Yesterday we got 14 inches of snow. If my kids were with me, it would have caused a house full of exuberant, happy kids because we always went outside to play in the snow together. As adults, it’s easy to just stay inside and let the kids and go outside to play by themselves, but let me tell you, someday you won’t have the option to go outside and play with your kids, so seize the opportunity while you can! Here are some of the activities we did in the winter:

Continue reading Activities in Winter

This activity involves dissection. My kids were 4, 6, and 8 years old when we did this. The first time we did a dissection, two of my kids were “grossed out” upon seeing the organ for the first time, but I took time to sit and explain why dissection is important in science (how else would doctors know how to fix a heart if they couldn’t dissect an organism to practice?). We discussed how new experiences appear gross or scary, but once you do it or experience it, it becomes familiar and no longer a big deal. We talked about meat that we buy in grocery stores, and how it is just the parts of animals that have died - similar to what we do here with dissection, only for a different purpose. We eat the meat, we use it here to learn. After they started the activity, they got over their trepidation and thought it was really “neat”.

Continue reading Activity: The Central Nervous System

I did this activity with my kids to investigate the effectiveness of different laundry detergents in breaking down proteins. Instead of spending money buying different kinds of laundry detergent, we went to our friends and neighbors and asked to use a few teaspoons of their laundry detergents. First, we discussed what proteins are, and we discussed how proteins are found in sweat, blood, grass, food, and other things that soil clothes. We also discussed how, in the U.S., about 50% of liquid detergents, 25% of powder detergents, and almost all powdered bleach additives now contain enzymes to help break down proteins. Then we tested each of the different detergents to see which one broke down proteins the best.

Continue reading Activity: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?

This is an activity that engages everyone in the family.  You start with a story starter on a piece of paper, and decide who goes first, who goes second, etc.  The first person writes the first part of the story.  It can be one or two paragraphs (or however long you decide beforehand).  Be sure to end it with a phrase that encourages the next person to begin, such as “And then suddenly,”.  Then hand the story to the second person.  That person continues the story.  Repeat until all people get a chance to contribute to the story, and make sure the last person writes an ending.  For younger children who can’t read or write, have someone read what’s been written so far to them, then dictate their part of the story for them.  Some suggestions for story starters are listed here, but you can make your own.  At the end, take turns reading the story out loud.  It usually generates a lot of laughs, and it’s a great “togetherness” activity.

Continue reading Activity: Collaborative Stories