.ogg" by Tony Phillips (Wikimedia.org/SunySB.edu)

"Agelaius-phoeniceus-001.ogg" by Anonymous (Wikimedia.org)

"20071229.cooing.wav" by dobroide (FreeSound.org)

"Ravens.mp3" by kentdavies959 (FreeSound.org)

"Rooster, Crowing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (FreeSound.org)

"Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) (W GALLINAGO GALLINAGO R3 C5).ogg" by the British Library (Wikimedia.org)

"Turdus.philomelos.ogg" by Daniel71953 (Wikimedia.org)

"20080411.tordo.wav" by dobroide (FreeSound.org)

"Swifts.wav" by inchadney (FreeSound.org)

"Sterna-hirundo-022.ogg" by Anonymous (Wikipedia.org)

"Catharus fuscescens - Veery XC128637" by Jonathon Jongsma (Wikipedia.org)

"Swan at lake late at night" by jus (FreeSound.org)

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50 Bird Species and the Sounds They Make

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Your browser does not support the audio element. Click any bird to hear the sounds they make! Click a second time to pause the sound. Click any bird to hear the sounds they make! Click a second time to pause the sound. Use our quick, clickable guide for identifying backyard birds by the sounds they make!

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All ages. Can be done in or outside with pencils or chalk. Send us pics of what you come up with please.

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All ages. Can be done in or outside with pencils or chalk. Send us pics of what you come up with please.

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Observe how shadows will change size and direction depending on the position of the object or the light source in this live-action video from PEEP and the Big Wide World. Use the resource to help students identify and describe evidence-based claims about light sources and their relative position to an object and to carry out shadow investigations.

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All ages: Marbles and sand needed. Make a marble run. Try to predict which marble will win before you release them. You might want a stop-watch too.

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All ages: Marbles and sand needed. Make a marble run. Try to predict which marble will win before you release them. You might want a stop-watch too.

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Jelle's Marble Runs: Sand Marble Rally 2018 - Race 1

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Grades K to 3: Can you make these paper dolls and put on a show? Printer and scissors needed.

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Grades K to 3: Can you make these paper dolls and put on a show? Printer and scissors needed.

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Grades 2>: Ask your parents to give you veggie and fruit scraps before they toss and see if you can re-grow them. Here are some ways to try:

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Grades 2>: Ask your parents to give you veggie and fruit scraps before they toss and see if you can re-grow them. Here are some ways to try:

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Article

Gardening & Healthy Living

Growing tasty, healthy produce from clean kitchen scraps isn't garbage gardening. It can save money, cut down on food waste, and teach valuable lessons about nature and sustainability. From celery and onions to beets and ginger root, scraps often have plenty of life left. They just need a chance to avoid the compost pile.

Growing plants from "inedible" parts isn't that unusual. Gardeners routinely grow crops from pieces of plants. Garlic, for example, is grown from single cloves, and tomatoes and peppers can be started from salvaged seeds. Even new potatoes are grown from their sprouting "eyes."

To try your hand at this fun project, start with the following simple-to-grow scraps. You can also experiment with other vegetables by following the instructions for veggies that grow in the same or a similar way. Grow your new food indoors in decorative saucers or containers year-round, or move them outside to your garden in spring.

Both lettuce and celery scraps root and regrow easily from their bases.

Leafy vegetables that grow in heads, such as celery, romaine and bok choy, are some of the easiest scraps to grow. Just cut off the plant's base, which you normally wouldn't eat, so you have a piece about 1 inch tall. Place it cut side up in a shallow saucer, and then add 1/2 inch of water. Refresh the water regularly, and get ready for harvestable greens.

Leafy scraps will grow in water on a sunny indoor windowsill year-round. You can also transplant them from water into soil as soon as they show roots and new green growth. Use a decorative, soil-filled container or plant directly into warm garden soil. Plant your scrap so that soil covers the roots and base, but the top of the rooted scrap stays exposed. 1,2

The rooted base of onion and celery grow quickly in shallow water.

Veggies with swollen, bulb-like bases root easily when following steps similar to those for leafy vegetables. For green onions, leeks, fennel and lemongrass, cut off the end with the tiny roots so you have a scrap about 1 inch tall. Place it root end down in water 1/2 inch deep. Be sure the water covers the roots, but not the top. Keep water fresh, and a supply of shoots will follow. 1,3

For mature bulb onions, scraps grow best when planted directly into soil instead of water. Cut your root base about 1 inch thick, and then plant it in a soil-filled container or into your outdoor garden. As with leafy vegetable scraps, cover the roots and base with soil, but keep the top exposed. ¹

With vegetables such as turnips and beets, the root gets eaten and the top part, where leaves once grew, gets thrown away. These top scraps regrow tasty leaves for fresh salads or sautés. Cut off the top, but leave 1/2 inch of the beet or turnip attached. Place the scrap in shallow water, cut side down and leaf end up, and fresh greens will soon appear.

Another easy-to-regrow scrap is ginger root, which regrows quickly in soil. If your scrap still has a fresh, wet cut, let it dry at room temperature overnight. Then plant the root scrap 1 inch deep in soil. Ginger is a tropical plant that can bear unusual, striking blooms. Plant it in a container, and it can live for years indoors. When you want ginger in the kitchen, gently pull up a root and leave the rest for another time. ²

Many citrus fruits grow well from castoff seeds. Citrus that excel in containers, such as key lime, are particularly simple to start. Instead of tossing seeds, clean them well and keep them moist. Plant them 1/2 inch deep in a soil-filled container, and then cover the planter with plastic to create a mini-greenhouse until the seeds sprout. Fruit trees can take several years to mature to bear fruit, but they make fragrant, flowering houseplants in the meantime. 2,1

Avocados regrow easily in water. Just clean the pit well, and then stick three or four toothpicks into it, evenly spaced about one-third of the way down from the pointy end. Sit the pit on a glass or watertight container, so that the toothpicks support it on the rim. Add enough water to cover the pit's bottom half, and refresh water regularly. Once the pit has roots and a sprout, transplant to a container with soil. Keep the top half of the pit above the soil line, while the bottom half goes below. 1,2

Turn an avocado pit into a productive tree with a few toothpicks and a little time.

Once you plant your newly rooted scraps into the garden, or your container plants move outside into summer sun, handle them just like the other vegetables and fruits you grow outdoors. Regular watering and natural-based fertilizers help provide extra nutrients. For help controlling unwanted outdoor insect pests, turn to trusted pesticides such as GardenTech® Sevin® insecticides.

Whatever type of pesticide you pick, always read the label and match your plant and pest problem to the product. Follow guidelines for treatable plants and the time needed between treatment and your harvest, known as pre-harvest intervals or PHI. For example, Sevin ® Insect Killer Ready to Use treats lettuce up to one day before you harvest, but needs seven days between application and harvest for garlic or onions.

By growing food from kitchen scraps, you can connect with nature, reduce food waste and have some fun, too. GardenTech® brands are here to help you enjoy the rewards of growing - and regrowing - your own food.

Once scraps root and tops grow, transfer new plants to pots or outdoors.
* Always read product labels thoroughly and follow instructions carefully, including guidelines for treatable plants and pre-harvest intervals.

GardenTech is a registered trademark of Gulfstream Home and Garden, Inc.

Sevin is a registered trademark of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.

Sources:

1. Smithsonian Gardens, " Don't Pitch It, Plant It!," Smithsonian Institution.

2. Kirkman, Ray, " Plants from Kitchen Scraps: Fun for All Ages," Missouri Botanical Garden.

3. Office of Sustainability, " Growing Food From Scraps,", Temple University.

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How to Grow Fruits and Vegetables From Table Scraps

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Gardening & Healthy Living Growing tasty, healthy produce from clean kitchen scraps isn't garbage gardening. It can save money, cut down on food waste, and teach valuable lessons about nature and sustainability. From celery and onions to beets and ginger root, scraps often have plenty of life left.

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Grades 2 to 5: This is tricky. Can you build this house? Printer, tape or glue stick, and scissors needed.

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Grades 2 to 5: This is tricky. Can you build this house? Printer, tape or glue stick, and scissors needed.

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Grades 3 - 5 with supervision: Try making paper. Blender needed. Or just explore this excellent museum website.

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Grades 3 - 5 with supervision: Try making paper. Blender needed. Or just explore this excellent museum website.

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Today we take paper for granted, but it was once a treasured item. Discover this ancient secret by making your own paper using everyday items!

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I'll be listening to lots of podcasts. Here's one for curious kids. Listen and see what you wonder about...

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I'll be listening to lots of podcasts. Here's one for curious kids. Listen and see what you wonder about...

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Tell us what you'd like to learn about.

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But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. It's a big interesting world out there.On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.Have a question? Send it to us!

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All ages. You will need a printer, paper, scissors and stapler. 

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All ages. You will need a printer, paper, scissors and stapler. 

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Scroll down for a template to draw your own animated flipbook.

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You'll need:

* Printer
* Printer paper (the thicker the better, but regular printing paper will do!)
* Scissors
* Stapler

Download the Karate Cat pages!

Instructions

1. Print out all of the pages. If you would like to loop the animation, print out another set of pages.
2. With scissors, cut along the dotted lines.
3. Arrange the images in numerical order - you will see the numbers in the top left corner.
4. Once the pages are in a neat stack, staple the left side edge of the pages.
5. Now you have made a flip book. Use your thumb to flip through the pages and watch the Karate Kitten show off some skills!!

We have also included a blank template for you to make your own flip book! Draw your own character or object and adjust it a little bit at a time in each frame so you give the illusion that it's moving. Once you're finished, cut along the dotted lines and staple!

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Printer * Printer paper (the thicker the better, but regular printing paper will do!) * Scissors * Stapler Download the Karate Cat pages! 1. Print out all of the pages. If you would like to loop the animation, print out another set of pages. 2. With scissors, cut along the dotted lines.

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This is a computer skills lesson. Follow the directions of the tech teacher.

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This is a computer skills lesson. Follow the directions of the tech teacher.

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Using the website Switch Zoo to create imaginary animals

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For grades 3 - 5: We've talked a lot about recycling / re-using in Maker Lab. Here's a fun family craft using gum wrappers. Check out the one in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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For grades 3 - 5: We've talked a lot about recycling / re-using in Maker Lab. Here's a fun family craft using gum wrappers. Check out the one in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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Creating gum wrapper chains is a fad that started in Canada in the 1960s. However, nearly a half-century later, it is still as popular as ever -- even permitting one man to make it into the Guinness World Records by having the longest chain of gum wrappers to date.

About Gum Wrapper Chains

Similar to candy wrapper crafts, creating projects out of gum wrappers is a great way to recycle what otherwise would have been thrown away. This project uses discarded chewing gum wrappers that are folded and linked together to make a chain. No tools or adhesives are needed.

Related Articles

One wrapper makes two links (or four depending on how thick of a chain you want), and it's best to use the outer wrapper of a stick piece of gum rather than an inner foil wrapper or both wrappers together. Smaller wrappers, such as those used with Trident or Ice Breakers Ice Cubes, will not work with this type of gum wrapper project. Typical types of gum wrappers than can be used in a chain include:

Beemans

Clove

Fruit Stripe

Big Red

Doublemint

Ice Breakers

Juicy Fruit

Wrigley's Spearmint

Black Jack

World Record Holder

Imagine spending 45 years on a single craft with its end result being a project that makes into the record books. That's what happened to Virginia Beach, Virginia, resident Gary Duschl. On March 11, 1965, he began making a chain using only Wrigley chewing gum wrappers. On March 11, 2010, he had created a chain contained 1.5 million gum wrappers (roughly 3 million links).

It was 12 miles long and weighed 882 pounds. It was the length of 211 football fields. Duschl estimated that this project took him 24,000 hours and used about $105,000 worth of gum. His goal is to keep building the chain until it reaches 26.2 miles, the same length as a marathon.

How to Make a Chain From Gum Wrappers

While the idea may seem complex, the craft itself is actually quite simple. Follow these instructions to make a chain out of gum wrappers:

1. Collect as many different stick gum wrappers as you can. The more variety you have, the more colorful the chain will be.

2. Open the wrapper and place it vertically on a flat surface.

3. Fold it in half horizontally and carefully tear it into two pieces. Some people tear it into four horizontal strips for a thinner chain.

4. Crease the first piece of the wrapper in half lengthwise.

5. Open it up and fold each edge toward the center.

6. Fold it in half lengthwise again so you have one thin piece of gum wrapper.

7. Take both ends and fold them in toward the center until it creates a "prong."

8. Repeat these steps with another torn piece or pieces.

9. Slide the "prongs" of the gum wrapper into the tabs created by the first wrapper.

10. Continue to do this until a chain is made.

More Gum Wrapper Crafts

If making a gum wrapper chain sounds a little too boring, there are other crafts you can create:

Make napkin rings by making smaller chains and connecting the ends together with tape or glue.

If you are really adventurous, try your hand at making a dress out of gum wrappers like this teen did for her prom.

Take some time and weave yourself a gum wrapper purse.

Flickr has an abundance of gum wrapper craft images for you to peruse, including a TV tray and umbrella.

For More Information

You can learn more about gum chain wrappers at the following sites:

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Creating gum wrapper chains is a fad that started in Canada in the 1960s. However, nearly a half-century later, it is still as popular as ever -- even permitting one man to make it into the Guinness World Records by having the longest chain of gum wrappers to date.

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Grades 2 - 5: Choose one of the women on this list and research her life. Do at least one of the suggested activities. Can you make something that commemorates her life (video, collage, puppet, something else..?)

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Grades 2 - 5: Choose one of the women on this list and research her life. Do at least one of the suggested activities. Can you make something that commemorates her life (video, collage, puppet, something else..?)

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Help bring Women's History Month to life by teaching your 5- to 8-year-old child about some amazing women from history and today. For each person of significance, read a picture book and try the related activity ideas. We hope that learning about these role models and connecting with their experiences will inspire your children to break down barriers and face life's challenges with courage and grit.
Activities:
Watch this interview with Misty Copeland to hear about her coming-of-age in the ballet and see clips from some of her most incredible performances, including the one that inspired Firebird.

Misty is a fierce advocate for diverse representation in all mediums. Observe books, toys, and movies that you read, play with, and watch, and see if all races, ethnicities, and genders are equally represented. Do you notice more of one group than others? What do you think needs to change?

Throw on some leggings or a tutu and choreograph your own ballet performance to your favorite song. Misty would be the first to tell you that ballet isn't limited to any one type of music, so choose freely!
Activities:
Despite contributions from women like Ada, women are still underrepresented in STEM fields. With a parent, go online to She Can STEM and read stories about real-life women with fascinating careers in STEM fields. Which career sounds most interesting to you? What activities from these women's childhoods sound fun to try?

Taking a page from Math Geek Mama's book, build a tower with conversation hearts or another favorite snack and try out estimating, measuring, and coming up with techniques to build sturdier towers.

Combine Ada's love for the poetic and scientific by writing a poem about math, science, or computers. Look for inspiration in the picture books and Science Verse.
Activities:
Sacagawea was a member of the Lemhi Shoshone. With your parents, visit Native-Land.ca and put in your address to learn about the Native tribes who first lived in your region.

Check out a foreign-language dictionary from your local library and use it to learn the names of different objects in your house. Translate the names of the objects for your parents or siblings.

Using your tools of choice, create a map of your street or neighborhood, noting as well the different types of flora that exist there.
Activities:
Begin a diary in which you recount the experiences of your day-to-day life. Anne addressed many of her diary entries to her favorite imaginary friend, Kitty. Do you have an imaginary friend or favorite literary character that you might write to?

Visit the Anne Frank House YouTube channel to watch educational videos about Anne's life, and learn more about the concepts of discrimination, prejudice, and antisemitism.

Many brave people helped Anne and her family during a time of great opposition and fear. Why is it important to do the right thing, even when we're scared? How can you help others who might be subjected to prejudice and discrimination?
Activities:
You'll need a blank sheet of white paper and a crayon with no paper covering. Use these to make bark rubbings by putting the paper on the tree trunk and rubbing the crayon over the bumpy surface. Talk about your observations of different designs for different trees.

"Adopt" a tree near your house. Watch it throughout the year. Notice how it changes with the seasons. Draw a picture of it every month for a science journal on your special tree. Discuss how Rachel Carson also observed trees.

Take a nature walk. As you walk, observe and collect interesting things such as pine cones, sticks, stones, and so forth. Use these natural items to make a nature collage.
Activities:
Watch Celia Cruz sing "Contrapunto Musical" and dance along.

Salsa is a style of music and dancing. Listen to more salsa music on Pandora and see which artists you like the best. Don't forget to dance along!

Make homemade rhythm instruments using recycled containers, beads or beans, wax paper, and rubber bands. Create your own salsa music.

Celia Cruz spoke Spanish. If you don't know any Spanish, learn some beginning Spanish words. Try Rockalingua and Basho & Friends videos or Gus on the Go and Spanish School Bus apps.
Activities:
Visit an aeronautics museum in your area. See if you can find a plane that looks like one Amelia Earhart flew.

Have a paper airplane contest. What design flies the farthest? Get folding ideas here.

Put together a balsa wood airplane. Go to the park and pretend you're Amelia Earhart flying across the world.
Activities:
Visit a zoo. Draw pictures and take photographs of the primates. Take notes on your observations.

Watch a short Jane Goodall video about how chimps use tools like humans or Disney Nature's "Chimpanzee" movie.

Pretend play Jane Goodall with your stuffed animals. Add props to make it more realistic such as binoculars, notepad and pencils, and a camera.

Volunteer to help animals at an animal shelter or search for a local community project at Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots website.
Activities:
Use a photograph to inspire your own self-portrait. On a blank sheet of paper, use pencil to sketch your face. Color in with crayon or paint. Then add flowers or other plants around your face.

Color a Frida coloring page here and here.

Download, read, and play the Frida's World app.

Visit a Latino art museum.
Activities:
Using the Braille alphabet on the back jacket cover of Annie and Helen, write a word or sentence about Helen Keller using Braille dots.

Blindfold your child and lead them around the house, making sure to give clear directions so they don't bump into things or fall. Talk about how it felt for them to experience this.

See "The Miracle Worker" play or movie.

Search for an Alabama state quarter to see Helen Keller's image on it. Start a quarter collection.
Activities:
Take a bus ride. Sit at the very back and imagine that you've been forced to sit there. Then, move to the front. Talk about the emotions you feel and how Rosa Parks might have felt.

Reenact Rosa's bus ride with LEGOs or dolls. Act out what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of her famous bus ride.

Unscramble a Rosa Parks picture and color it in. Optional: Use bright colors for a pop art look. Download the directions and picture here.

Activities:
Pretend play with family or friends (or LEGO people) a democratic judicial system. One person gets to be the judge, two people get to be lawyers, and other people can be the people participating in a trial. Lawyers present their arguments to the judge. Topic ideas: speeding ticket, jaywalking, or theft.

Make a "Family Rules" sign for your house. Have everyone contribute to the list of rules then sign at the bottom. Discuss if you have more of a democracy or a monarchy in your family. Who decides what's fair?

Discuss the difference between fair and equal. Use the example of different age children having different bedtimes.
Activities:
Use fancy lettering and bright colors to create a poster of one of Malala's famous quotes. Discuss what the quote means.

Malala grew up in Pakistan. Visit a Pakistani restaurant or make a Pakistani food dish.

Make a thank you card or drawing for a teacher to show gratitude that you and all children in this country can attend school.

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Stories and Activities to Celebrate Women's History Month with Young Readers | Brightly

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Help bring Women's History Month to life by teaching your 5- to 8-year-old child about some amazing women from history and today. For each person of significance, read a picture book and try the related activity ideas.

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For grades 2 - 4: You will need dirty pennies, vinegar and salt.

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For grades 2 - 4: You will need dirty pennies, vinegar and salt.

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Why is the Statue of Liberty green? It's a beautiful patina, but how does it happen? Why not give it a try in your very own kitchen or classroom by making green pennies! This month we have been using pennies quite a bit this month for simple science and St Patricks Day with a sink the pot STEM experiment and an ice melt science activity. Penny science is a classic science experiment for any time learning.

Make Green Pennies and Copper Science Activity

EASY COPPER SCIENCE ACTIVITY AND GREEN PENNIES

I guess it's time for a little science experiment then! This is truly kitchen science because your main ingredients are already in your kitchen pantry. Grab the white vinegar, salt, water, bowl with a good size bottom base, a teaspoon, paper towels, and of course pennies!
Looking for easy science process information and free journal pages? We have you covered...
Get yourself a dozen dull pennies and you can try out a double science activity with both polishing pennies and making green pennies. Either one is a fun science activity in itself but together they make a great science experiment and help kids to further understanding why green pennies and the Statue of Liberty look the way they do!

DULL PENNIES ARE THE BEST TO START WITH...

We know that copper is shiny and bright, so why do these pennies {that are copper} look dull? Well, the atoms in the copper when mixed with oxygen atoms in the air form copper oxide which is the dull surface appearance of the penny. Can we polish it? YES, keep reading!

STEP 1: Prep the green pennies science experiment by filling 2 small bowls with about 1/4 cup of vinegar and a teaspoon of salt each. Mix thoroughly.

STEP 2: Before dropping about 5 pennies into the bowl. Take one and dip it halfway into the bowl. Count to 10 slowly and pull it out. What happened? Add a few more pennies and let them sit for a few minutes. What can you see happening? The mixture of salt and acid {vinegar} dissolves the copper oxide and restores the copper atoms to their shiny state. Make sure to add 6 pennies to the other bowl too.

STEP 3: Now, take the pennies from one bowl and give them a good since and let them dry on a paper towel. Take the other pennies from the other bowl and place them directly on another paper towel. Let's wait and see what happens. Alternatively, you can try out other acids like lemon juice and other citrus juices and see which ones work best!

Can you see the differences between the two groups of pennies, the rinsed and unrinsed pennies? Do you now have some green pennies? I bet you do! Your dull pennies should either be green or polished!
GREEN PENNIES AND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
Your green pennies have what is called a patina. A patina is a thin layer that has formed on the surface of your copper penny from "weathering" and oxidization from the chemical process we just put the penny through. The Statue of Liberty is covered in a thin layer of copper. Because she sits out in the elements and is surrounded by salt water, she has a patina similar to our green pennies. It would be a huge job to polish her!

Cool Science with Green Pennies!

MORE FUN SCIENCE WITH PENNIES
Looking for easy science process information and free journal pages? We have you covered...

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Green Pennies Science Copper Science Experiment

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Why is the Statue of Liberty green? It's a beautiful patina, but how does it happen? Why not give it a try in your very own kitchen or classroom by making green pennies! This month we have been using pennies quite a bit this month for simple science and St Patricks Day with a sink the pot STEM experiment and an ice melt science activity.

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Grades 3 to 5: Log on to Khan Academy and/or Code.org to work on your coding skills:

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Grades 3 to 5: Log on to Khan Academy and/or Code.org to work on your coding skills:

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

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Learning coding on Khan Academy (article) | Khan Academy

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

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For parents: This is a mini - handbook for you. Lots of great ideas adaptable to most K - 5 kids.

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For parents: This is a mini - handbook for you. Lots of great ideas adaptable to most K - 5 kids.

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All grades, younger students will need help. She shares her design. Show us yours! 

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All grades, younger students will need help. She shares her design. Show us yours! 

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HOW TO MAKE A RECYCLED ROBOT!!! (SPRING BREAK HOMEWORK)

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For grades 3 - 5: NH is home to domino artist Havesh5. Study her work here. Using dominoes or drawing out a diagram, plan your own domino design. If possible, film your topple.

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For grades 3 - 5: NH is home to domino artist Havesh5. Study her work here. Using dominoes or drawing out a diagram, plan your own domino design. If possible, film your topple.

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Lily Hevesh is a professional Domino Artist. She designs and builds intricate domino setups/chain reactions for your entertainment on YouTube (Hevesh5), and for commercial projects. Find domino clubs, events, buy dominoes, learn more about the H5 Domino Community, and more.

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For grades 2 - 4: Listen to this story until you can explain why the Statue of Liberty is green, then do the penny activity listed separately.

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For grades 2 - 4: Listen to this story until you can explain why the Statue of Liberty is green, then do the penny activity listed separately.

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Grades 2 -5: A great thing about being home-schooled is choosing your own activities. Scroll through these ideas which include making rock candy!

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Grades 2 -5: A great thing about being home-schooled is choosing your own activities. Scroll through these ideas which include making rock candy!

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Hands-on Science Activities for Kids: OLogy | AMNH

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Get your hands dirty with these activities! On the OLogy website you'll find experiments, coloring books, model-making instructions and more.

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For parents, all grades: Read Rosie Revere, Engineer and designate a spot in your home to have a tinkering station for the duration of at-home schooling. Add new materials often.

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For parents, all grades: Read Rosie Revere, Engineer and designate a spot in your home to have a tinkering station for the duration of at-home schooling. Add new materials often.

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I know you are going to love today's guest post! Anne from Left Brain Craft Brain is introducing a new book (yay!) and sharing an idea of how to expand on it. We love it already right?
Thanks for inviting me over to A Mom With a Lesson Plan today! I'm excited to share one of our recent book adventures... We've fallen in love with a book called Rosie Revere, Engineer and set up a Tinkering Station to go along with it . (This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for helping support our craft supply budget!) It's an inspiring story about a smart little girl who likes to tinker with trash and make amazing contraptions. But her inventions don't always work quite right so she gets frustrated. That is, until a very special family member takes her aside and teaches her that failure is the first step in inventing something spectacular.

Tinkering Station Supplies

It doesn't take much to set up your own Tinkering Station. A few items from the recycling bin and some odds and ends like tape and bolts and you're ready to go. Plus, don't forget a journal and pen so the kids can record their ideas. Here's what I laid out for The Babe:

nuts and bolts

hole punch

tape

rubber bands

old chop sticks

recycled cardboard

recycled bottles

ruler

twine

leftover wheels from a broken toy

journal

pen / markers

Let the Tinkering Begin

What's the goal here? Some open-ended creative play for your kiddo. Just lay everything out, step back and slyly observe 🙂 I have to say, this was one of The Babe's favorite Left Brain Craft Brain projects so far. And because of that, it was really cool to watch her get into it. She's 3 1/2, and hasn't ever really been much of a building kind of kid. Legos? Boring. Blocks? Sometimes. But a tinkering station? She was all over it!

She literally sat down at the station, opened the pen and started drawing her contraption. She said ok, I'm going to build a car, but I should draw it first. Then she tinkered and built a "car". Then she drew it out again, post-build. This mama engineer was so proud of her little engineer for working through a design process all on her own!

Talk About Tinkering

Tinkering open play is a great chance to talk with your kiddo about trial and error and failure. Experimenting helps kids develop logic skills, important for daily life, not just engineering. Some good open-ended questions to ask:

What did you design?

How does it work?

What parts were harder than you expected to design / draw / build / make ?

Does this look and work like what you thought it would when you started? Why or why not?

What would you do differently next time?

Every kid can be an engineer, it just takes trying! As Rosie's Aunt Rose said, "The only true failure comes if you quit." 🙂

Anne from Left Brain Craft Brain is an ex-engineer, current stay-at-home mama writing about crafty ways to encourage creativity (and brain power!) in our kids. Look for projects that give kids the chance to learn about a new subject and do something crafty at the same time, like DIY Recycled Suspension Bridge or How Bubbles Work & 20 Things to Do with Them.

For other fun and educational ideas, follow along with Anne on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

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Rosie Revere, Engineer... Tinkering Station

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I know you are going to love today's guest post! Anne from Left Brain Craft Brain is introducing a new book (yay!) and sharing an idea of how to expand on it. We love it already right? Thanks for inviting me over to A Mom With a Lesson Plan today!

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A parent led STEAM activity: First read Giraffes Can't Dance to students in grades K to 2. Then issue the design challenge.

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A parent led STEAM activity: First read Giraffes Can't Dance to students in grades K to 2. Then issue the design challenge.

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For grades 3 to 5: You need paper and a glue stick. After you get the hang of the folding, try again and get fancy! Let's see what you can create! (Have you read The First Rule of Punk by Celia Perez?)

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For grades 3 to 5: You need paper and a glue stick. After you get the hang of the folding, try again and get fancy! Let's see what you can create! (Have you read The First Rule of Punk by Celia Perez?)

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How to Make a Zine: A Kid-Friendly DIY Guide | Brightly

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Follow along with these simple instructions and you’ll be creating a zine in no time — the perfect project for children looking to express their creativity!

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Listen to this story at least once. Grades K to 3.

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Listen to this story at least once. Grades K to 3.

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ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts - Children's Books Read Aloud

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For 4th and 5th graders: Listen to this podcast by author Jason Reynolds, then if your parent can get you the supplies, make your own hand sanitizer.

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For 4th and 5th graders: Listen to this podcast by author Jason Reynolds, then if your parent can get you the supplies, make your own hand sanitizer.

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Coronavirus PSA: How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town by Jason Reynolds

Episode Summary

There's a new bad guy in town and his name is COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. In a special PSA for The Story Seeds Podcast, Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, gives kids (and grownups!) eight everyday tips for fighting germs and staying healthy, plus an example of a recipe homemade hand sanitizer (for all those slime makers out there). 3/16/2020 Note: This episode has been updated to reflect the new social distancing guidelines. When listening, please alert your kids that in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, now is a good time to hang out with your FAMILY in cozy, germ-free places like YOUR OWN HOME, not to go to your friends homes or have your friends over. Please practice #SocialDistancingNow

Episode Notes

There's a new bad guy in town and his name is COVID-19, AKA, the novel Coronavirus. Although Coronavirus has already made many, many people around the world really sick, you don't have to feel helpless. Information is power. On this special PSA for The Story Seeds Podcast, Jason Reynolds, National Book Award finalist and the 2020 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, inspires us to be everyday superheroes in the fight to stop the spread of Coronavirus. He shares eight simple things kids (and their grownups) can do to fight germs everyday ... plus a recipe for home-made hand sanitizer.

We recommend these additional resources for families & schools
The Coronavirus Outbreak: What Parents Should Know (UNICEF)
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus (NPR) Coronavirus Explained! (for kids) (Dr. Michelle Dickinson aka Nanogirl)
Illustrated free printables for handwashing to the tune of "Frere Jacques" (by cartoonist Lucy Kinsley)
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (PBS for Parents)
Answering Kids' Questions about Coronavirus (Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, also available in Spanish)

Media mentioned in this episode:

Books: Ghost, Look Both Ways, and Stamped by Jason Reynolds and the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
TV & Film: Frozen, The Avengers: Infinity War
About The Story Seeds Podcast
Our podcast celebrates creativity and storytelling by putting kids and their imaginations at the same table with their favorite authors who grow their ideas into original stories. Subscribe to listen to Season One which runs from March 5-July 16, 2020 and features 10 author-kid collaborations and 10 behind the scenes author interviews with our host Betsy Bird. Jason Reynolds will appear later this season along with the original story, Hoo and Wut, that he has grown from 12 year old Irthan's story seed.
Calls to Action
Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club and grow your own stories with the help of our Imagination Lab e-zines!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari.

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.

Show credits

Produced and written by Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani. Scoring, mixing, and sound design is by Ania Grzesik and Matt Boynton of Ultraviolet Audio. Narrated by Jason Reynolds. Music by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

Episode Transcription

Hey Guys,

This is Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. I'm the author of a bunch of stories you may have read, like Ghost and Look Both Ways. My latest book Stamped, which I co-authored with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi,just came out too.

You know, at the heart of a good story is a problem. Think of the stories you know. Many of them have a villain. For example, Prince Hans from Frozen. Thanos from The Avengers. And Voldemort from Harry Potter.

Well, there's a new bad guy in town and his name is COVID-19, AKA, the Coronavirus.

Coronavirus has already made many, many people around the world really sick.

But, you don't have to be superhuman or use magical spells to stop this bad guy. Since it invades your body through your eyes, nose, and mouth, here are 8 simple things you can start doing everyday to keep the Coronavirus away. (Whispers: Remind grownups too!)

One: Greet your friends with an elbow bump instead of your secret handshake

Two: If you see someone picking their nose, slip them a tissue

Three: Sneeze into your elbow, not your hands

Four: Use your knuckles instead of your fingers to press any buttons in public spaces - like elevator doors, doorbells, or buzzers

Five: Wash your hands often, especially before you eat or after you use the bathroom. Soap both sides of your hands and in between your fingers until you see bubbles. Count to 20 or sing the Happy Birthday song from start to finish two times. Then rinse well with warm water.

Six: When you turn the door knob or handle of a bathroom door (or any door for that matter), use your elbow or a paper towel

Seven: Every day, after school, take a minute to wipe down your electronic devices like your phone, tablet or computer with a disinfectant wet wipe.

Eight: We're all human and sometimes we forget to do these things, so make sure you always carry hand sanitizer.

If your local pharmacy or drugstore is running low, you can stir up your own at home. Making hand sanitizer is actually as easy as making slime. Here's one recipe you can try.

You will need:

A quarter cup of aloe vera gel

One tablespoon of melted coconut oil

One tablespoon of rubbing alcohol or a one and a half tablespoons of witch hazel, your disinfectant

10 drops of lavender essential oil

Whisk the aloe and melted coconut oil together and let it cool. Then add the disinfectant of your choice and lavender essential oil to your concoction. And that's it. It's done. You can pour your hand sanitizer into a travel-size squeezy bottle and carry it with you wherever you go.

Speaking of which, now is probably a good time to hang out in cozy, germ-free places where you can watch movies, play games, and even discover the pleasure of listening to podcasts. Like this one, The Story Seeds Podcast :)

So stay healthy and see you later this season on Story Seeds where I'll be growing a story with my buddy Irthan from Brooklyn, New York City!

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Coronavirus PSA: How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town by Jason Reynolds | The Story Seeds Podcast

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There's a new bad guy in town and his name is COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. In a special PSA for The Story Seeds Podcast, Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, gives kids (and grownups!) eight everyday tips for fighting germs and staying healthy, plus an example of a recipe homemade hand sanitizer (for all those slime makers out there).

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For grades K to 3: Storytime LEGO Building - Rosie makes a (failed) helicopter in Rosie Revere, Engineer, so try building a better version with Legos.  After your first try, study your design and figure out how you can make it better. Try again! This video shows just one way to do it.

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For grades K to 3: Storytime LEGO Building - Rosie makes a (failed) helicopter in Rosie Revere, Engineer, so try building a better version with Legos.  After your first try, study your design and figure out how you can make it better. Try again! This video shows just one way to do it.

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How To Build Lego HELICOPTER  - 10681 LEGO® Creative Building Cube Creations for Kids

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Make some sidewalk paint. You will need corn starch, food coloring and paint brushes.

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Make some sidewalk paint. You will need corn starch, food coloring and paint brushes.

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With summer here in full force, it's time to bring out the warm weather activities! Sidewalk chalk couldn't be more fun and perfect for your driveway, wood fence, or back deck. With this DIY recipe, kids get to make and take their own crafty chalk. So much fun in the creating and the decorating!

Take summer fun to a new level with this easy DIY sidewalk chalk paint recipe! Sidewalk chalk is a classic activity that kids love to take outdoors during summer. There are so many ways to play and learn with chalk which makes it a super versatile and affordable activity for summer. This recipe is super easy to make and only takes a few simple supplies that are most likely already in your pantry. It's a new take on the classic sidewalk chalk but your kids will love it. They will have a great time doing art on your sidewalk or patio!

This DIY sidewalk chalk paint is so easy to make! Grab some cornstarch and food coloring from your kitchen and you are ready to make some sidewalk chalk paint!

Supplies:

Cornstarch

Water

Measuring Cups

Mixing bowl

Food Coloring

Paint Brushes

Muffin Tin or Small plastic bowls

Instructions:

How to make sidewalk chalk paint

1. add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of cornstarch.

2. Mix until there are no clumps of cornstarch and then pour the mixture into the cups of muffin tin or into small plastic containers.

3. Next add a few drops of food coloring to each cup and mix until blended.

That's it!
TIP: If you don't have food coloring handy, try mixing in some tempera paint.
Now hand off to your kids with a couple of paint brushes and let them create!

This sidewalk paint goes on wet but as it dries the colors really pop out at you! My kids love to paint our back patio or pick rocks from the garden to paint on. I like that it just washes right off. We haven't had any issues with the food coloring staining the sidewalk. It always washes right off.

What I really love about this sidewalk chalk paint recipe is that it works really well on all sidewalk types. We have a rocky sidewalk and patio area which makes using typical sidewalk chalk difficult and not very fun for my kids. Regular chalk is hard to get a smooth line and usually takes several tries to get it to show up. Thankfully this sidewalk chalk paint goes on smoothly and leaves a bright line as it dries!

So pretty! It's normal for the colors appear a bit watery when the kids begin painting but don't worry! They dry vibrant and your kids will have a great time covering your sidewalk with masterpieces! Make it today!

More Sidewalk Chalk Ideas:

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DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint for End of Summer | Make and Takes

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With summer here in full force, it's time to bring out the warm weather activities! Sidewalk chalk couldn't be more fun and perfect for your driveway, wood fence, or back deck. With this DIY recipe, kids get to make and take their own crafty chalk. So much fun in the creating and the decorating!

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Along with building bridges, this is the perfect Lego challenge for Portsmouth kids.

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Along with building bridges, this is the perfect Lego challenge for Portsmouth kids.

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Challenge: This challenge is to construct unsinkable ships. Fill a sink with a tub of water, and ask students to create ships that must endure the "ocean" waves and lots of heavy cargo. The students should be given multiple trials to see if their ship kept the passengers in, and water out.
Engineering Goals:
Learn about buoyancy and how to design objects that will float
Leader Instructions/Tips:
Have various weights to add to students boats. Start with the lighter weights, and see how much can be added to each design. Then ask students to refine their idea and see if they can support more cargo each time.

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Boat Building - Educating Young Engineers

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Challenge: This challenge is to construct unsinkable ships. Fill a sink with a tub of water, and ask students to create ships that must endure the "ocean" waves and lots of heavy cargo. The students should be given multiple trials to see if their ship kept the passengers in, and water out.

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Make a batch of play dough for your self or for your little brothers / sisters.

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Make a batch of play dough for your self or for your little brothers / sisters.

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How to Make Playdough WITHOUT Cream of Tartar and No Cook! Play doh

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Go fly a kite!! You will need to find some sticks, string, and newspaper. A paper bag might work. Get some help with the cutting and measuring. Wait for a windy day.

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All ages, younger students will need assistance: Go fly a kite!! You will need to find some sticks, string, and newspaper. A paper bag might work. Get some help with the cutting and measuring. Wait for a windy day.

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How to Make a Newspaper Kite | DIY Kite | Crafts for Kids

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Learn how to make a newspaper kite on PBS KIDS for Parents. Building a kite is a great way to explore wind and how it moves things.

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Try taking it outside. Can you find enough sticks to build da Vinci's bridge in your yard?

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Try taking it outside. Can you find enough sticks to build da Vinci's bridge in your yard?

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Here are a couple of science experiments for older students. Compare results with a friend.

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Here are a couple of science experiments for older students. Compare results with a friend.

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Catapults have been used throughout history to launch heavy objects into an enemy's camp and hurl items long distances and over walls. Building your own catapult is a perfect science experiment for learning about tension and seeing firsthand the power that it can create. You can make a simple cotton ball catapult using some basic materials that you may already have in your home. Once you gather your materials, the entire process should take less than five minutes.

Cut off the top of a small box. A long tissue box works well for a catapult. Just use a box cutter to remove the top of the box where the tissues come out, cutting right at the edges. Turn the box upside down. This will be the frame for your catapult.

Make a cut into the box just big enough to insert your spoon handle. The cut should be about 2 inches from one end of the box. Slide the tip of spoon handle into the box. Tape the spoon into place by turning the box on its side and wrapping masking tape around the tip of the handle inside the box. Then, wrap masking tape around the spoon handle outside of the box, just above the top of the box. This will keep the spoon from sliding down into the box as you use your catapult.

Attach two rubber bands to the spoon. Wrap each rubber band around the handle of the spoon and pull one end of the rubber band through the other end to hold it into place.

Attach the rubber bands to the box. You can either tape the rubber bands to the edge of the box on the outside, or you can cut small slits in the box right at the edge and tuck each rubber band into a hole. Place your slits about 1 inch to either side of the spoon. Pull each rubber band so that it gives just enough slack for the spoon to stand upright. Tape the rubber bands to the box. If you have made slits in the box and tucked the rubber bands in, you will be taping them to the inside of the box.

Launch a cotton ball. Just place a cotton ball on the spoon, pull it back until it nearly touches the box and release. You have made your very own cotton ball catapult.

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Catapults have been used throughout history to launch heavy objects into an enemy's camp and hurl items long distances and over walls. Building your own catapult is a perfect science experiment for learning about tension and seeing firsthand the power that it can create. You can make a simple cotton ball catapult ...

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Try building da Vinci's bridge out of popsicle sticks. Do some research to learn more about Leonardo da Vinci and his designs.

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Try building da Vinci's bridge out of popsicle sticks. Do some research to learn more about Leonardo da Vinci and his designs.

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Leonardo da Vinci Popsicle Stick Bridge model

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Grades 3 to 5: This is a project that you should work on over several days. You may need help.

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Grades 3 to 5: This is a project that you should work on over several days. You may need help.

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Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? Have you ever wanted to design your own? There are plenty of expensive toys and even video games that will let you build your own coasters-but in this project you'll make one out of paper and tape, and learn about roller coaster physics along the way!

This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

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Build a Paper Roller Coaster | STEM Activity

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Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? Have you ever wanted to design your own? There are plenty of expensive toys and even video games that will let you build your own coasters-but in this project you'll make one out of paper and tape, and learn about roller coaster physics along the way!

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Yarn and scissors needed. Grades K-5. Bring your chains to school when we reopen. We will connect them all and measure your collective accomplishment!

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Yarn and scissors needed. Grades K-5. Bring your chains to school when we reopen. We will connect them all and measure your collective accomplishment!

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This tutorial is for student and adult to view together. Grades K to 5. Only yarn is needed.

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Now is a good time to learn more about the birds that live in your neighborhood. Use this list to identify a bird, then research that bird to design a bird house or feeder that would be just right for that species. Take a pic and share it with us!

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Now is a good time to learn more about the birds that live in your neighborhood. Use this list to identify a bird, then research that bird to design a bird house or feeder that would be just right for that species. Take a pic and share it with us!

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Over 400 species of birds either breed, are resident, migrate through, or winter in New England. This includes both land birds and seabirds. Some of these birds have a fairly small New England range (for example, the Spruce Grouse) and other birds are found throughout the region.

The above list does not include all 400+ birds. Over time, we will continue adding species to our list of New England birds, which includes birds in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island.

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Over 400 species of birds either breed, are resident, migrate through, or winter in New England. This includes both land birds and seabirds. Some of these birds have a fairly small New England range (for example, the Spruce Grouse) and other birds are found throughout the region.

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Every student should complete this project before coming back to school. Littles will need assistance from someone older.

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Every student should complete this project before coming back to school. Littles will need assistance from someone older.

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Backpacks have transformed from a hiker's necessity to both a fashion statement and favorite way to carry essentials for people of all ages. Whether you are carrying camping equipment, gym clothes or school supplies, eventually the backpack is going to need to be cleaned. Fortunately, it doesn't require frequent washings-once or twice a year will suffice unless it becomes soiled beyond daily wear. Before you wash your backpack, you can run a vacuum nozzle along all the seams (inside and out) to remove any dust or debris.

Project Metrics

Working time: 5 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes, plus air-drying time

Skill level: Beginner

What You'll Need

Instructions

1. Empty All of the Pockets

The first step in cleaning any type of backpack is to empty everything out of all the pockets. You'll be amazed at what you find. Leave every pocket unzipped or unfastened and turned inside out, if possible. Take off any added clip-on accessories, removable straps or metal parts, if you can.

2. Read Care Label

Look for any tags that offer washing instructions. Most fabric backpacks can either be washed by hand or machine washed. Leather or leather-trimmed backpacks should be cleaned following the instructions for cleaning leather jackets.

3. Clean the Straps

If the straps need to be clean and are removable, wash them by hand in a solution of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent (like Tide or Persil) that contains enough enzymes to break apart the soil so it can be flushed away with warm water. Allow the straps to soak for 30 minutes to loosen soil and then use a soft-bristled brush (an old toothbrush is great) to clean heavily stained areas. Rinse in cool water and allow the straps to air-dry. Do not place in a clothes dryer.

4. Add the Backpack to the Washer

Place the backpack in an old pillowcase or a large mesh laundry bag and wash in warm water using the washer's gentle cycle along with your regular laundry detergent.

5. Get Rid of Bacteria

Once in a while, a backpack needs some serious cleaning. This is especially important if gym clothes are left in the pack for several days. Athlete's foot fungus can easily transfer from socks and shoes to other surfaces.

To disinfect a backpack or gym bag, skip the chlorine bleach, which can damage the fabric. Instead, choose a pine oil or phenolic disinfectant or a disinfectant wipe. Pine oil disinfectants are effective in warm water. (Brand names include Pine Sol, Spic-n-Span Pine, and Lysol Pine Action.) To be effective, the product must contain at least 80 percent pine oil. Phenolic disinfectants are also effective in warm water and will not harm fabrics. Lysol brand disinfectant is available in a liquid formula or as a spray.

6. Disinfect the Backpack

To disinfect the inside and outside of the backpack, mix a one-to-one solution of the disinfectant and warm water. Use a clean sponge or cloth to carefully wipe down the surfaces.

You can also add the disinfectant to the wash water (follow label directions for the correct amount) when hand-washing or machine-washing.

7. Air-dry the Backpack

Use an old towel to wipe down the inside of the pack and each of the pockets. Allow the backpack to air dry by hanging it with the zippers and pockets open as much as possible. Do not place in a hot dryer or dry in direct sunlight because that could damage some fabrics.

Treating Stains on Backpacks

If the backpack says that it should not be washed, spot-clean a stain using a one-to-one detergent/water solution; try not to oversaturate the fabric. Rinse using a clean white cloth dipped in plain water. Blot until no detergent or soil is transferred and air-dry the bag.

Tips for Washing Backpacks

If washing by hand, fill the tub or large sink with enough lukewarm water to cover the item and about one tablespoon of laundry detergent. Allow it to soak for 15 minutes and then swish the backpack through the water to remove soil. Drain the soapy water and rinse very well. Do not wring or twist the backpack because it can damage zippers and trim. Hang to air-dry.

If a backpack is waterproof, wash it only once or twice per year. Too much washing and detergent can lessen the pack's ability to repel water. Waterproofing sprays can be used to replenish lost coating. Be sure the backpack is clean and completely dry before spraying.

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Backpacks have transformed from a hiker's necessity to both a fashion statement and favorite way to carry essentials for people of all ages. Whether you are carrying camping equipment, gym clothes or school supplies, eventually the backpack is going to need to be cleaned.