The concept of sound waves is not the easiest to teach to kids. For light, you can do experiments like the reversing arrow or the disappearing water trick to show refraction. There are numerous experiments, like the balloon-powered LEGO car, to show motion. But you can’t see sound waves because they are vibrating so fast. Or … can you? In this salt vibration experiment for kids, we are going to make sounds waves visible. You may want to close the doors because this simple sound experiment is going to be loud! How to See Sound Materials: Glass bowl Clear plastic wrap Large rubber band Sea salt or rice or sprinkles A sound source (speakers or CD player) Directions: Cover the...
Rock is obvs not dead but it’s not hard to see why people always say it is, almost wishfully. For decades, the most commercially viable (and even critically bolstered) rock was dominated by white dudes, which is troublesome considering how many of its pioneers, including the dearly departed, radically queer genius Little Richard, were not. And considering how many boomers put the genre on a pedestal while finding creatively bigoted ends for disco and rap, it wasn’t exactly sad to watch visionaries of other genres, particularly R&B and hip-hop, inarguably revolutionized the 2010s more than any guitar-bass-drums unit. It was great, actually — a relief. A reckoning. But that doesn’t mean we have to dismiss rock; if anything, giving the genre...
One of my kids’ favorite play dough activities was our Oatmeal Cookies Play Dough years ago, so I thought I’d make another Bake Shop Play Dough Activity inspired by one of Ella’s favorite desserts! This Lemon Meringue Play Dough includes so many fun sensory experiences and learning opportunities in one simple set-up. Lemon Meringue Play Dough Recipe Ella has long been my little chef. She’s been helping out in the kitchen since she could stand and ever since our trip to Montreal, she’s informed me that she plans to move there and become a professional chef the minute she turns 16. I still get her to myself for a few more years, so to indulge her culinary side this week...
A new movie based on ‘The Shadow’ could be a success, provided it has the right casting. Actor Tom Ellis would be a great choice for the title role, even if we don’t give him blue contact lenses as shown here. Drawing by Lisa Tate The Shadow may be lurking on the big screen again someday. I loved The Shadow since I was a third-grader and first checked out a vinyl record from my elementary school library with many of the old original radio dramas. I listened to them over and over as I was doing homework, as I was falling asleep at night, and just when I wanted to hear something eerie and cool as Lamont Cranston and his...
As the summer stretches on, instead of the state of California opening up more, I see it hitting pause or reverting closer to the “Safer at Home” mandate. One of the things that helps me get through it all — the thought of online-only classes in fall, more economic downturn and fallout, parents that were excited about their kids going back to school in fall so they could get back to their job — is reflecting on the complexity of this situation and identifying the sources of grief I feel. This post, like my post two weeks ago (Part 1) — is personal in nature, though hopefully it will be helpful to parents. These reflections are my attempts at processing...
