Independent Exploration Activities

I try to do a lot of science experiments and inquiry-based activities with my kids, but it's nice when I can find something for them to do on their own, freeing me up to take care of chores or dinner, while they continue to learn and engage. I've had my eye on a few Lakeshore products, but help off on purchasing them until last week. I needed a few different styles of magnets, a magnifying glass, and a specimen viewer for some of the science experiments we want to do so I headed to Lakeshore to see if they had what I needed.

I browsed the science section and discovered that I could get one hand lens for $10, a box of 10 or 12 magnets (all the same style) for $15, and I didn't even bother to look for a specimen viewer. So I turned to those products I'd been debating and realized they were the perfect fit. The Can Do! Science Kits are $19.99 each, and I had a buy one get one 50% off coupon, so it was looking like a good deal. Then I read the contents. The magnet kit has a horseshoe magnet, a set of ball magnets, a bar magnet, ring magnets, and more. The magnification kit has a hand lens, a specimen viewer, and 5 specimens. Both sets include activity cards and suggestions for further exploration. Combined, these two sets had exactly what I was looking for and so much more for a sweet $30 plus change.

My science buffs wanted to open them in the car but I made them wait. When we got home though, we tore into those cans and they were occupied for at least an hour. I loved that my son, who's 6, demonstrated how the magnets worked to my 3-year-old daughter, and then showed her how to examine the specimens in the magnification set. Then they procedded to wander the house looking for things that were magnetic, and things they could magnify. It was so much fun watching them put their scientist hats on without me guiding them.

If you're looking to add something to your science repertoire, I highly recommend the Can Do! Science Kits. These are not affiliate links, just me sharing my opinion. Have fun!

Big Bear Family Adventure

Oh the Great Outdoors! I was born in Illinois and my early years were spent running barefooted through a giant field, stepping on bees, digging holes, climbing trees, and learning to ride a bike on a gravel road. Then we relocated to California. We found a cute house in Long Beach and the front yard had the perfect climbing tree. I remember sitting most evenings on the perfect bench-branch near the top of the tree, looking out over the rooftops of my new city and staring at the neon McDonnell-Douglas sign at the Long Beach airport. It was different. But at least I had that tree. Then we moved to an apartment, and I became a city kid. Nothing to climb but the brick wall out back.

Now, as a parent and a condo resident, I long to give my children the great experiences that only come from being outside. So I seek out nature centers, hiking trails, and any other natural setting that allows them to have natural play.

Recently our condo kicked us out for fumigation and instead of holing up in the Best Western down the street, we turned it into an adventure and headed to Big Bear. Early October is off-season there and we found a great hotel called the Marina Resort. The ground floor rooms have an excellent view of the lake and it's on a private beach. Open your door and the kids can explore the beachfront at their leisure with a small private play area. And yes, they have a pool and jacuzzi that we enjoyed.

Our private beach at the Marina Resort Hotel.

Our first adventure outside of the hotel was the Woodland Trail, a 1.5 mile interpretive loop that has 16 numbered signposts. Grab the pamphlet at the beginning of the trail and you'll learn about the trees, bugs, and wildlife that inhabit the area. My kids are 3 and 6, and they made the whole trip without complaint.

Hiking the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail.

The next day we visited the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. I love this place because most of the animals you find here are rescues. From bald eagles to timberwolves, you'll find all things relevant to the forest. Of course there are plenty of bears and one of their newest exhibits houses two snow leopards! My son loved the kit fox, my daughter loved the porcupine, but I could have watched those wolves all day.

The timberwolves-this pack was born here and the fence is
electric because they can chew through the fence.

Our final adventure was the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail. This one is harder to get to, requiring 5-7 miles of driving on narrow and bumpy dirt roads. But if you have a vehicle that can handle the terrain, the short hike is rewarding. The 110-foot tall Champion Lodgepole pine is a sight to be seen. We walked out to the meadow to get a good look at it was pretty magnificent. The tree was almost cylindrical compared to its younger triangular neighbors. We could have traveled a short distance farther to a nearby lake, but we weren't sure of the distance or the difficulty so we headed back. In all, the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail is only about 30 to 40 minutes round trip and you can get a pamphlet at the Big Bear Discovery Center that explains each of the 14 numbered signposts along the trail. We didn't have a pamphlet but we noticed that a few of the numbered signposts were missing from this trail, even though it is apparrently regularly traveled by scouts and other groups.

 

Can you find the Champion Lodgepole Pine?

Note: If you go hiking in remote areas, be on the lookout for wildlife, especially snakes and mountain lions. Before you go, stop into the Discovery Center to learn useful tips on how to handle the situation if you are confronted. Always use caution! Also, pack accordingly. Bring jackets as the temperature drops quickly and pack snacks and water.  

 

We were in Big Bear from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning, and the Big Bear Discovery Center is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so we were bummed that we didn't get to spend much time there. But we stopped on our way out of town. One of the docents told us to check out the play area out back and we fell in love instantly. There were so many fun areas to explore from making music to building with branches and blocks to climbing a rope web.

The play area is a certified Nature Explore playground. This educational and adventurous area is amazing, especially with the backdrop of the Big Bear forest. We would have loved to stay all day, but unfortuantely we had to cut our visit a little short. There are other certified Nature Explore Playgrounds across the country. Visit the website and see if there is one near you.

 

Age of Exploration Timeline

We've almost made it through our first month of homeschool and we have been having a blast. Last week we went on a field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for one of the special Homeschool Day events. We had a great time, learned some new things, and got to spend some time in the classrooms participating in educational activities. For more on our visit, see my blog post on the dandelion moms website here.

In addition to science, we've been learning about the great explorers like Magellan, Columbus, Drake, and da Gama. To reinforce our reading I helped my son put together this fun timeline highlighting some of the most important explorations.

 

We glued the dark blue construction paper onto the light blue construction paper after we cut the waves and the sailing strip. My son added sea monsters, as the legend of giant sea creatures was one of the elements that kept people from venturing out too far into the ocean all those years ago. He also added a sunken ship and a treasure chest.

 

We added five major explorations to our timeline: Columbus in 1492, da Gama in 1497, Magellan in 1519, Verrazano (or Varrazzano) in 1524, and Drake in 1577.

 

I printed up a small picture of a caravel, the popular sailing ship of the time, designed by Prince Henry the Navigator. My son colored it, glued it to a jumbo popsicle stick, and we wrapped a piece of pipecleaner just below the ship so that it doesn't fall through when we hang it on the wall. 

 

This was a fun activity and I think we will use the idea again with a different theme. Do you have any fun timeline activities? Please share your ideas with us below.

 

We used a few other websites for information during our studies. Mr. Nussbaum has lots of information with printable worksheets and online interactive games and activities to reinforce learning. There are some great ideas at the blog The {Art} of Learning, and we liked the ship activity. I couldn't find a template for it though, so I drew my own. You can get a very unprofessional copy of my template here - it might print out with some of the blemishes but you can use it to trace your own.

 

You might also look for these books at the library: The History News: Explorers by Michael Johnstone (Candlewick Press) and Exploring the World by Fiona Macdonald (Peter Bedrick Books). We also used World History by John Farndon and Victoria Parker (Sandy Creek) and the Children's Encyclopedia of American History by David C. King (DK Publishing).

 

I found a lot of other fun activities and information that I listed on my Pinterest page for future reference. Follow me at http://www.pinterest.com/heididealwrites/ to get in on the fun!

 

 

Settling In To Homeschool

We've officially completed one full week of homeschool and, this being our first experience with homeschooling, I'd say we are doing pretty well. We're still figuring out how to best schedule our days and where chores and social time fits in, but we are making time for all of that and still finishing our assignments.

On our first day, I had the kids draw a self portrait. I plan on having them draw a new self portrait every month to see what changes and progress is made. Here is my son's:

We are also enjoying our curriculum materials. I purchased the Saxon Math 1 homeschool program through Houghton Mifflin. My first grader is a little ahead in math skills so the early lessons are proving to be very easy for him, but we are using it as an opportunity to review and see if there are any early skills that we need to work on. We also purchased the math manipulatives kit and we have a lot of fun using the linking cubes, rulers, balance, and other materials that it comes with. Here's a look at all that fun stuff!

We also purchased the Houghton Mifflin Science Fusion program for 1st grade and we really like it. It took some technological know-how to set up, but once I sat down and focused I was able to get our virtual classroom set up. There are still a few glitches that I need to address, but I can access all the materials so it hasn't become an issue yet. Our favorite part is the worktext that you can write in and the inquiry flipchart that offers tons of labs and experiments to go along with our reading.

I have the language arts workbooks, but I'm looking for a more instructional and informative language arts program, rather than just worksheets with short fill in the blank activities. Do you have a favorite language arts program? I'd love to hear about it!

Raddish: Culinary Skills and Healthy Eating for Kids

A few months ago at the CHEA convention in Anaheim I discovered the Raddish booth. I fell in love with the adorably illustrated recipe cards and the concept that cooking and curriculum can connect so seamlessly.

Raddish is sold in a subscription format and every month you get a box that contains three recipe cards, table talk cards to encourage coversation over meals, activity ideas to complement the recipes, a skill card to teach new culinary skills and so much more. The recipe cards offer additional educational information and suggestions for putting what you learn into action. The Raddish website even offers supplemental recipes, activities, and lesson plans to accompany your Raddish subscription.

I really wanted to try a box.

You can imagine how excited I was when I was given the opportunity. I am a contributor for dandelion moms and was so kindly given a box to try with my family. You can see my full post here.

Maybe your kids love cooking, maybe you want to improve your culinary skills and create an opportunity for family time, or maybe you are looking for an elective to add to your homeschool curriculum. No matter your situation, I highly recommend Raddish. My kiddos and I give it three thumbs up!

Our Sand and Water Table Garden

We had a sand and water table on our patio that we were ready to toss. The kids rarely remembered to put the lids on when they were done playing and the eucalyptus trees wreaked havoc with leaves and sap. Our beautiful sand often turned to an ugly mess and so we thought it was time to retire our good friend.

But we were struck with an Aha! moment and decided to go a different route. We filled it with soil and seeds and plants and turned it into a garden for our kids to play in and observe. Originally the garden had tomato plants, strawberries, carrots and radishes, but we didn't have much luck with the carrots. They didn't have enough room to grow. The radishes did well but the kids didn't like the way they tasted. The strawberries didn't stand a chance against the baby opossum that stopped by to nibble them every night. But the tomatoes are going strong and we've since added a few flowers and another old strawberry plant (just in case the opossum gets hungry).

The kids enjoy helping water the plants and tend to the garden and my daughter loves the tomatoes. Do you have a garden planted in something out of the ordinary? Tell us what you're growing and share your pictures with us!

Hunting for Harlequin Bugs

The harlequin bug is an insect that migrated north into America from Mexico sometime after the Civil War. These beautiful bugs can be found in various spots around southern California and we like to hunt for them when we are out on the nature trails. They are often found in coastal scrub areas setting up shop on bladderpod plants.



Harlequin bugs on a bladderpod plant

Where we've found harlequin bugs:

• Bolsa Chica Wetlands: Take the trail that starts at the interpretive center (3842 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647)
• Peter and Mary Muth/ Upper Newport Bay: Lots of bladderpods on the trails near the interpretive center (2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660)
• Crystal Cove State Park: Explore the Environmental Study Loop, an accessible trail loop with eight field stations where you can learn about science, conservation, and even contribute to research. One stop asks you to count the number of harlequin bugs you see on the nearby plants, write down your count, and drop it in the collection box.

While the harlequin bug prefers cabbage, mustard, collards, cauliflower, radish and other cruciferous vegetable plants, bladderpods seem to satisfy them here in the coastal areas. On the trail, keep your eye out for a bristly shrub with yellow flowers and hanging pods. We've spotted bladder pod plants with zero harlequin bugs on one bush, and on a neighboring shrub up to twenty-five bugs. So look around and see if the nearby shrubs are occupied if you don't spot them right away.

Bladderpod Image thanks to California Coastal Commission
 

The harlequin bug looks harmless enough, and they are quite pretty. You can even pick one up and observe it up close, but be gentle and return it to its home when you are done. These little guys are quite powerful though. They are considered pests and are capable of destroying entire crops. By sucking the sap from plants, the bug causes the host plant to dry out, wilt and die.

Not the best for local farmers, but always fun for little insect hunters.