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Planets & Stars

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When I was young, I slept under dozens of small glow-in-the-dark star stickers. I loved staring up at my faux-night sky and dreaming of all the far away places I would visit and all the zany adventures I would have, as I grew taller and older. It goes without saying then that I was in heaven as my little gal gleefully expressed her desire to affix illuminating stars above her bed. She received a solar system mobile for her 3rd birthday and once her new big girl room was complete, she helped build it and hung it up in the … Continue reading →

When Was the Last Time You Enjoyed a Shower Together?

I’m not talking about the kind of shower you take in your bathroom, but, rather, a meteor shower. The Perseids The question of when was the last time you enjoyed a shower together came to me because earlier this morning was supposedly the peak time for best viewing of the Perseids meteor shower. However, the shower activity period spans from July 17 through August 24. Depending on where you live, tonight might also be a prime viewing night, but even until August 24 there’s still a chance you can spot a “shooting star” or two. (In doing research for this … Continue reading →

Google Earth and the Universe – Space Travel Fun

A few months ago, Jeff talked about Google Earth and how much fun it was to explore the program in one of his blogs. Now, with their latest version, Google Earth has gone into space. Now, not only can you type in San Francisco, you can type in Andromeda, Horsehead Nebula, or Orion. Google and NASA have compiled over a million Hubble Space Telescope and satellite images into a map of space. The project is mind boggling. And so is traveling through the universe! It’s so fun! You can type in an address and view the night sky from that … Continue reading →

Week in Review – Family Fun

Summer fun this week involves glowing stars, picnics, painted rocks, and computer games. Read about some ways to make picnics easier and more frequent in Picnic Fun. Bring some outside magic inside. Discover how to make bedtime more fun with a magical star ceiling and glow-in-the-dark planets in Planets & Stars. And speaking of space, have your kids ever tried Moon Sand? Why should kids have all the summer fun? Find a few ideas of your own in Summer Fun for Moms and Dads. And how about a new way to play with your computer. What celebrities do you and … Continue reading →

What Your First Grader Should Know: Science

The most important thing to teach in early science is observation. Teaching your kids to observe, and make notes of what they see is as important as getting the concepts. They can draw pictures of what they see, make notes or even take along a camera to take pictures and scrap book their observations. Encourage, as much as possible, your child to describe details in what they see. Animals My kids are simply fascinated with the Sea World website. Check out the Shamu cam, print coloring pages and look at activities. Or why not play some animal games on the … Continue reading →

What Your Kindergartner Should Know: Science

Observation of everyday, familiar things Teaching Tip: Make a science journal with your child. First copy paper that is blank on top but has lines on the bottom. Secondly, have your child either draw a picture, take a picture with a camera, or use pictures from magazines, for the blank space. Underneath, have your child dictate (or write if he can), one or two sentences about the item. It doesn’t have to be perfect nor does your child have to think profoundly about each item. However, you will quickly discover that when you’ve found something that sparks your child’s interest, … Continue reading →

A Unit Study Starter on Backyard Astronomy

Here is a list of resources to use to plan a unit study on astronomy. I should note that one reason I chose astronomy for this month’s Unit Study Starter, is because the Perseids meteor shower will be most visible during the weekend of August 12th & 13th. The Perseids is supposed to be one of the most active meteor showers and therefore one of the easiest to observe on a clear night. Add a few more resources to this list to make a complete Unit Study or pick and choose from this list to augment what you’re already doing … Continue reading →