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JenOni

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Solar Eclipse on August 21st is the Science Event of the Year

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Solar EclipseTotal Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse happens every 38 years.   The last one for me was in 1979 as I was headed to 5th grade.   It’s summer but how cool to learn about such a major astronomy event.    Kids are so lucky today in terms of access to the web for learning about different areas of science.    Science is so fun and interactive now with all the technology to capture historical events.

What is a solar eclipse?   A solar eclipse is when a new moon moves between the earth and the sun.   It prevents some or all of the sun’s rays from reaching the earth-hence the darkened skies.    The path will run from  Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina the skies will darken.  The moon will cover the entire sun for up to two minutes and forty seconds.

 

Check out this wonderful video from National Geographic for a full explanation:

 

In order to view safely, you must use CERTIFIED eclipse glasses or make your own.  A DIY link is here:w

What you will see from your zip code

 

 

 

 

KiwiCo Back To School Printable Routines

Home Decor Wish Lists for Decorating My Apartment Space

 

 

home decor

Home Decor

Home decor shopping is so much fun.  I have been in my living space for three years and am far from all of my decorating needs.   One goal is to try to add a  new item every few months.    Some of my favorite places include Wayfair, Target, and Ikea.   Each retailer offers unique items that I can add to create a unique style to every corner of your living space.   Apartment living usually gives you white walls so I decided to add inspirational wall decals.

Dining and Living Room Spaces

In addition to adding accessories such as decorative pillows and throws, I also have a new interest in plants.  Plants add a nice touch to your living space and health benefits.  I read you should have 10-12 plants in your living space.     It is my therapeutic hobby that requires understanding each type of plant, watering schedule and using the best pots with drainage.

Another decorating idea is using all of my digital photos from my phone.   It is so easy to print locally at drugstores or mass merchandisers (Target & Walmart) and it is inexpensive and quick.   I love to use different types of frames for the photos and one idea for a focal wall is to use all black frames for an assortment of photos with kids.

Bedroom Space

Lastly, creating a sanctuary for the bedroom is necessary.  A good night’s sleep starts with the right mattress and good pillows!

Home Decor Wish Lists

My decorating lists will be a continuous work in progress.   I created wish lists from two of my favorite retailers(nonsponsored post).

 

 

 

 

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Slime is a Great Science Experiment and STEM at Home

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Slime Making is STEM at Home

My soon to be 5th grader mastered the science of making slime.  I wanted her to take on the project without any supervision from me.    She is very resourceful and found different instructions on Elmer’s glue website.   We found all of her supplies: glue, baking soda and contact solution at Target.     I will include the link to Elmer’s glue below.

 

 

 

Elmer’s Glue Slime How To   (this is a nonsponsored post)*

 

Who said learning has to stop during the SUMMER?   In addition to the slime making, I have included an offline activity that involves science and math.  Thanks to Education.com.  This is a very interactive activity that utilizes math and science to learn about the solar system.    If you are interested in more activities, you can visit their site  here

Tour the Planets

Help your child learn the planets and practice math skills in this multi-player game! This learning mash-up is a great way to get your child interested in science and math while competing with his friends. Players will navigate the game through addition, subtraction and multiplication while exploring the solar system. Whoever colors in the most planets wins!

What You Need:

  • White paper
  • Markers
  • Deck of cards with the face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) removed
  • Pencil

What You Do:

Create The Scoresheet:

– Each player makes their own coloring sheet on a vertical piece of white paper. In the center of the page, draw the outline of a sun with a black marker.

– Draw 9 concentric rings around the sun, one ring per planet or the moon in our solar system. Make a black outline drawing of each planet or moon on it’s orbital line. They can be drawn as creatively as you like!

– Next to each drawing, write the corresponding initial. The initials in order around the sun should be:  M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N, P.

– Have your child shuffle the deck and place it face down.

Play The Game:

  1. Ask your child to shuffle the deck and place it face down. For this game aces = 1.
  2. Each player takes 2 cards at a time. They can choose to use any math system including addition, subtraction, or multiplication to combine the two cards they choose, trying to end up with any number between 1 and 9.
  3. If the answer is between 1 and 9, the player gets to color in the corresponding planet in order of their distance from the sun. For example, if a player’s number is 5, they would color in Jupiter, because it’s the 5th planet from the sun.
  4. Players can only color in the planets if their math is correct, they can name the planet, and the planet has not been colored in yet by another player.
  5. When all the planets have been named, each player should count the number of planets they have colored and whoever has colored the most planets is the winner!

Example:

 

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Summer Projects for DIY Suncatchers and Origami Fidget Spinners

DIYProjects
*this post includes affiliate links, which means I receive commission if you click on the link and make a purchase*

Summer DIY Projects from KiwiCo

Summer means a break from school and a lot of down time.  Kiwi Crate is a great way to keep the imagination sharp while learning STEM concepts.   The best projects are the ones offered when kids are in the house with the “I’m bored” conversation.  Check out these really cool DIY Projects from Kiwi Crate. What can your kids make with old, broken, and discarded crayons?  The first project finds a way to recycle and repurpose the old crayons to make suncatchers.   The second project is designing your own fidget spinner.

 

 Project  – DIY Recycled Crayon Suncatchers

 DIY Projects: Recycled Crayon Suncatchers

 

In our schools, fidget spinners were very popular during the weeks of standardized testing.     The use or origami to design a fidget spinner sounds like a winning combination.   Kiwi Crate introduces engineering concepts with fun and interactive activities.

Do you remember using paper to make origami during summer camp?  In our schools, fidget spinners were very popular during the weeks of standardized testing.     The use of origami to design a fidget spinner sounds like a winning combination.   Kiwi Crate introduces engineering concepts with fun and interactive activities.

 Project – DIY Origami Fidget Spinner

DIY Projects: Origami Fidget Spinner