Showing posts sorted by relevance for query WAter. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query WAter. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query WAter. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query WAter. Sort by date Show all posts

Edible Scratch and Sniff Paint: Watercolors for Kids Kool-aid Recipe

How to make Water Color Paint Recipe

There are so many things you can do with Kool-aid. Here is a simple recipe for Edible Paint! Scratch and Sniff water colors for preschool and toddler kids.


Edible Scratch and Sniff Paint Watercolors for Kids Kool-aid Recipe
Edible Watercolor Kool-Aid Paint Recipe.

How to make edible paint 
(scratch and sniff watercolor paint): Ice Cube Tray or Styrofoam Egg Box, Several Flavors of Kool-Aid Packets, Water Dropper, Tiny Mixing Spoon, Paint Brushes, Paper, Kids.

Fill Each square 1/2 Full with Kool-Aid Powder, Add A few Drops of Water, Mix with spoon until it looks like Watercolors, Have kids paint cards, coloring book pages, etc. The Paints Should be thick- these are a little too watery. Add Salt for shine and texture!


Edible Watercolor Kool-Aid Paint Recipe


Allow to dry overnight and then... SCRATCH and SNIFF!  
Makes Great Greeting Cards. Here's another fun edible art project to do with kids: Monkey Treats


Recommended:

Crayola 4ct Washable Fingerpaints Primary (Bold, primary colors in red, blue, yellow, and green)*


Loew Cornell 73 25-Piece Brush Set, Stencil Pack*



DIY Home Repairs, You can do it!

Solutions to these 3 Common Home Issues

While there is plenty of joy involved in becoming a homeowner, maintaining your home can prove a costly affair in many ways – especially if you have pets or children. Luckily, remedying any persistent home repair issue is easy when you know where to start. Here are some DIY solutions to the most common home issues that could pop up at any time. DIY home repairs? Yes, you can do it!


This post contains Amazon affiliate links.



DIY Home Repairs, You can do it! Common home issues you can fix on your own.

Damage to the roof 
If you're to prevent any lasting damage occurring on your roof, it's important to keep your roof shingles and your gutters in tip-top condition. Old and flimsy shingles can lead to nasty leaks, which can result in irreparable damage to your ceiling and the foundation of your home, while clogged, or broken gutters will not aid the water in flowing off the of the roof efficiently. The accumulation of water is certain to lead to the erosion of your roofing and, in time, significant leaking too. It can also lead to leaks in the walls and foundation, depending on your structure. The solution to this problem is to rope in the professionals to conduct repairs and to strive to call them back at least once a year to maintain the roof. That's how you can easily do it. If you want to do it yourself, check out the roof shingle repair video below. 



Don’t have the money necessary to get the job done and stuck with a bad credit history in your name? It may be time to consider loans for bad credit.  Sometimes, you just need a little extra help, right?

Clogged toilet
A clogged toilet can often mean the need to call on plumbers for assistance – which can tug at the purse strings. You'll probably be relieved to discover that there are a variety of other options available to you if you're trying to save your cash for other necessities. Of course, the first step is always to try your luck with a plunger. However, if that doesn't work, the next best thing is to try using some baking soda and vinegar. Yes, it really could be that simple!
Throw a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and leave for a minute or two. You can follow the baking soda with two cups of white vinegar. The vinegar naturally reacts with the baking soda, causing it to bubble – so add it bit by bit to avoid overflowing. Leave to sit once again for a few minutes before flushing the toilet. In many cases, the baking soda and vinegar concoction will be enough to loosen the clog and allow the water to move along smoothly. Bet you didn't know that! You can always try some Liquid Drano, but it's got a hefty price tag.

Need some extra help? Watch this video on how to unclog a toilet with a snake. You might not want, but you CAN do it!



Stains on your carpet
Whether your dog is the one responsible for the mud stains on your cozy woolen rug, or your youngest kid spilled juice all over the freshly vacuumed carpet, nothing can cause a homeowner stress quite like a bad stain on the carpet or upholstery! It feels so permanent. According to Wellness Mama, aside from using nasty chemicals to get rid of it, there are several natural stain removal solutions that you can try. For instance, you may choose to make a paste using warm water and baking soda. Apply it to the stain and leave to dry. Once thoroughly dry, you can vacuum up the residue, and the stain should lift along with it. If that doesn't work, watch the video on carpet stain removal below.






Now that you know how best to tackle the most common home repairs, there's no need to stress about these common home issues any longer, be confident that you can do anything you set your mind to do. Remember, you just need a positive attitude and some great YouTube videos on DIY home repairs!

Recommended:

Tips for Settling into your NEW HOME



Pin it!




how to fix common home repair issues you can do it youtube videos solutions





Plan an Indy 500 Race Theme for a Kid's Birthday Party or Special School Activity

Indy 500 Theme Race Party with Cardboard Racecars

The Play Connection, Inc. (my alter ego) did lots of fun preschool activities that are great for a birthday party or for kids' outdoor pe games. Due to the proximity of Indianapolis, an Indy 500 racing theme is always popular in May. Plan Indy 500 kid activities for a fun field day at school, and make your own race cars from cardboard boxes. Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.*


Indy 500 Activities for Kids
Indy 500 Activities for Kids.



Use recycled household items as props  including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.
Use recycled household items as props- 
including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.


Ideas on how to plan an Indy 500 Race Birthday Party: 

  • Purchase inexpensive, large, black buckets to use in a pit stop race game. 
  • Recycle a milk jug, paint it black with spray paint or acrylics, and use duct tape or paint to spell out G-A-S.
  •  Turn a milk crate upside down to use as a Winner's Circle.
  • Hang a race banner (we got ours at the Dollar Tree).
  • Make 9 colored race flags for a realistic race experience.


How to make cardboard Cars for party or pretend play.
Trick out your cardboard car with paper plate wheels or 
fancy, cardboard fan wheels.

Wondering 'what do the flags mean or stand for in the Indy 500 race'?  

  • Green means go! Of course, you already knew that! Just like shouting "Green Light", the green flag is waved to signal the start of the race. It is also used to for restarts after a caution flag.
  • Yellow flag signals caution for a hazard. It could be an accident, debris, rain, maybe a silly goose got loose on the track. The pace car hops on the track to lead the other cars in safety. When we play Red Light, Green Light, we use yellow to signal walk very slowly.
  • Red flag STOP! Do not pass go, do not collect $100 dollars. A red light means freeze in your tracks. It is for accident or rain conditions.  Head straight to the pits or stay parked. No repairs, tire changes, or gassing up allowed. In other words, no fair cheating!
  • Red flag with a yellow "X" means the pits are closed to all vehicles.
  • Black flag means a penalty to a car on the track. Don't break the rules! It's also used for mechanical failures.
  • Black flag with a white "X" black-flag penalty.  Your car isn't keeping score anymore.
  • Blue flag or blue flag with yellow diagonal stripe Get out of the way, slow poke, a faster driver is about to pass. We use a blue light in our game to signal to turn around and walk backward toward the finish line.
  • White flag the end is near! It's the FINAL lap.
  • Checkered flag  Hooray! We have a winner. This flag means the race is over.
For our race car game of Red Light, Green Light, we purchased dowel rods and squares of fabric from Joann's Fabrics. To attach, rub glue on the dowel, wrap one end of fabric around the dowel, and staple as close to the stick as possible.

Let the kids paint and decorate their cardboard box cars.
Lay out aluminum foil, tissue paper, paper plates, and colored duct tape.  
Let the kids' diy imagination run wild.

On your mark, get set, go! Mark off a track with chalk, tape, or use cornstarch paint in the grass. Get your flags ready to wave. Have parents or helpers use a stopwatch to track each child's time. No need to compete against others. Race around several times for your best lap. Now the fun begins!




How to Pretend Play Race Red Light, Green Light Game
On your mark, get set, let the games begin!

How to Play Pretend Pit Stop


Get parents and teachers involved with the fun. Before the game begins, designate a pit crew for each "driver". 


During a caution flag, have everyone pull into the pits. One member of the crew must run around the car 4 times checking pretending to check tires. 

Another crew member will take the pre-filled milk "Gas" jug (water) and pour it into the black bucket. 

Then, the crew members must use a funnel to re-fill the jug. Have the driver time the crew for even more giggles. When all the water is gone, the drivers can take off again.

Measure the water in the jugs to see which pit crew wins a prize. Just pour it back into the buckets, and see which one retained the most water (gas).


A game of Red Light, Green Light is fun around the track too.


Recommended Reading:

Things to do in Indiana: Indy 500 Race Activities for Kids

Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race* 


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Family style BLT Mac and Cheese Recipe

Easy Weeknight Dinner: BLT Mac and Cheese

Who wouldn't enjoy this grownup version of Mac and Cheese Recipe? Our BLT Mac and Cheese Recipe makes enough to serve the whole family, and it is easy to make dinner on a weeknight. Enjoy!


BLT Mac and Cheese Recipe
BLT Mac and Cheese Recipe make an easy weeknight dinner.

We loved this Family Style BLT Mac and Cheese Recipe* including the kids, who normally don't like any mac and cheese unless it comes out of a box. Want to make this a well rounded dinner? Add some cooked chicken to it!

How to Make BLT Mac and Cheese


(There isn't any "L", but you could serve it on a bed of lettuce.)

5 C. of Water
10 slices of Turkey Bacon
4 oz. White Sharp Cheddar Cheese 
1 oz, Parmesan Cheese
4 oz. of Cream Cheese
1 lb.  Rotini Pasta
1 tsp. of Salt
1/2 tsp. of Pepper
5 Green Onions
3 lg. Roma Tomatoes 

Bring water to a boil in a 8 Qt. stockpot.

Meanwhile, slice bacon crosswise into thin strips; place in skillet and cook til crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel.

As the bacon cooks add Rotini Pasta, cream cheese, and other cheeses to pot of boiling water. Cover and simmer vigorously for 5 min. stirring occasionally. 

Cook's Tip: When you add the cheeses at the same time, they get stuck to the bottom of the pot, you have to constantly stir. Maybe wait until pasta is nearly done to add the cheese.

As pasta mixture cooks, dice green onions, and then stir into pasta mixture.  

Cook uncovered 5-7 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half lengthwise remove cores. Dice tomatoes; reserve 1/4 C. for garnish. 

Remove stockpot from heat; stir in remaining tomatoes and half of the bacon. Spoon pasta mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with reserved tomatoes and bacon. 

Eat, the best mac and cheese ever!


Best Mac and Chees Recipe for a Group
Best mac and cheese ever recipe!

Recommended:

Easy Mac and Cheese Cooker*

More Recipes from Kids Creative Chaos

Mac and Cheese Book for Kids*





ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe with Turkey

Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe Easy

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb, hence the term "shepherd". However, this version of Shepherd's Pie uses ground turkey. It also replaces the more expensive Irish cheeses with a mixture of sharp cheddar and Parmesan. This recipe is more kid-friendly than Corned Beef and Cabbage and makes an excellent addition to your St. Patrick's Day feast. Enjoy!


*This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.


Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe with Turkey
Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe with Turkey.

Easy Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe


1 T cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
3 T flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t rosemary
1/2 t paprika
1/8 t cinnamon
1 T ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c beef broth or 1 c water with 1 t beef bouillon
6 oz. frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 T butter
pinch cayenne pepper
2 T cream cheese
4. oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. milk


Easy Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Easy Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in onion and ground turkey.  Cook until meat is browned and onion is tender.
3.  Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika, and cinnamon until well incorporated.  Mix in the ketchup.  Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.
4.  Stir in broth or water and bouillon. Reduce heat to low.  Simmer mixture, with stirring, until thickened.
5. Remove from heat and add peas and carrots.
6. Transfer mixture to a 1 qt. casserole and set aside.
7. Boil potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
8.  Mash potatoes.  Add butter, cayenne pepper, cream cheese and milk.  Mash until smooth.  Stir in cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. 
9.  Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes, spreading evenly.
10.  Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden.



Mashed Potato Topping on St. Patrick's Day Shepherd's Pie.
Mashed Potato Topping on St. Patrick's Day Shepherd's Pie.

Shepherd's Pie Saint Patrick's Day Recipe.
Shepherd's Pie Saint Patrick's Day Recipe.

















Easiest Mac and Cheese Recipe Ever SIMPLE

Easy, Cheesy Mac and Cheese Recipe

Mac and Cheese is easiest in the microwave, but it isn't the best tasting. If you want the BEST easy macaroni and cheese, we've found the perfect pasta for you! This recipe is simple, and it tastes good. Enjoy!


Easiest Mac and Cheese Recipe Ever SIMPLE
Barilla® Pronto™ is an amazing time saver.


Barilla® Pronto™ will save you time without sacrificing the flavor or texture you have come to expect from Barilla® Pasta. You can find it at Kroger in the canned and packaged goods section- right next to the regular pasta. Kroger offers Elbows, Rotini, Penne, Spaghetti, and Linguine.

Easiest Mac and Cheese Recipe Ever SIMPLE
Make your mac and cheese gourmet by mixing in frozen peas and pepperoni.

You can customize Barilla® Pronto™ to your liking. We boiled up a pan of penne and tossed in our favorite ingredients. See the simple mac and cheese recipe below. It is so fast, you won't believe how much time it saves!


Barilla® Pronto™ Penne.
Barilla® Pronto™ Penne.


Easy PEAS-y Mac and Cheese Recipe


#OnePanPronto
Frozen Peas
Pepperoni
Black Pepper
Your Favorite Cheese Sauce in a Jar

Here's the tricky part: Sit pan on stove. Add water according to package directions. No need to turn on stove and preboil water! Pour in your favorite Barilla® Pronto™ Pasta variety- we chose Penne. Turn on High heat to boil. Stir to keep from sticking.

  • Boil until most of water is gone (about 10 minutes).
  • No need to rinse and drain!
  • Add your favorite cheese sauce from a jar, sprinkle in pepper, and frozen peas.
  • Optional: Toss in Pepperoni. We served it on the side due to our picky eaters.
You can customize Pronto™ to your liking by adding sauce, seasoning, vegetables or proteins for unlimited meal options!
Find Barilla® Pronto™ at your local Kroger in the pasta aisle

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barillo. The opinions and text are all mine.

Color Wheel Ideas Creative Intro 2D Art Rainbows

Creative Color Wheel Project Ideas


Let's face it, kids don't want to paint a boring color wheel. Change up your color wheel lesson for your intro or homeschool art class with these creative ideas for a color wheel! It's still a basic rainbow color wheel, but when you let students add their own flair, it becomes an art project that they are happy to display.


This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links.


Creative Color Wheel Ideas Intro 2D ART Class High School



Simply show the students a basic color wheel or grab some prisms to teach the color order of the rainbow and let their imaginations run wild! You can use markers, tempera paint, or water colors. Water colors tend to blend easier for a gradual, visual color change. Use tempera for an exact mixing of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. There's more to color than ROY G. BIV.



Color Wheel Ideas Creative



What order do the colors go on the wheel? It depends where you start. Think about a rainbow or use a prism to display the colors in their natural light spectrum order. Allow students to paint anything they want as long as they demonstrate an understanding of the rainbow color wheel order.






                                                 Use Prisms to show the rainbow of light spectrum colors.


How to Make a Creative Color Wheel


Color Wheel Project Supplies Needed:

Brushes
Egg Carton for Mixing and Rinsing
Table Cloth - Use kraft paper rolls like the ones pictured below.







You can find more ideas for a preschool or early elementary basic color wheels on our site. We also have a cool, color theory paper project with detailed information on the various color schemes











Recommended:












Blackberry Pork Chops Tenderloin

Blackberry Pork Recipe

Remember when we used to buy paper copies of recipes instead of looking them up online? This blackberry pork chops recipe was originally published in an edition of, "Cooking Light." We made it and it tasted so amazing, but it called for 1 3/4 cup of fresh blackberries, which are often out of season or very costly. Our version of the blackberry pork tenderloin recipe replaces the fresh blackberries with blackberry all-fruit spread and the pork chops with pork tenderloins. Of course, a garnish of fresh blackberries, if you can find them, makes a pretty plate. For a beautiful Christmas brunch, serve it along side blackberry cobblerEnjoy!


This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Blackberry Pork Chops Tenderloin



My Trip to the Manatee Viewing Center in Florida

Sea Cows: My Trip to the Manatee Preserve in Florida


Looking for FREE things to do with the kids during a Florida vacation? Mayhem is guest posting. In this article written for homeschool language arts, she tells about our visit to the Florida Manatee Preserve in Apollo Beach, Florida. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

See Manatees in Florida Vacation Ideas



Make Edible Egg Coloring Dye to Use with Your Dudley Egg Spinner: Recipe

Replacement Edible Dye for Egg Coloring Kits

Make your own DIY Egg Coloring Dye with this Edible Egg Coloring Recipe. It is simple, quick, and works just as good! We have a Dudley Egg Spinner, but ran out of coloring dye. So, we made our own. Enjoy!


This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

Make Edible Egg Coloring Dye to Use with Your Dudley Egg Spinner: Recipe
Make Edible Egg Coloring Dye to Use with Your Dudley Egg Spinner: Recipe.

Throw a Birthday Party for Teen Girls with these 5 Fun Ideas

5 Fun Birthday Party Ideas for Teenage Girls


Are you all out of fresh ideas for a Girls' Teen Birthday Party? We searched Pinterest and found some fun ideas that your teen daughter will love. It isn't a party without games, favors, and a fun theme! 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.


Volleyball theme birthday party


These kids played soccer with our giant volleyball. Grab a net, a truck load of sand, and turn your backyard into a beach volleyball court!

We found this very stylish Volleyball theme party idea at Kara's Party Ideas. I particularly like the chocolate fuel candy bars!


Volleyball Birthday Party Ideas for Teenage Girls
Throw a volleyball theme party for your daughter
like this one from Kara's Party Ideas.

Volleyball! With this party theme, make sure you schedule time to play a game of their favorite sport, but change it up a notch with giant, inflatable volleyballs. If you're really cool, and really want to impress, truck in a load of sand! Change the sport for an athletic teen boy's birthday party theme.

Afterward, chill out with volleyball cupcakes and healthy (or not so healthy snacks). It is a birthday party, you can take a little break!


Sports and Volleyball cupcakes from Cake Central.
Sports and Volleyball cupcakes from Cake Central.


Beach or Pool Party! I know, it has been done before. Really a pool party? But, you can make it your own! You've got leftover sand from last year's volleyball party, so use it! Bring on the sandals and fruity mocktails. Give the girls colorful beach towels in your daughter's favorite beach party colors. To make it extra spectacular, make sand castle cupcakes like these from Confections of a Sugarholic blog.


Sandcastle cupcake for Beach Birthday Party
Sandcastle cupcake from Confections of a Sugarholic.


Give each girl a party favor - fill a sand pail with girly goodies and treats! You can also make some permanent moon sand style castles as a fun birthday party activity for teens.

Use sand from your vacation to make a permanent keepsake sandcastle memento.

Glamping! Oh the fun that the girls can have while camping! S'mores, bonfire, and ghost stories in luxury.  Set up a nail painting tent, a food tent, and a movie tent! The girl's can travel from glamorous tent to glamorous tent. Add a fuzzy rug in each tent and gather your beautician to do their hairs and nails, then visit the food tent and place an order. Let Dad in on the act, he can be a fancy concierge/delivery boy (make him wear a tux). 


We Heart Parties has this beautiful party food setup with an owl theme.
Don't let those hoots scare you when you are sleeping in the tent!


A Night on the Red Carpet! Have the guests wear prom-style party dresses for this Oscar party theme birthday. Roll out a "red carpet" leading to your front door, for party favors the girls can create Oscar sculptures, then practice their thank you speech at a mic stand as their friends present them with a handmade Oscar. Celebrate with a golden slice of birthday cake. For more Oscar Party Ideas visit DesignDazzle.com

Spa! Bring on the sliced cucumbers, body scrubs, nail polish, sleeping masks, and special fruit water. Did you know you can add glow sticks to clear nail polish to make them glow-in-the-dark?


Glow-in-the-dark nail polish.
Glow-in-the-dark nail polish.



Spa Fruit Water Recipe 

1 orange
1 lemon
3 to 4 strawberries.
Slice the fruits and put in water. 
Chill for a couple of hours prior to serving.



Recommended Reading:

Slumber Party Wars




How to make homemade Play Dough Recipe Ideas (Edible) and Pistachio Experiment

Ever wonder how to make play dough at home

We love to play with squishy dough. It is great for sensory play, especially when it has a scent. This recipe for how to make homemade play dough (Play-doh) is scented and edible, but not very tasty. Enjoy?


how to make scented homemade play dough easy recipe ideas for kids
Scented Play Dough for a true Sensory experience.

Homeschool Nature Study Ornithology

Homeschool Nature Study: The Science of Ornithology

My kids have been taking a Homeschool Ornithology Class. They love it! The instructors have great ideas for a Nature Study on Birds. So, in today's Free Online Homeschool Lesson, I wanted to share some of the fabulous things they've done to learn about birds! Make sure you click on all the links for fun, educational videos, games, and free printables.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.


If you are in Indiana, discover the world of birds at the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center. Meet a Raptor every Wednesday and Friday at 4:00 pm and enjoy special bird programs Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.

These lessons are meant to be done over the course of week. If you choose to do a science block, you can complete the projects in one day.


Ornithology Indiana Birds homeschool nature study lesson


Homeschool Nature Study: Ornithology

Define Ornithology: The study of birds, including their behavior, natural history, physiology, ecology, and identification. Can you answer these bird vocabulary questions.

Grab your Journal. Run to a window or go outside on a hike. List 10 birds in your yard or neighborhood. Describe the birds. This free printable is perfect for your bird journal.

For example: 
Small, Red bird with orange beak. Tufted head. 
Seen year round = Cardinal.

If you don't know what type of bird it is, make sure you have a detailed description for your search. If you have access to a camera, snap a photo. If not, draw a simple sketch. It doesn't have to be a work of art. Just good enough to help you remember details about the birds camouflage, beak, size, habit, etc.

Do you know what makes a bird a bird? Is a Platypus a bird? Is a bee a bird? Is an airplane a bird? Is a penguin a bird? Think about why or why not? Then, watch this video.





The Cat in the Hat also knows a lot about that.
Learn to draw: Trace a Bird Printable
(Recommended for ages 2-5 yrs. or everyone who is young at heart.)

Learn about different types of birds. When you click the link, you will see a series of bird videos that include:

Puffins, Eagles, Falcons, Snowy Owls, Snowy Egrets, Condors, Emperor Penguins, and more.

After watching the videos on all of the birds, list the raptors in your journal. What is a raptor? Visit Wordsmyth to find out.

Classify your birds with these Printable Flashcards.

Language Arts Component

Compare and Contrast. Write a paper with 5 paragraphs.
Remember to include a introductory paragraph (tell me what you are going to tell me), 3 detailed paragraphs in the middle (tell me), and a summary paragraph (tell me again).

Topic: Why isn't a Platypus a bird? Why is a Penguin a bird?

In the three middle paragraphs, give supporting details on each animal. You can write more than 3 supporting paragraphs if you need to, but don't forget your summary. Write this in a Google Doc. My kids send these docs to me. 


Arts and Crafts Component

Build a Popsicle Stick Bird Feeder. This is a fun construction project. Use wood glue. School glue may break down when used outdoors.

How to make a Popsicle stick bird feeder.
Popsicle stick bird feeder.

How to Make a Bird Feeder from Popsicle Sticks

First, lay the ten sticks flat, placing glue on the connecting sides.
Then, stack the sticks in a perfect square in layers with glue on the connecting ends. Eight makes the perfect height. Next, cut four pieces of yarn about 2' long. String a piece of yarn under the second stick at each corner as shown. Pull all pieces of yarn evenly and tie a knot in the top. Let dry for 24 hours. After your feeder is dry, paste in some peanut butter and sprinkle in bird seed.

You might also like:

How to Make Origami Birds


Science Lab Component

Try this Fun Science Experiment: How does a bird eat? How does the beak's shape factor in to the equation? Try this fun science experiment.

Graphic Organizer for Science Experiment

You will need the following utensils and supplies:
Eye dropper
Salad Thongs
Nutcracker
Large Serving Spoon
Tweezers

Bag Popcorn (Bugs)
Glass of Water (Nectar)
Raisins and Small Log with holes (Bugs in a Log) You can substitute a cardboard tube for this if necessary.

Click on the link above for the printable companion worksheet.

Start with a Bag of popcorn. Experiment with each utensil. Your goal is to get the popcorn into your mouth or the mouth of your partner using each utensil. Which works best. What type of bird might eat something like popcorn? What does each utensil represent? In other words, imagine a bird with a similar beak. Next, have your science partner toss you some popcorn and try to catch it with each utensil.

Place the raisins in the cardboard tube or log. Use the utensils to remove the raisins. Which works best? Remember, you are a bird. You cannot use your hands. Make a note of your findings on the graphic organizer.

Finally, try to "drink" water from the glass with each of the utensils. Which one allows you easiest access to the drink? Which one takes the longest? Would you get frustrated if you were really thirsty and had to drink water with a nutcracker?


Label the parts of a bird
.


Just for Fun

Flight School Game

Birds of a feather flock together? What does this mean? Where does the phrase originate? _____________________________


Recommended Reading:


United States Capitals Lesson

Leonardo da Vinci Design Wooden Ornithopter Model Kit