Make your own scratch and sniff name art with just a few simple materials! What a great way to explore early literacy concepts with a simple 5 senses activity. Are you following my Name Activities Pinterest board? Kids love their names! That’s one of the main reasons I always suggest starting with kids’ names when asked how to teach the alphabet. Children are very interested in their own names, thus making names a meaningful base to teach from. This scratch and sniff name art came about because many of my preschoolers, at the time, were really into anything that engaged their sense of smell. It’s a simple, engaging process for the kiddos (which makes my teacher heart happy). Plus, it...
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD has a very traditional western story, other than featuring a woman – Sharon Stone (ABOVE THE LAW) as Ellen – in the role of vengeance-seeking gunslinger. You’ve got your western town desperate to get out from under the yoke of a cruel ruler (Gene Hackman [THE SPLIT, PRIME CUT] as John Herod), and your mysterious drifter in town trying to get up the guts to shoot him for killing her father in front of her. All the shootists with the fastest guns and biggest mouths are coming in for a quick draw tournament, and she enters in hopes of getting a shot at her enemy. But I think it’s truly distinct among ‘90s westerns, with...
Editor’s Note: Due to COVID and the Omicron variant, things can change quickly regarding openings, hours and safety measures. Please check the website listed for the most up-to-date information for each location below before planning your next adventure. When it’s too cold to play outdoors head to one of these fun-filled indoor venues for an afternoon of adventure. From an epic indoor space where you can climb, splash and explore to an innovative museum that teaches you how to be a spy, these indoor activities will entertain, engage and educate your kiddos in a cozy, climate-controlled environment. Read on for the details on the best indoor activities near Washington, DC. photo: International Spy Museum International Spy Museum Do you have...
Samuel making a pine cone bird feeder Outdoor play at school is widely seen as a purely recreational activity—a chance for kids to take a break from their studies. This time is typically short (20 minutes, on average), and is often dependent on favorable weather conditions. But there is a case to be made for children to spend more time outside during the school day as they develop a multitude of valuable skills from being in nature. Resilience Give children access to fallen tree branches and watch as they construct a lean-to shelter with sheer determination. They exercise teamwork and problem-solving as they experiment with various arrangements to ensure the structure is stable. When setbacks occur, children rise to...
All moving objects have momentum. Another way to think about momentum is how hard it is to stop a moving object. It’s harder to stop an object moving quickly than an object moving slowly. What is the momentum equation? All moving objects have momentum. Momentum is a vector quantity which means it has size AND direction. Momentum (kg m/s ) = mass ( kg ) x velocity (m/s ) Easy way to demonstrate momentum One very simple way to demonstrate momentum is to roll a small ball or toy car down a ramp so it collides with another ball or toy car at the bottom. Ramp for a toy car As the ball or car rolls down the ramp its...
