Posted by Farmgirl on August 18, 2010 | 1 Comment
Just over the hill from our place is a delightful pond and lovely field. Not only has it hosted many a family gathering, but also … AG EXPO … an agriculture, natural resources and conservation event.
It’s loads of fun for the whole family.
Click the horse below to learn what’s in store this year!
Tags:Ag Expo, Agricultural Event, Carroll County Ohio, Mechanicstown Ohio, ODNR
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on June 1, 2010 | 1 Comment
Here’s a recipe for summer fun.
I don’t really know what it is or why kids like “goop” — but they do.
It’s strange. Like them.
A match made in heaven, I guess.
First: assemble ingredients, utensils and rowdy children.
Be sure to specify each child’s job … specifically … to avoid arguments later.
Note: it is wise to allow older children to handle the food coloring. Trust me, I know.
It took three bottles of glue to make a cup.
Luckily, we had some 50-cent bottles from the bargain bin.
Directions:
Be sure to set some ground rules before turning goop over to kids.
WARNING: It makes a mess in the carpet and it really slimes mirrors and windows!
Happy goop-slinging!
Tags:activities, art project, Borax, craft project, Elmer's glue, food coloring, glue, Goop, kids, recipe, summer fun, Zip-loc Bags
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on April 14, 2010 | 5 Comments
Subtitle: Carnivores are vegetarians.
It’s A Bug’s World.
Yesterday we attended the It’s A Bug World seminar for kids at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center in Wooster. In the next two days, more than 1,000 students will visit the OARDC campus to learn the importance of everything from pollination to sustainable fishing to bugs in our diet. The sessions are conducted by faculty and staff from the Department of Entomology.
They welcome inquisitive young minds.
There were microscopes and bug parts … emerald beetles and monarch butterflies and mealworms to examine. The took a close look at the head, thorax and abdomens of insects.
They learned that there are nearly 1 million species of insects. And you shouldn’t immediately go with your urge to smash every bug you see.
Only about 3% of bugs are bad bugs.
They learned about pollination and the parts of a flower.
How insects play a vital role in the making of flowers and produce and new plants. Because all plants want to have lots and lots of babies.
They practiced making babies … plant style.
It was all cotton swabs and sugar. One was the plant, one was the pollinator.
They learned about the plants on their plate.
And though the entomologists didn’t say this, I’m going to:
Huh?
Think about it. Cows eat grass and plants to grow. When cows (and pigs, sheep, poultry and other animals) eat plants, they grow meat. So here is the official Farmgirl Logic:
And since meat has loads of zinc, iron and protein, you should eat lean servings of meat with all of those nutrient-rich fruits and veggies. It really is that simple.
But back to our field trip.
Sustainable Fishing
The fly fishing and tieing session was spectacular. I now have three kids begging for fly-fishing poles and a husband dreaming of fancy equipment for a new hobby.
I have to admit, parts of the demonstration looked more difficult than knitting. Not that knitting is difficult … I’ve made my fair share of scarves and potholders.
Just don’t ask me to knit a sweater.
The Whiz Bang Science Show was the highlight of the day.
Liquid nitrogen … helium … hot air balloons … and lots and lots of cool tricks.
Do you know the Bernoulli Principle?
His illustration was a HUUUUUUUGE hit.
Let’s just say it involved a paint roller duct-taped to a leaf blower. (And let’s just say I now fear the next generation of TP-ing teenagers. They’ll take toilet paper vandalism to an entirely new level.)
And then of course … liquids and solids and gases.
And there was a big bang.
No big bang theories though.
Have I ever told you my Big Bang Theory?
Here it is:
GOD SAID BANG! and it happened.
It was a great day. Very exciting stuff.
You should take your kids next year … homeschooled, public schooled, private schooled or unschooled. Even if your kids’ school doesn’t take field trips. You should go. Excuse them from school and take them to It’s A Bug’s World.
It’s an annual opportunity to get up close and personal with real scientists.
And stay tuned for details about the K-12 Science of Agriculture Workshop at OARDC.
Posted by Farmgirl on March 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
Easter makes me happy.
As I get older, I’m starting to think of Easter as my favorite holiday. I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong … but Easter isn’t buried in decorating, gift-giving, tradition-laden pressure. Easter is colorful and sweet, and comes with the promise of spring. Easter means an entire Lenten season … Holy Week … Palm Sunday … Ash Wednesday … Maundy Thursday … Good Friday services … my little girls in pastel dresses with silly hats … forgiven sin and new beginnings.
Easter is a breath of fresh air after a long winter.
Easter is a lily white promise of love and renewal.
And let’s be honest … Easter is just plain fun.
I love the tradition, the family and yes, I’ll admit it: the chocolate.
I also love this fun kids’ activity.
Someone came up with a great idea and now the entire kit can be purchased online … but I made my own. You’ll need an egg carton, marker, coins and some itty bitty items that will fit inside 12 plastic eggs.
On each of the 12 days preceding Easter, you and your kids can open an egg and talk about the item inside — why it is a symbol of Easter and how it helps illustrate the Easter story. There are even places to help you explain each item.
Unfortunately, I’m a little late in sharing this information with you.
Don’t worry! You can still use the eggs. Let each of your children open an egg each day until you’re caught up. Or, open them all at once and talk about the entire story. How you do it is up to you!
I’ve listed links below to help you make, illustrate and tell the Easter story to your little ones. I hope you find this project as much fun as we do!
To purchase:
Helpful hints to make your own:
Explain each egg with the help of Cullen & Gator:
Tags:activity, craft project, Easter, eggs, kids, resurrection, Resurrection Eggs
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on March 2, 2010 | 1 Comment
You all know Dr. Seuss. If you don’t, you must have been stuck outside of Whoville for a very long time.
Rather than explain who he his and where he’s from (Springfield, Mass.), I thought I’d offer you some fantastical quotes from this legendary man … because you know:
and if that doesn’t work …
and don’t fret …
… really!
And I like this one … a lot.
Tags:A Fly Went By, Cat In A Hat, Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham, happy birthday, Horton Hears A Who, One Fish Two Fish
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on February 19, 2010 | 2 Comments
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Can’t beat the snow, although melting was accomplished during yesterday’s 40-degree heat wave.
So we had a little get-together to celebrate winter and vast expanses of white stuff.
We made igloos.
I’m not sure if they used more marshmallows than they ate, but they had fun. I saw smiles, heard giggles and saw happiness oozing from their eyes and ears.
Supplies:
Styrofoam cups and small plates
Miniature marshmallows
Glue
Toothpicks
Construction paper
Scissors
The key to success is gentleness.
Use a light touch … and lots of glue! Note: We allowed our igloos to dry overnight.
Fun for all ages.
Everybody will enjoy this project.
Just be sure to have plenty of marshmallows for the crafting and snacking.
Happy Winter!
Tags:activity, art, craft, Eskimo, family fun, glue, homeschooling, igloo, kids craft, marshmallow, snow, snow fort, toothpick, winter
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on January 27, 2010 | 1 Comment
The epidemic has spread to my kids.
Cabin fever. Grumpy Gus syndrome. The cranky plague. Hissy fit harumphing.
It’s bad. It’s cold … and as jagged as an iceberg. Which is why it’s a perfect time to study ice and snow and Arctic regions and the animals living there. Reverse psychology.
We’ve been studying snowflakes. We’ve learned the difference between fern frost and rime frost and hoar frost. My freezer is full of plastic bottles of water, filled to varying degrees for experiments — but that’s ok. It means they’re busy … and hopefully, not picking on each other or driving me up the wall, out the chimney, over the fence or into the woods.
Do you know Jean Craighead George?
(photos belong to Jean Craighead George)
George has magical stories in her heart and mind, and she has crafted them into more than 100 books. You may know her from stories like Julie of the Wolves or My Side of the Mountain — the story of a boy and a falcon surviving on a mountain together.
Get this: her first pet was a turkey vulture!
George is a Penn State grad. She worked as a reporter for The Washington Post, and was a member of the White House Press Corps. After her children were born she returned to her love of nature and brought owls, robins, mink, sea gulls, tarantulas — 173 wild animals — into their home and backyard. These became characters in her books.
We’re reading one of her stories today.
We’re learning about icebergs and polar bears.
And it’s going to be fun, darnit! And if it’s not … if it doesn’t cure grumpy gus syndrome, I’ll make them write a five-page report about the Arctic tundra followed by a polar bear swim in the water trough.
That should do the trick!
“I’ve never known any trouble that an hour’s reading didn’t assuage.” ~ Charles de Secondat
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.” ~ Charles W. Eliot
Books to the ceiling
Books to the sky
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them!
~ Arnold Lobel
Tags:Arctic, Arnold Lobel, books, cabin fever, Charles de Secondat, Charles W. Eliot, falcon, fern frost, grumpy Gus, hoar frost, Into the Woods, Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolves, My Side of the Mountain, Penn State, polar bear, polar bear swim, rime frost, Snow Bear, snowflakes, The Washington Post, Wendell Minor, White House Press Corps
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on January 23, 2010 | No Comments
It’s winter.
Don’t forget to feed your feathered friends.
It’s winter.
Time to find projects to keep little hands busy and out of trouble.
It’s winter.
Time for peanut butter smears on your walls and bird seed all over the floor.
It’s winter.
And getting together for fun little projects is part of being neighborly.
And don’t forget to feed all the little boys blue.
Tags:activities, bagels, bird seed, birds, kids project, winter
Filed Under: Fun!
Posted by Farmgirl on July 3, 2009 | 1 Comment
This is a wax fantasy. Every child — and adult — should make a wax fantasy at least once. It’s fun. It’s addicting. You’ll want to perfect your technique. You’ll experiment with new colors. And suddenly, every candle in your home is in danger of being melted.
Great Aunt Bernice taught my siblings and cousins to make wax fantasies. It’s a crowd-pleasing creative endeavor, I assure you. To get started, you will need:
Coffee can
Metal jar lids
Candles or blocks of wax
Stock pot
Water
Gather several old candles and place them in a large coffee can. Place the coffee can in a large pot of water.
Bring to a boil on the stove. As the water boils, the candles in the can will melt. That’s what you want: liquid wax.
While the wax is melting, gather your jar lids. This old jar is filled with lids collected my grandma for her sister Bernice. See “Bee” written in grandma’s script on the lid? These are special … and they’re old. When is the last time you saw the big jar of Miracle Whip priced at $1.37?
While the wax melts, fill the sink with cold water. I prefer to use an old wash tub in case of wax spills, but my sister is braver than I! The colder the better — this is what hardens the hot wax.
When the wax is melted, like this …
…. set out a few jar lids on your work surface. I recommend covering your countertops with newspaper in case of wax spills.
Adults, the next step is your job … pour hot wax from the coffee can into a jar lid. Fill it 3/4 full.
Little ones should be standing over the sink or tub of cold water. You’re going to carefully lift the jar lid and slowly dunk it in the water. This can be tricky … for young children, I suggest a parent does the dunking with little kids holding on to the parent’s forearms.
Older kids can do their own dunking … but caution them to go slowly. The wax is hot. A saving grace, however, is that ice cold water is a half-second away.
You can dunk straight down — slower is better because the wax will form a tall spire. You can also dunk it upside down. It’s a trickier technique, but with practice, it can produce some very tall, skinny and fantastical creations. Experiment and have fun!
This one was dunked upside down. As the hot wax hits the cold water, it instantly hardens. The creations are always unique.
Here’s a tip: leave the wax fantasy in the water for 20-30 seconds to properly harden all of the wax.
Seriously, this tops all of my previous fantasies and I will never be able to duplicate it. Isn’t it cool? Cinderella’s castle or a cupcake with birthday candle! I slowly dunked it straight down … stopping, then plunging further, very, very, slowly. The wax continued to bubble up through a tiny dot until finally, I dunked the entire thing.
You could jazz it up a bit by mixing colors of wax in the same pot and painting the lids.
This is a great anytime activity or a make-it-yourself gift for the kids to give away at Christmas.
Enjoy making wax fantasies.
You’ll create memories that will never be forgotten — and some day, repeated!
Posted by Farmgirl on April 10, 2009 | 30 Comments
Thanks for entering the NAMITS Game Giveaway. I enjoyed reading your comments and picked up a few new ideas for entertaining my own kids!The winners are:
Ashley
julie crawford
Ladies, I have sent you a confirmation e-mail. Please reply with your mailing address and your new NAMITS Games will be sent! Thanks for playing!
________________________________
Have you ever played 20 questions? I’m impatient—I much prefer the game of five questions.
NAMITS®
The Game of Think
These cute little tear-proof cards are brimming with thought-provoking entertainment. I’ve used them in waiting rooms and on long drives; in church and (don’t tell anyone) once for punishment!
To play, look at the first card in the section, then choose a word from the cards that follow to make a NAMITS question. Your kids—or you if you’re bored—must then think of all possible answers. Name them aloud, write them down or time the answers at group game night.
Namits is a tiny little tool with great potential. I highly recommend it to parents, grandparents and game buffs.
I will give away two Namits games on Friday, April 17. To enter, leave a comment describing how YOU occupy your kids in sticky situations. Winners will be chosen at random. One entry per person please!
If you prefer to purchase your own set, they are available at http://www.namits.com.
Good luck!
