Erupting with activity 2

One of the most fun sand projects the kids had were making volcanoes.  They started just by making a mountain and making a path coming down and around it. Without surprise they asked if they could have baking soda and vinegar to make it erupt. (They never seem to tire of this activity.)  I went in the house to get the supplies and within minutes "S", our top scientist, was in asking for aluminum foil.  He had a plan.  He wanted to cover the path with foil so the vinegar and baking soda wouldn't be absorbed into the sand.

They had a golf ball that they wanted to float down the path as it erupted.  Once they got the foil in place it was time for the baking soda. Then the vinegar.  It didn't work as they hoped. They needed another plan.  Here come's little 4 yr old "A" to the rescue!!  He had found the plastic inserts (pvc pipe) and ping pong balls from our volcano models we used at a recent Kid's Fair.  They buried the inserts in the sand and tried using the ping pong balls.

They still didn't get the results they hoped for.  We tried another tactic..

putting the tube in at an angle.

This worked better and sent the ball down the path a little way.  

It wasn't long before all the rest of the kids were watching and making their own volcanoes.

 Before their discoveries were finished the baking soda and vinegar ran out.  While they wanted me to run to the store that moment to get more, it was almost time to go home. I promised them I would get more and they could try again tomorrow.  

For less than the cost of a DVD, about 12 kids were entertained for a couple hours that afternoon.

Erupting with activity

What do you get when you combine a new shipment of sand, buckets and a little imagination? 

At "Linda's" we get a wide array of things like fields, sand castles, ant hills, sand towns and volcanoes. At the beginning of June we got a shipment of sand. Thanks to wonderful helpers (Sara, Carla, & Jason) we had it moved into the fence in a couple hours.   It wasn't long before the imaginative juices started flowing....

"Urtle Island"

Making roads

sand smiley face

Corn for the fields which later did start to grow.

the ant hill

The sand has provided many opportunities for discovery and imagination.  In the process of all this creativity the kids have had to work on cooperation, sharing and reasoning skills. 

There is no question the kids get dirty and probably bring home a great deal of sand in their shoes and hair.  While some parents may be irritated by this, we more commonly hear statements such as:

"I know they had fun!"

"We definitely know what they accomplished today"

"At least we know they didn't spend the day in front of a screen."

"No problem, they will wash! "

For about the price of ONE video game we've provided 20+ kids hours of entertainment (all at the same time!)     It was definitely a worthwhile investment!

Is it still wrong??

If a man speaks in a forest and there are no women around to hear is he still wrong?

 

You've probably heard this question before.  Men and women obviously have different opinions on this.   Similar questions have entered my mind quite often lately as I work with the preschoolers and school age kids during the summer.   

 

If I break a rule when none of the teachers see me, is it still wrong?  

Is (insert action) still wrong if I don't get caught?

The first question is making the assumption that a man is always wrong.  This is clearly debatable and I won't go there! LOL   The questions in my mind leave little to debate in terms of right and wrong. The underlying message in both questions is whether certain actions are right or wrong if no one sees another person doing them.

 

Lately we've felt like broken records (or in terms kids would understand--"skipping CD's"). We no sooner get done telling the children that a certain action is not acceptable (throwing sand, hanging on tree branches, taking off shoes outside, etc), we turn our backs and someone does it.

The usual response is   "I didn't do it!" Followed by a chorus of other voices saying  "I saw you do it!" 

 

I suppose it's human nature to see how much you can get away with--how far you can push the limits.  Don't we as adults use similar excuses?  "It's only illegal if you get caught."  "What they don't know won't hurt them." 

The scary part of this attitude to me is the 'sneakiness' of it.  I suppose that's what makes it all the more appealing.  While throwing sand and swinging from tree branches may not be major offenses when looking at the bigger picture, its the motive--the way of thinking and justifying ones actions--that can lead to bigger problems.

Now do I think these kids are destined to a life of crime? NO!! I have some of the greatest kids and the parents have a reason to be proud of the persons they are becoming.

 

We have used examples with the kids to help them understand the concept that actions don't have to be seen for someone to know they happened.   

"Suppose you were at the park and everything was dry. It rained over night and the park is now wet.  Are you sure it rained at the park ?  (They respond "yes") How do you know, you didn't see it?  (They respond with "things are wet")  So does rain get things wet even if you didn't see it rain? (yes). "  We then go on to explain to them that breaking the rules is wrong even if no one sees you doing it.  We then  point out however that SOMEONE does see it------ GOD. 

We know kids will push the limits and rules will get broken from time to time. I  just hope we are getting the message across well enough so when they are faced with tough decisions they will make the right choice. 

Soaring to other ideas

While some of the children dove in to drawing pictures of the town, others found other uses for the paper.

Paper airplanes

One got stuck in a tree

One boy was the more successful than the rest at making paper airplanes that would actually fly.  He soon became the Master Paper Airplane Maker.

An ExtraORDinary Place with ExtraORDinary Kids

Our town (Ord, NE) has a celebration at the end of May called "ExtraORDinary Days."   The festivities are held over a weekend so there's really not anything going on during the week to take the kids to.  
One afternoon last week I needed to get the school age kids out of the Center so the younger kids could rest.  We'd already been to the Little park and they didn't all have swimming gear for the pool.  Not really knowing where we were going to go, I packed up boxes of crayons, a pack of drawing paper and some trays to put the paper on while drawing.

We started walking looking for a shady place to sit and draw.  Since we didn't want to sit in people's lawns we needed to find a public place. Then it occurred to me--the town square!  We divided up into groups of two.  They were told to find a shady spot on the courthouse lawn

and look around the square and draw something that caught their eye.  It was interesting to see what each child saw. 

 The Movie Theater

a lady bug on a leaf

Tree, park bench and steps to Court house

Tree, boulder and bird

What's written on the boulder

The satellite dish on top of radio station

While they may not have captured the images of things that remind me of what our community has to offer but they showed me parts of the town that I too often overlooked. 

R.I.P. Todd

When we go on an outing I never know exactly what the kids will find.  Today  the school age kids and I ventured to the elementary school playground.  At one point a couple kids were examining something laying on the ground.  From a distance I could tell it was a snake.  Knowing that a rattlesnake was found in the area a couple years back I was concerned.   It was definitely a snake, but thank goodness only a garter snake.

 Soon all 9 kids were huddled around the snake. Some children threw rocks at it. Others threw a ball. While "J" was insisting that "It's one of God's Creatures. You can't hurt it!"

Unfortunately for "J" the snake was injured from all the things being thrown at it.  They could see it begin to bleed (or some kind of fluid coming from it's body).  "C" wanted me to put a bandaid from our first aid kit on him.  I told him I didn't think it would help. He said that the snake's mommy and daddy would give him a bandaid.

As we observed the snake he opened his mouth and put out his tongue.  The debate over whether the snake had teeth or not ensued.   This led to a discussion on the color of the snake's tongue.  Some children were sure that the tongue would turn from pink to black when it was going to strike. ( I have yet to find any information on the internet to back up that claim.).   

After much coaxing I convinced them to leave the snake alone for while.  They went back to playing.  Before too long I looked over and they were carrying the snake by his tail. He was dead.  They HAD to bury him.
Since we didn't have any shovels the kids did the next best thing:

Once they had a hole the snake was put in :

They placed a stick for a marker and picked flowers to decorate the grave:

 "A" asked for a moment of silence and then he made the Sign of  the Cross.
They decided his name was Todd.

R.I.P. Todd

Boil Boil Toil and Trouble

UPDATE March 20, 2023-

We have since relocated, twice!- first to a bigger house and most recently to a bigger center with individual classrooms. 

A few years back I ran into a former "Linda's" Kid. He was in junior high at the timd and told me that this activity was his favorite! 

This week we are scientists.  We are experimenting and discovering the world around us.  Today we mixed potions.  It was a very simple activity which kept all the children interested for a long period of time.
We told the children they were scientists. They put on their 'lab coats' (paint shirts) and went to their science lab (their place at the table).
Each child got a bowl, spoon and craft (stirring) stick.  
We put a variety of powders in large trays on each table.

We used cocoa powder (for hot chocolate), flour, sugar, Kool aid powder, oatmeal, baking soda and cornstarch.

We filled squirt bottles with colored water, lemon juice, and vinegar.

The children mixed and stirred and created unusual concoctions.

"A" made Bob aka Jello Man (the blob character from Monsters vs Aliens)

Everybody had their own method of doing it.  One child even did it double fisted with two bottles of colored water at the same time.  At first some children were reluctant until they realized there wasn't a right or wrong way to do it.

The project was messy and the children didn't have a finished product to take home.  You may wonder why? What's the purpose if you have nothing to show for it?   There may not be a tangible product to take home, but the experience the children had they will remember for a long time.  They experimented with mixing colors. Using trial and error they discovered which substances could be combined to create bubbling brews.  They discovered which substances mixed together until they were no longer distinguishable and which substances held their texture no matter how much they stirred (oatmeal).

Someday maybe one of these children will discover a cure for a deadly disease. Maybe one will become a master Chef creating dishes one could only dream of.  Maybe another will perfect an abstract art form.  Where ever these children find themselves in th years to come, I hope they will not be afraid to try and will enjoy the experience along the way.