Our most recent road trip took us through Colorado. While we splurged on a few unique activities, our pockets aren’t bottomless. Thankfully, Denver came through as a great place to explore without breaking the bank. I hope you find some of these suggestions and reviews to be helpful!
My kids wanted to study volcanoes. I was totally uninspired by volcanoes, but I thought I’d run with it, perhaps expanding the study to include plate tectonics and the rock cycle so we’d have a bit more to talk about. While I was searching for inspiration, I ran across the idea of having a cake to show Earth’s layers. “Great!” thought I. “Sign me up and show me how!” (I’m a sucker for anything edible–particularly if it’s sweet!) Unfortunately, everyone doing this project seemed to have round bakeware–cake pop molds of varying sizes, round-bottomed oven-safe mixing bowls. Not I. And, since I am disinclined to shell out that kind of money for the props to make one cool snack, I thought I’d look for my own way.
My creation doesn’t have perfectly-nested spheres (in fact, the outer core seems to spike into the mantle in a couple of places!), but it definitely has the layers, and–most important of all–it got the point across and thrilled my kids. In case you want to try it, here’s what I did:
Supplies: White or yellow cake mix/recipe, chocolate frosting, white frosting, food coloring, multiple bowls for separating/mixing colors, two 8″ or 9″ round cake pans, large spoons, two cookie cutters (round is ideal–I didn’t have round), cake decorating set
1. I used a generic white cake mix (yellow would be fine, too–I use the yolks, so mine isn’t truly white). After mixing the ingredients, I separated the mix into three bowls: a small one that I colored yellow, a medium one that I colored orange, and a large one that I colored reddish. Make sure the mix is pretty colorful, since the color will be less concentrated once the cake poofs up during baking. (Too much food coloring tastes bitter, though, so don’t go overboard.)
2. First, I placed a cookie cutter in the center of each pan. The first one I filled with a dollop of yellow (inner core). I spooned pink (mantle) around the edges of that pan and filled the space between with orange (outer core). In the second pan, I filled the cookie cutter with orange (outer core–to cover the inner core from the first pan) and poured pink (mantle) all around it, reserving a small amount of the pink for the next step.
3. Then I removed the cookie cutters, covered the dollop of outer core in the second pan with a layer of mantle, and popped both pans in the oven. (The first pan–with all three layers–had less batter, but both seemed to cook fine.)
4. When the cake was out of the oven and cool, I used a small amount of runny white frosting (I warmed mine to make it thinner) to glue the layers together. The three-colored layer went on the bottom, capped by the layer that’s mostly mantle. Make sure the little bit of outer core is on the bottom of the top layer–you wouldn’t want to have your mantle and outer core reversed! Next, I used a very thin layer of chocolate frosting to represent the lithosphere.
5. This gray represented the solid rock of the crust. I wanted to make it clear that even the oceans have crust beneath them. Yes, I know the crust is included in the lithosphere, but the Red Cross/PBS material (more on that later) we’re using talks of them separately, so I just followed their lead. I used really runny frosting so I could make a very thin layer. (After all, this is already the second frosting layer, and I still had more to go!) The generic brand frosting I use wins for runniness! My gray, FYI, is made from a red/green mixture. If I remember right, it was two red drops and three green.
6. Time to add the thicker continental crust parts and fill the oceans! This time I thickened the frosting slightly with about a cup of confectioner’s sugar to the tub. I wanted it just stiff enough to hold some texture, but still soft enough to spread in a thin layer. Since we’re also studying the Middle Ages right now, I decided to do a rough map of Europe. (Very rough.) I rarely use the frosting tips as intended; I used the star tip loosely for a textured water look, but for the land I just did a rough outline with a tip and then spread the green around with my knife.)
The finished product! Of course, you can’t really tell how many layers of frosting went into this (except when eating it!), but if the kids watch or help, they’ll get every detail of the process. And the finished result was enough to spark their glee, so I’d consider this one a win!
If you’re headed on vacation and need something to fill the hours spent traveling–or if you’re merely trying to find something to fill a rainy day–there’s a wealth of fun to be had just a printer away. Here are some of the options I found in a quick search. (As of my search, these sites were functional and safe.)
Sudoku
Logic Puzzles
Connect-the-Dots
Coloring Pages–for all ages!
Hidden Pictures, Crossword Puzzles, Color-by-Number, Mazes
Four years ago (!) I posted some of my road-trip tips for traveling with young kids. While some of those tips and tricks are ones I still use, I thought it was about time for an updated version including suggestions for older kids, especially since we’re anticipating a 20-hour drive back “home” to see ‘Love’s family again in a few weeks.
Goober has NEVER been a good car rider. As an infant, she couldn’t even make it the five minutes to Grandma’s without screaming. Last year we made it 30 minutes into our first day of driving when she announced, “I’m done sitting in the car. How much longer until we get to the hotel?” Knowing her personality, I always make extensive preparations for car entertainment.
Let me say right from the start that I have the world’s only children who do not sleep in the car. Since that’s the #1 road-trip tip I hear, I figured I’d best include that one up front. If your kids are car sleepers, consider yourself lucky and take full advantage. For anyone whose children are odd like mine, here are some alternative suggestions.
There are some items no child-carrying car should be without on long trips.
A good road-tripper is well-prepared.
Use rest stops to play, NOT to eat. I start feeding my kids about 45 min-1 hour before we plan to stop. (I bring sandwich fixings or crackers, fruit, veggies, cheese sticks, or even Lunchables for meals. Snacks consist of non-crumbly granola bars, Teddy Grahams, mini pretzel twists, Nilla Wafers, Goldfish–anything that can’t melt and either doesn’t crumble or can be eaten in one bite.) A small cooler crowded by my feet in the front comes in handy, or I’ve used the cooler as a footrest for someone sitting in the center of the row behind me.) Usually this is the point at which the kids are getting restless and food helps stretch their “sit” by a little. By the time we stop, liquids have made their way through the kids’ systems (or will before the stop is over).
We try to find rest stations with lots of open space or a playground or a fast food joint with a play area (and the adults have a snack). I even research rest stops along the route to find out which ones are closed for renovations, which have a reputation for cleanliness, which have space for kids to roam. I often list several top choices so we can shorten or lengthen our time between stops as needed. We spend 15-20 minutes playing hard (with adults chasing kids if necessary to make sure kids use maximum energy) and using the bathroom.
On a related note…non-melting candies (especially things that go slowly, like DumDums) are good distractions between snack and meal times. I’m not usually one to load my kids up on junk food and candy, but road trips are my once-a-year exception.
Stop as few times as possible. We fill up on gas each time we stop–whether we need it or not–so we don’t have to make an extra stop for gas later. Even a quick gas stop or potty break will likely add at least 15 minutes to your trip, and on a long trip, no one wants extra time in the car. Remind those with suspiciously wimpy bladders that every stop will take away from evening pool time (see below) or at the very least add to the length of the drive time. If nothing else, maybe the groans of their siblings will help to delay their demands to stop RIGHT NOW. If you do stop, require everyone to try using the bathroom lest you get back on the road and have someone else claim a bathroom emergency twenty minutes later.
Make sure each day ends with a pool. I reserve a hotel with an indoor pool because I remember as a kid being heartbroken when we drove all day and then it was too cold or stormy to swim. Swimming even for an hour uses tons of energy and helps everyone sleep better, as well as giving everyone something to look forward to all day long. On the plus side, most hotels with indoor pools also include a hot breakfast, so while you may be paying more for the night, considering that extra $25 bought everyone some pool time and as much breakfast food as they can fit (not to mention something to look forward to all day and enough exercise to sleep well), it’s not a bad deal.
Long car trips are a time to make exceptions about tech use. We have a tablet that we let everyone have a 20-minute turn on–sometimes once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Last year I also played a DVD on my laptop toward the end of each afternoon when everyone was getting really restless. (Sadly, my DVD-ROM drive seems to have died.) Those prolonged distractions were lifesavers!
Contain your paper clutter while providing ample activity options. I make each kid a binder (built-in hard writing surface) with coloring pages (cool geometric designs for older kids), mazes, blank paper, logic puzzles, sudoku, crosswords, dot-to-dots (everything from simple to extreme)–anything I can find that they might like–and include colored pencils plus a little sharpener (with a securely-attached case to catch shavings) in a zipper pencil pouch at the front. (Why colored pencils? Crayons melt in a hot car and markers tend to accidentally bleed or have their caps left off or get dropped and leave marks or “accidentally” form designs on children’s skin.) Though I looked at various books available for purchase, I ultimately searched online for free sample pages and was able to print off and put together a book with more variety than I could have purchased. I put together a list of activities and where I found them, if you want me to save you some legwork.
Magnetic trays work well for lots of activities. We have jelly roll pans (cookie sheets with a lip around) that are magnetic (not all are–test before buying!).
Ponder favorite game options that would work well for travel. Many games offer specific travel versions, but games like Guess Who?, Rush Hour, Rory’s Story Cubes, Mad Libs, and others can easily be enjoyed on the go. And don’t forget the classic Road-Trip Bingo cards! I picked up a few in Target’s dollar section recently.
Use your ever-changing location to spark interest!
Use your stereo system to the fullest.
Books hold a multitude of possibilities.
Sometimes they just need to fidget.
Out of the blue, the kids decided that dinosaurs sounded like a fun topic of study, so I dutifully planned to incorporate a dino study in our next six-week block. (We have taken to block scheduling in six-week increments, and it’s glorious!) I had a little more trouble with the “hands-on” and “experiential” portion of this study, but I did my best!
Background: Fossils and Paleontology
Our finished product left us with both an artifact and its imprint.
To begin our study of dinosaurs, I wanted to provide a little background information on fossils and paleontology. I began our study with these three activities, which I did on three separate days. The book Fossils Tell of Long Ago (Aliki) provided a snuggly way to reinforce the hands-on learning.
This small paleontologist tries to identify a fossil to assemble his skeleton.
Dino Basics
We posted our charts and some of the kids’ creations on a wall.
Digging Deeper
A measurement marker is visible on the floor, while our display wall marks the end of the dino measurement walk.
The Big Finish: Dino Tour
For our grand finale, we invited Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa to see what we’d learned about dinosaurs. (This was the kids’ idea!) The kids started at the front door and showed them our dinosaur measurements and dino fact cards (making sure everyone noticed the most interesting facts), pointed out our comparison charts and a few assorted other creations hung on the wall, and topped off the tour by reading their reports. They were so proud of themselves, and the grown-ups got to share a little of that joy and learn a little something new.
Resources:
Now that our weather has become truly pleasant, the outdoors has been calling me. Sometimes it takes a little extra motivation to get us all out there, but I always find it to be so worthwhile when I make the effort. To get everyone in the spirit of spring, I’ve listed a handful of inspirations for heading outside with your family. Hopefully there’s something for everyone on this list!
Exercise
Enjoy the fresh air, use those muscles, soak up some Vitamin D–but don’t forget your sunblock and sunglasses!
Easter is nearly here, and in our house, we are best-prepared for the things that we spend the most time anticipating. With that in mind, I’ve taken some time to write out some of the crafts and activities we’ve used from year to year to heighten our anticipation of Easter. The activities below can all be done by preschoolers (with help!), but I’ve done them with third- and fourth-graders with equal success because they are the sorts of things kids can do at-level, with the outcome matching their ability. The top three items are pretty broad, while the last four are specific crafts with instructions. Without further ado, here are my suggestions.
There’s no better way to learn something than by doing it yourself, and Bible stories are no exception. From the triumphal entry (paper or foam palm branches, anyone?) to the Last Supper (footwashing and flat bread!) to the empty tomb (where you can peek into your couch-cushion-cavern!), there are plenty of exciting moments for your family to get a taste of. By performing some of these scenes, you’ll allow your kids not only to hear the stories, but to see them and experience them, reaching across three of the most prominent domains of learning.
Bake
There are lots of options for Easter fun in the kitchen. From bread without yeast to celebrate the Last Supper (this is our go-to easy bread recipe that we’re going to try without flour this year!) to Hot Cross Buns to Pretzels and Easter Cookies, there are lots of options that will get you thinking and talking about Easter with your favorite kitchen helpers.
Crucifixion Diorama
PlayDoh or clay (and green paint or food coloring, if it’s not already green)
A variety of small sticks and stones
Thread or hot glue to secure twigs in the form of three crosses
Stained Glass Adhesive Window Cross
Clear Contact Paper
Colorful tissue paper
Scissors
Tape
Stained Glass Cross Painting
1 piece watercolor or other heavyweight paper
2 strips of masking tape or painter’s tape
watercolor paint
Stained Glass Window Silhouette
1 coffee filter (the kind that can be flattened into a large circle)
Washable markers
Water, preferably in a spray bottle
Black construction paper
As I mentioned in my last post, my kids’ idea of science is hands-on fun, so I’ve been supplementing the Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) book with lots of activities. Here’s what we’ve been doing in the past few weeks with maps, based mostly on BFSU lessons D3 and D3A, which you can read for more ideas, terminology, and discussion starters.
**Caveat: My kids have long been intrigued by maps, so we’ve studied and drawn maps quite a bit. If you have not done this, I’d suggest reading through something like Joan Sweeney’s Me on the Map to help your kids get a basic idea of maps and mapping before you start. BFSU also suggests a lot of pondering maps together.
Activity 1: Spot the Error
Make a few maps of places with which your kids are familiar–rooms in your house, your neighborhood, etc. On each map, include one or more errors. These could be misplaced items, missing elements, or even things that are out of scale. See if your kids can spot the problems, and talk about how important it is for maps to be accurate. Do cartographers include everything on their maps? How do they determine what to include or not include? Is there ever a time it’s okay to have some things not to scale?
Activity 2: Create-Your-Own
Have kids choose a familiar place and make a map of it. Your accuracy requirements can match your child’s ability, but do remind them of what they learned about scale and accuracy in the previous example.
Activity 3: Treasure Hunt
Make a few treasure maps of your home, yard, or neighborhood, complete with an X to mark the treasure. (Make sure to take time in advance to hide something!) We like to have bits of our snack as treasure, but anything will do, so long as your child is able to successfully navigate to the treasure. This works best if you start simply–a map of the room you are in–and get more complex, working up to a large map that requires them to navigate through the house or to a point across the park. If you really want to amp up the excitement, you can have the first two or three maps form a chain (use one map to find the next one) that leads to the treasure.
Activity 4: Geocaching
What better way to make map-reading seem useful than to introduce kids to the modern version of a treasure hunt! We signed up online and downloaded the free app, and my kids had a great time trying to figure out how to read the maps to figure out where to look for the caches–and even more fun when they got to trade loot! (They were especially motivated because they had just read The Boxcar Children book The Box that Watch Found, which was about geocaching!)
Activity 5: Navigation Practice
Planning to go somewhere new? Inviting new friends to your house? Have your child look at a map and write directions to a particular location, using street names and cardinal directions. Then head out in the car and test their work! My oldest is remarkably good at this. (I’ll wait a few years before I try following any directions given my my little guy!)
Activity 6: Backup Plan
Apparently sundials work best when well-decorated.
What can you do if you find yourself without a map and your smartphone dies? Well, folks haven’t always relied on smartphones or even maps to navigate. Enter–the sun! After reviewing the cardinal directions and relating them to our place in space, we began pondering the way in which the sun appears to move from east to west and talked about how that knowledge could help us.
We’re studying science through Bernard Nebel’s Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (often simply referred to as BFSU), which is a delightful program. We’re still working through the first book, intended for grades K-2. Nebel walks through each topic, explaining concepts and terminology to the instructor, giving guidelines for sharing the material with students (mostly through Socratic discussion), and providing a list of useful books. Lessons are not strictly linear, but weave between the branches of science and can be arranged as best suits the learners–though Nebel explains that certain concepts must be understood before others can be introduced. The only lack in Nebel’s material, in my opinion, is its minimal use of hands-on exploration. While most concepts are introduced with a demonstration, they are often developed verbally.
My kids LOVE science, but when they think science, they think messy and playful. So instead of trying to look elsewhere for curriculum, I decided to build on the awesome foundation provided by BFSU by doing quick searches for hands-on ways for my kids to experience the concepts. I thought I’d share my results here.
Though I’ve been doing this for a while, it just now occurred to me to share my work, so I’ll start with one of our recent units: solutions and crystallization. The activities and our discussions were based on Lesson A-9 in the first BFSU book. You can read for yourself to glean discussion points, but I’ve listed my activities below.
Activity 1: Mixture or Solution?
First we had to determine the difference between a simple mixture (which we’d already discussed) and a solution. I’ll list my supplies below, but don’t feel bound by what I used–I just chose what I had on hand. Nebel describes a simpler form of this activity in his book.
Activity 2: Crystallization
We did two separate crystallization activities in one fell swoop: Borax and rock candy.
Borax (foreground, already finished) and rock candy (background, looking like nothing yet)
Activity 3: Solar Still
I like to have a “so now what” type of moment about the things we learn. So how can we use our knowledge of solutions? I posed a real question to my kids: Suppose you were stuck on a boat in the ocean and you ran out of water. You know that salt water will kill you. How can you get fresh water other than waiting for rain? I could have let them develop the whole thing on their own, but once they had the concept I put together a solar still and had them figure out how it worked.
Little Pookie surprised me the other day by walking up to his letter cards on the wall (as mentioned in my literacy activities for pre-readers) and pointing to “c” then “o” then “t”–which were not posted in that order on the wall—and saying their sounds. When I asked him what that made, he said, “Cot! Like I had at Grandma’s!” While my older two did this same thing—spontaneously sounding out words—it took me off guard coming from Pookie because he STILL can’t tell all his letters apart. (I know, he’s barely three-and-a-half, but the older two had them down by two or two-and-a-half!) Nonetheless, since he has pleased-ly been looking for words to sound out since then, I guess it’s time to haul out my early literacy activities. In honor of this auspicious occasion (what’s more exciting than your kids learning something new and difficult?!), here’s my go-to list of activities for early readers–in no particular order. I hope someone finds them useful!
Once upon a time there was a [spell out “cat” for child to read]. Now this [point to “cat” again] was a black-and-white stripey [point to “cat”] whose name was [spell out “Sam”]. One day our [cat] friend named [Sam] was going for a walk in his neighborhood. It was a lovely spring day, and he was enjoying the warm air and the smell of damp earth. Suddenly, in the middle of the sidewalk, [Sam] spied something. It was small and [spell out “red”].
You get the idea. The more suspenseful or silly the story, the more eager your readers will be to participate, so keep the comedy going and the intrigue high!
If you’re not feeling artsy, use clipart and print your puzzles on cardstock.
Spelling Puzzles – I owe this idea to the authors of Reading Reflex, a book I happened to get from the library as my older kids were learning to read. They suggested creating word puzzles. I used blank index cards laid horizontally. I wrote each word, spacing the phonemes so they could be cut apart. On each card, I also had a picture to match the word. Then, I cut the card so the picture was on one slice, and each phoneme had its own slice. Using the picture as their clue, my kids were able to assemble the matching word by sounding it out. Be careful that your words are decodable for early readers! You can begin simply, with three-letter words, and progress to words with beginning and ending blends (like “clap” or even “plant”).
Add magnets to make this a fun fridge activity or take it on-the-go with a magnetic tray!
Spelling Cards – I made a series of cards with a picture on one side and a corresponding word on the back (on cardstock, so the word doesn’t show through!). My kids enjoyed trying to puzzle out how to spell each of the words with letter magnets, checking themselves by looking at the back of the card. Once again, I started with simple three-letter words and increased the difficulty as they became more adept. I’ll have to see if I can find the file to upload for this one…
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