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You and the kids are snow-bound at home for a few days. They’re tired of their games and the cable just went out! What to do, what to do? Try these activities.
Homemade sno-globes
A big hit for holiday gift-giving.
Materials Needed:
any kind of jars -- baby food jars are perfect
Small decorative items to go inside: little plastic animal and people figures, flowers, buildings, etc.
glitter
glycerin
1. Paint the jar lids in seasonal colors with oil-based enamel paint.
2. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough.
3. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid and let the epoxy dry.
4. Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water
5. add a pinch of glitter for the snow and a dash of glycerin to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped.
6. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine.
7. Turn the jar over and back again and let it snow!
Backyard Weather Stations
Materials needed:
Thermometer: To record temperature.
Rain Gauge: To measure rain fall.
Wind/Weather Vane: To record wind direction.
Barometer: To measure atmospheric pressure.
Anemometer: To measure wind speed.
Psychrometer/Hygrometer: To measure relative humidity.
A Journal: To record your readings and data.
Building a backyard weather station with your kids is fun, easy, and makes a great family project! Your kids will learn the basics of scientific observation and record-keeping while satisfying their natural curiosity about weather.
A weather station is a set of devices for measuring elements like temperature, rain fall, wind speed, and pressure. You can buy these devices in your local hardware store, or you can make them from scratch using common materials found around the house.
A Few Notes on Record Keeping:
Decide which weather events and data you want to record and how often you want to take measurements (once a day, twice a day, etc.). The more detailed and accurate your measurements, the more specific your picture of the patterns will become. A ruled notebook or ledger is an ideal place to record the measurements. List measurement types down the side (one event per line) and print the dates across the top to create a simple grid sheet.
Precipitation
Wind Dir.
Wind Speed
Humidity
Pressure
Cloud Type
Hint: Numerical data can also be entered into a simple spreadsheet-type program and manipulated to create impressive visual charts and graphs to display data. Your kids can also take a crack at creating a wall chart to create a stunning data display. It would make a great science project or extra credit work in any earth science course.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
Have you seen the TV show "Dinner and a Movie"? Why not try something similar at home. Take the kids to the local video store to rent a movie. Then together plan and prepare a meal to go with the theme of the movie. It's a fun way to introduce the kids to some foods they might not otherwise try. A few suggestions:
Ghandi - order take out food from the local Indian restaurant. Also helps make a connection between the food and its people.
Mary Poppins - have a tea party. Fill your tea kettle with cold water and bring to a full, rolling boil. Using loose tea, allow a heaping spoonful per cup and pour the boiling water over the tea leaves. Allow to steep for three to four minutes. Serve in your prettiest china with teeny cookies or sandwiches.
Soul Food - ribs, biscuits, fried chicken, greens, macaroni & cheese.
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