THERE IS STILL TIME FOR FEBRUARY FUN

There's still time to make FEBRUARY FABULOUS!


February 1: NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY celebrates President Abraham Lincoln signing the 13th Ammendment of the United States Constitution outlawing slavery in 1865. *Here's a special story to share.






February 2: GROUNDHOG DAY. It's said that if the groundhog peeks out of its burrow and sees its shadow, there will be six more week of winter weather. No shadow sighting and winter is over right then. 
Click to link to fun activities for the day from Scholastic. 

OR try this Alaskan native peoples way for forecasting what weather's coming. They hold a tug of war. On one side are the Ducks, anyone born during a summer month. On the other side are the Ptarmigans, anyone born during a winter month. If the Ducks win, winter will soon be over. If the Ptarmigans win, more winter weather is ahead.

February 3: FLOAT FREE In 1984, two American astronauts floated free of the space shuttle Challenger. It was made possible by a nitrogen jet-propelled backpack called the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit). *I have to share that while working on my book PIONEERING SPACE I had a chance to test drive the trainer for the MMU. I was on Earth not in space but it was still fantastic.

February 4: CHARLES LINDBERGH was born. In 1927, he made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in a plane called The Spirit of St. Louis. 

February 5: RUBBER BOOTS were first introduced in 1824 by J. W. Goodrich. Put on your boots and go outside on a scavenger hunt. See how many of these you can find.

• Something older than you are.
• Something younger than you are.
• Something that will not rot. Something that will rot.
• Something rough.
• Something Smooth.
• Something that will change over time.

February 6: BABE (George) RUTH was born in 1895. He was noted for hitting home runs and dubbed The King of Swing. Get to know him. Read about him. Then link to fun facts.

February 7: QUAKE In 1812 a series of earthquakes shook New Madrid, MO and caused the Misissippi River to flow backwards for several hours..

February 8: NATIONAL KITE FLYING DAY Check out this link to kite flying activities and history from Scholastic.

And for a little older readers...








February 9: WEATHER In 1870, Congress created the first public weather service. In 1970, it was officially named the National Weather Service. *I love walking in the rain and seeing the world all rain-changed. That's why I wrote this rainy day story. And it's about something real that happens when the weather is just---TOADY. :-)

February 10: SURRENDER France signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763, giving Canada to Great Britain. French is still spoken, especially in Quebec.
Here's a few fun French words and phrases to learn.

Oui (say whee)  Yes
Merci (say mair-see) Thank you
De Rien (say du-rhee-en) Your welcome


February 11: INVENTOR'S DAY This is celebrated in honor of Thomas Edison's birthday because of all his many inventions, including an improved telephone, the phonograph, and a long-glowing electric light bulb. National Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 1973, in Akron, OH. Moved to Alexandria, VA, in 2008.

February 12: ABRAHAM LINCOLN was born in 1809. *Two of my favorite books. :-)

February 13: HOORAY FOR SCHOOL The oldest public secondary school in America opened in 1635. John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Robert Paine and William Hooper, all signers of the Declaration of Independence, went to school there. 

February 14: VALENTINE'S DAY
Check my blog archives for VALENTINE'S DAY IS FUN WITH HEART! to discover lots of ways for kids to make their own Valentine cards.


February 15: SUSAN B. ANTHONY was born in 1820. Her work was key in gaining women the Right to Vote.

February 16: OPERATION SANDBLAST The submarine USS Triton left New London, CT beginning what became the world's first underwater circumnavigation of the earth. It took 84 days and covered 41,500 miles. It also followed, generally, the route of the first ever circumnavigation of the globe by Ferdinand Magellan from 1519-1522.

February 17: NATIONAL RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY. Think of some way to be nice to someone else.

February 18: ALESSANDRO VOLTA was born in Italy in 1745. He invented the electric battery. It's become NATIONAL BATTERY DAY. List at least 10 things you use that's battery-powered.


February 19: PHONOGRAPH In 1878, Thomas Edison received a patent for inventing the phonograph, which could play recorded sounds. 

February 20: ANSEL ADAMS was born in 1902. His amazing photographs of nature encouraged people to want to conserve and protect nature. It's also LOVE YOUR PET DAY. *I have to share one of my favorite love your pet books.





February 21: WASHINGTON MONUMENT was completed in 1885. Work had begun 37 years earlier on July 4, 1848.

February 22: POPCORN While this may not be the exact date, it's believe February, 1630 was when Native American Quadequina introduced early colonists to popped corn. You may be shocked to learn popcorn was the original puffed breakfast cereal. Popcorn was also worn by the early Native Americans. Have kids pop up some jewelry too. After threading dental floss through a needle have them poke the needle through the thickest part of the popped kernel. String necklaces or bracelets. After wearing, hang outdoors for bird snacks. 

February 23: TOOTSIE ROLL This chocolate-flavored candy treat was first introduced to the world in New York City. It was the first individually wrapped penny candy in the US.

February 24: STEAM SHOVEL This machine was invented in 1838 by William Otis and patented on this day in 1839.


February 25: READ ACROSS AMERICA begins today! It ends on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss's birthday. So be sure and read a Dr. Seuss book out loud today. *Here's my favorite.








February 26: NATIONAL TELL A FAIRY TALE DAY. It really is! *Here's one of my favorites.











February 27: POLAR BEAR DAY It's the day to celebrate this amazing animal. *I have to share one of my own stories about a polar bear because it's about a real bear--a very special polar bear cub.

February 28: NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY *And what could be a better way to end the fun. I hope all the young readers enjoy my very first WHAT IF YOU HAD!? book. Ask children what kind of animal teeth they would like to have and let them imagine having them!

I hope your FEBRUARY is FABULOUS!

FROSTY FUN!

I grew up in northern Ohio and I've been to Antarctica so I KNOW  SNOW!

If you live where winter is snowy, here are some ways to explore and have fun.

Start with a winter scavenger hunt. Go outdoors and try to find one item for each category listed below. No fair using the same item for more than one category. This is great fun for groups to compete.

You might find maple seeds like these.

Try to find:

Something older than you are

Something younger than you are

A seed

Something rough

Something smooth

Something that will change in the spring

A bird feather

Try keeping a record of each new snowfall for the rest of the winter. Which months had the wettest snow? If you keep your tracking going, find out how one year's snowfalls compare to another.

By the way, I spent one winter at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. That winter the temperatures averaged -50F to -70F and dropped as low as -129F. 

Check out this book about Wilson Bentley. His photos of snowflakes became world famous.

What is it?!

Look at the bottom of the blog to find out....

Treat The Birds

You can get a good look at birds that spend the winter in your neighborhood, if you invite them to dinner. An easy treat to make is a peanut butter pinecone. Loop a string around the top of a pine cone and tie a knot. Next, smear peanut butter on the cone and roll the cone in birdseed. Then have an adult partner hang the pinecone where birds will be able to perch and eat. 

Now, keep watch. Use bird books and search on-line to help you identify the birds visiting your bird diner. Also, answer these questions:

1. What time of day do the birds come to eat? 

2. Do the birds come more on stormy or sunny days?

3. Do the birds take turns and feed one at a time? Or do they compete to eat?

4. Which birds usually chase other birds away?

Create a colorful bar graph to share the data you collect about your dinner guests.

Remember, to replace your pinecone with a fresh treat from time-to-time to keep the dinners coming back for more.

And when you're ready to warm up inside, curl up with one of my newest books.

Mystery-Adventure Middle Grade Novel

COMING SOON!

STILL FUN!

Do you know what this is?

It's a photo taken in the Antarctic of a cup of hot tea tossed into the air. The liquid was boiling hot but instantly froze into tiny crystals.

WONDER! IMAGINE! DISCOVER! HAVE FUN!!!!

This month let children wonder WHAT IF I HAD ANIMAL EYES!?

AND help them discover how special eyes help animals thrive where they live.

Chameleon Eye Spy

For this activity, scatter several objects to find around the classroom. Next, choose two students to team up. Have that pair stand side-by-side. Give each child in the team one empty toilet paper tube. (Or use paper towel tubes for an even bigger challenge.) 

Have the team close their eyes while someone places three colorful objects, such as red apples, somewhere in the classroom. 

Now, have each child use a hand to cover the eye on the side next to their partner. And hold the tube up to their uncovered eye. Only looking through the tubes, each member of the team can look in any direction. However, as soon as one team member spots an object that person must guide their partner to home in on the object. And together they must point out the object.

Then repeat to find the other object.

Let other teams try the challenge. Discuss how having eyes that can look in more than one direction is a useful adaptation. And why it's key that both eyes can also focus in the same direction. 

Also share that chameleon bodies (feet and tail) are designed for getting a grip on their habitat and hanging on tight. Why might chameleons have different eyes if they could move their bodies quickly?   

Bullfrog Eye Spy

Often, there's so many interesting facts it's tough to choose just what to share in the "What If You Had?!" info-burst. That was true for the Bullfrog. So here are some cool facts I didn't share:

*It's a good thing a bullfrog can see nearly all the way around itself because, unlike people, it can't turn its eyes in its head. 

*Bullfrogs are nearsighted.

*Their eyes are extremely sensitive to movement. However, if prey, such as flies, don't move, a bullfrog doesn't see it.

Now, follow the directions on one the following resource sites to make periscopes. Then let children experience peeking over things to spy like a bullfrog. 

Have children write a short story or poem about being a frog hiding underwater while watching their world.

Making A Cardboard Periscope 1  

Making A Cardboard Periscope 2

MORE FUN!

Once your class has read all the What If You Had?! books, have them create a picture of themselves with all the animal adaptations they wish they had.

STILL MORE FUN!!

You and your students are sure to think of even more ways to have fun with WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL EYES!?

TAKE A BITE!

IT'S APPLE TIME!

I love this season! Whether you live where autumn brings lots of changes or only a few, it's still a great time for seasonal fun. So let's jump in and get started.

CHOMP!

There are thousands of kinds of apples. However, only the most popular are grown and harvested. Even that changes as new varieties emerge. Today, the top ten are most often listed as the following:

Pink Lady 

Honeycrisp

Fuji

Golden Delicious

McIntosh

Cox's Orange Pippin

Red Delicious

Gala

Jonasgold

Cortland

Collect samples of any three then compare. 
Do the apples look different? 

Check color. 
Shape. 
Size.

Now wash and slice. Then taste one sample. Rate it from 1 to 4 on crispness with 1 being the softest and 4 being the crispest.
Also rate it on sweetness with 1 being the least sweet and 4 being the sweetest.

It's estimated each person in the U.S. eats about 50 apples each year. So take a bite to be on your way to eating your fair share!

RIDDLE: What kind of fruit do ghosts like?
Boo-berries. 









RIDDLE: What's a vampire's favorite fruit?
Neck-tarines.



SNAP IT UP

To bob for apples, fill a large plastic storage tub or child's plastic wading pool nearly full of water. Wash the apples--one for each contestant. Set these afloat. To play each person, in turn, bends over the tub with their hands behind their back. Have someone time each person working to snatch an apple in their teeth. The fastest snatcher wins. Only each person wins a tasty apple snack.

*Write a short story about a bobbing-for-apples contest. 

RIDDLE: What kind of horses do ghosts ride?
Nightmares.

MAKE MUSIC!

Kids love to make music!

Making their own musical instruments is a great way to explore what creates sounds-- and what changes the pitch. 

TOOT A TUNE:
Start by letting children explore how air vibrating produces sound. Then explore how varying the amount of vibrating air changes the pitch--how high or low the tone sounds.

What you need: plastic straw, scissors.

What to do:
1. Snip off one end of the straw to form a V-shape. Nip off the point. Flatten the cut end by pressing it against a table top with a thumbnail.

2. Blow on the V-shaped en of the straw. That acts like a reed in a wood wind instrument and make the air blowing through the straw vibrate. PRESTO! A sound. 

3. Snip off the straw to change its length. Blow again to hear the new sound this makes.

Now, get together with a group of friends. Have each make a Next, make each a little shorter than the one before. And tape all five together so they are side-by-side. 

Try making up a tune to play with your straw instrument that's a different length. Toot sounds together and one-after-the-other. Just for fun, make your own tunes.

MAKE WATER BELLS
Start by letting children explore how different amounts of air vibrating produces different sounds. 

What you need: 3 glass quart jars, a metal spoon, water--food coloring just for fun.

What to do:
1. Fill one jar half full of water. Tap it with the spoon. It should make a deep sound. If it does not, add a little more water. Keep testing and adding a little more water till you hear a deep sound. This is Bell 3.

2. Fill the second jar a little less than half full. Tap it. The sound should be higher than the first jar. If it is not, pour out a little water. Keep testing and pouring till you the sound is a little higher than the deep sound. This is Bell 2. 

3. Fill the last jar with just enough water to cover the bottom. Tap it. The sound should be higher than the other two jars. This is Bell 1.

You can play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" by tapping the jars in this pattern.

1, 2, 3, 2---1, 1, 1
2, 2, 2, ---1, 1, 1
1, 2, 3, 2---1, 1, 1
1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3

Now, experiment. Make up your own music to play on your Water Bells.

STRETCH AND STRUM

This time, it's rubber bands that get air moving and make sounds.

Go as wild as you want to let kids make their own guitars. What counts is having different thickness--or differently stretched--rubber bands.

In fact, almost anything that will let you stretch the rubber bands will work!

What you need: cereal box, tape, scissors, BIG rubber bands--best to use different thicknesses. Or something, such as a pencil or crayon, to change stretch.

What to do:
1. Be sure cereal box is empty and tape top shut. 
2. Cut a hole as big around as a drinking glass on just one of the flat sides of the box.
3. Stretch rubber bands over the box, across the hole.

Pluck the rubber bands to make sounds. Push the pencil or crayon under one or more of the rubber bands to change how much it's stretched. Check how that changes the pitch.  

Here are some websites  to explore for more musical instrument HOW-TO
GET kids being movers, shakers, and music makers!!!

17 Handmade Instruments

Make Homemade Music with These 6 DIY Instruments

25 Musical Instruments Kids Can Actually Play