Daily Discovery: May the Fourth Be With You!

Posted on by Ben Gondrez in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Eisen Tamkun, Music Programming Lead

Daily Discovery: May the Fourth Be With You!

Do you have a favorite Star Wars sound? Maybe the yell of a Wookie, the hoots, tweets, and coos of R2D2, or even the sound of Vader breathing through his helmet. No matter what sound pops into your head Star Wars would not be the same without it.

Who do we have to thank for all of the amazing sounds we hear in the Star Wars Universe? Why, sound designers, of course! And the sound designer who is responsible for all the sounds in Star Wars is Ben Burtt. It was Burtt’s job to discover all the sounds we hear in Star Wars.

Want to test your Star Wars knowledge? Use the activity below to guess what sounds Burtt took from our world and used to build the amazing Star Wars Universe. Then, be a sound engineer and make your very own blaster sounds at home. May the Force be with you!

Make Your Own Star Wars Sounds

Supplies:

  • Metal Slinky or metal clothes hanger
  • String

Instructions:

  1. Take the metal slinky/clothes hanger and tie a 12 inch piece of string to it.
  2. Wrap the string around one finger and let the slinky/hanger dangle on the end.
  3. Place the finger with the string wrapped around it it your ear and listen.
  4. And Viola! Can you hear laser blaster firing? Try knocking the hanger against another object. How does the sound change?

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

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Daily Discovery: Egg Carton Art / Descubrimiento en casa: Arte hecho con cartón de huevos

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español, Visual Arts

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Egg Carton Art

Save that egg carton! It can be upcycled and turned into so many amazing things. You can cut it, glue it, build with it, paint it, use it to hold small loose things like beads or pretty rocks. There are endless possibilities!

This activity will show you how to cut apart an egg carton to make upcycled flowers. Share your egg carton creations with #DailyDiscovery!

Supplies:

  • Egg carton(s)
  • Scissors
  • Optional: Glue, decorative paper, paint, paintbrush

Instructions:

  1. Ask an adult to help you cut out the center pointy pieces of the egg carton. Be sure to leave plenty of the “petals” on them.
  2. Use the scissors to cut out the petals of the flower. Try cutting them in different shapes!
  3. Cut a long sturdy stem piece with a little tab on one end from a flat part of the egg carton.
  4. Make a hole in the base of the flower and thread your stem through the hole with the tab resting inside the flower. That will keep the stem from sliding out of the flower. Optional: use glue to keep the stem in the flower.
  5. Use paint (if you have some) to decorate your flowers. Be creative! You can also use paper to make leaves or more petals on the flower. Let the flowers dry and then pop them in a vase to bring cheer!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

 

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Arte hecho con cartón de huevos

¡No tires ese cartón de huevos vacío! Se puede reciclar y, con tu imaginación, ¡volverse en algo maravilloso! Puedes cortarlo, pegarlo, pintarlo, construir algo con él o usarlo para contener cosas
pequeñas como tus piedras favoritas. ¡Las posibilidades son infinitas!

Esta actividad te enseñará cómo cortar un cartón de huevos para hacer flores recicladas. ¡Comparte tu creación a través de las redes sociales usando la etiqueta #Descubrimientoencasa!

Artículos necesarios:

  • Cartón de huevos
  • Tijeras
  • Opcional: pegamento, algún tipo de papel decorativo,
    papel blanco, pinturas, brocha

Instrucciones:

  1. Pídele a un adulto que te ayude a cortar las partes más puntiagudas del centro del cartón de huevos. Asegúrate de dejar bastante espacio alrededor para formar los “pétalos.”
  2. Usando las tijeras, corta los bordes de cada flor para hacer estos pétalos. ¡Prueba cortándolos en diferentes formas!
  3. Corta un tallo largo y fuerte para cada flor usando una parte plana del cartón.
  4. Haz un hueco en la base de la flor, mete el tallo y dóblalo dentro para asegurarte que no se mueva. Opcional: usa un poco de pegamento para adherir el tallo a la flor.
  5. Si quieres, utiliza pinturas para decorar tus flores. Si las pintas, deja que las flores se sequen completamente. ¡Usa tu creatividad! Con papel decorativo podrías construir hojas o pétalos adicionales. ¡Ponlas en un florero para traer alegría a tu casa!

¿Te gustaría descargar esta actividad? Haz clic aquí para obtener un archivo PDF.

Para encontrar actividades, ideas y mucho más descubrimiento en casa, ¡síguenos!

Image credit: Thinkery Austin

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Daily Discovery: Celebrating Día del Niño! / Descubrimiento en casa: ¡Celebrando Día del Niño!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español

Post written by Károl de Rueda, Graphic Designer.

Daily Discovery: Celebrating Día del Niño!

Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, is an annual celebration that takes place in many nations throughout the world. In Mexico, it’s held on April 30 as a very special festivity full of fun activities, treats and laughter, while honoring and paying tribute to all children, their hopes, well-being and dreams. How can you celebrate such a special day? We have fun ideas; make some or discover them all. Plus, treat yourself with homemade popsicles, recipe included!

Fun ideas:

  • Crafts. Use your creative side and make your favorite crafts. Do you need ideas? The museum has many at Daily Discovery.
  • Your favorite treat. Cooking together as a family can be a lot of fun!
  • Board games. What about chess, la lotería game or a puzzle? They are very entertaining!
  • Hide and seek… a treasure. This is a big favorite! You could hide a “treasure” instead around the house, give away some clues and see who can find it first.
  • Family theater. What’s your favorite story or book? You could perform a play at home, with handy costumes included of course!
  • Storytelling. Ask adults to tell you stories from when they were little. You could even draw these stories to make a personalized, homemade beautiful picture book.
  • Virtual party with your family and friends. These days it’s very common to “meet” with others through the internet. Reaching out to your favorite people at the same time over a screen can be a fun experience! You could even exchange some tongue twisters or riddles with your loved ones.
  • Cinema at home. How about making a list of your favorite movies, drawing and coloring their posters, arranging comfortable cushions and blankets and making popcorn or some other snack? Don’t forget to design your own entrance tickets!
  • Make some delicious fruit popsicles. Recipe included below!

Fruit Popsicles

Did you know that the very first popsicle out there was made by accident by an 11-year-old? Young Frank Epperson didn’t set out to create a treat that would keep us happy and cool for generations to come. He simply left his cup of soda with the stirring stick out on the porch in a cold night. The next day, he found a piece of flavored ice and the rest is history! By the way, did you also know that there are 16 types of ice? The most common is the one you have in the freezer, which is type IV. Another interesting fact is that water, when frozen under normal conditions, increases its volume by almost 10 percent, so if we fill a bottle of water and freeze it, it can break! Let’s enjoy this special and warm day with some fruit popsicles! They are very easy to make and you could use handy ingredients.

Supplies:

  • Water
  • Fruit, fresh or frozen
  • Sugar
  • Plastic container or disposable cup
  • Wooden sticks or plastic spoons
  • Optional: Juice

Instructions:

With the help of an adult, blend the fruit with some water and sugar to taste. It can be any type of fruit; strawberries, blueberries, tangerines, lemons, be creative! You could also use some fruit juice instead. Place the mixture in a plastic container or disposable cups. Remember not to fill them up because liquids expand when frozen. Insert the wooden stick or plastic spoon in the center and carefully place them in the freezer. After a few hours, and once the mixture has turned into ice, remove your popsicles from their container with the help of some warm water.

Enjoy your very own delicious fruit popsicles and ¡feliz Día del Niño!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

 

Traducido por Károl de Rueda.

Descubrimiento en casa: ¡Celebrando Día del Niño!

El Día del Niño es una celebración anual que se lleva a cabo en muchos lugares del mundo. En México, se celebra cada 30 de abril y es un festejo mágico lleno de actividades divertidas y de muchas carcajadas, mientras se les rinde tributo a todos los niños, a su bienestar, a su felicidad y a sus sueños. ¿Qué puedes hacer durante este día tan especial? Hemos creado una lista de ideas con actividades divertidas. ¡Haz alguna o descubre todas! Además, es el día perfecto para disfrutar de unas deliciosas paletas de fruta caseras, ¡receta incluida!

Ideas divertidas:

  • Manualidades. Utiliza tu lado creativo y haz algunas de tus manualidades favoritas con objetos que encuentres en casa. ¿Necesitas ideas? El museo tiene muchas en Descubrimiento en casa.
  • Tu comida favorita. Ayuda a preparar alguno de tus platillos favoritos. ¡Cocinar en familia puede ser muy divertido!
  • Juegos de mesa. ¿Tienes ajedrez, el juego de la lotería o un rompecabezas? Son muy entretenidos.
  • Las escondidas. ¡Uno de los juegos favoritos de todos! ¿Qué tal si en lugar de esconderte tú, esconden algún “tesoro” y juegan a ver quién lo puede encontrar más rápido?
  • Obra de teatro familiar. ¿Cuál es tu cuento o libro favorito? Lleva a cabo una obra de teatro en casa ¡con todo y disfraces!
  • Cuentacuentos. Pídeles a los mayores que te cuenten historias de cuando ellos estaban pequeños. Puedes intentar dibujarlas y hasta hacer tu propio libro familiar ilustrado.
  • Fiesta virtual con tus familiares y amigos. En estos días, es muy común “reunirse” con los demás por medio del internet. Llamarles a tus personas favoritas al mismo tiempo puede ser muy divertido. ¡Pueden contar adivinanzas o descifrar trabalenguas juntos!
  • Día de payasos. Haz una fiesta en casa disfrazándote de payaso y haz reír a todos.
  • Cine en casa. ¿Qué tal si haces una lista con tus películas favoritas, dibujas y coloreas sus carteles, acomodas cojines y cobijas cómodas y preparan palomitas de maíz o alguna otra botana? No se te olvide diseñar tus propios boletos de entrada.
  • Prepara unas deliciosas paletas de frutas. ¡Nosotros te damos la receta!

Paletas de frutas

¿Sabías que la primera paleta de hielo fue hecha por accidente, y por un niño de solo 11 años? El joven Frank Epperson no estaba pensando en inventar un postre que nos mantuviera felices y frescos. Simplemente olvidó su vaso con refresco en el porche durante una noche fría. Al día siguiente, lo encontró convertido en hielo con sabor dulce y ¡el resto es historia! Y hablando de hielo, ¿sabías que en el mundo existen 16 tipos de este en total? El más común es el hielo que tienes en el congelador, que es el tipo IV. ¡Increíble! Otro dato interesante es que el agua, al congelarse en condiciones normales, aumenta su volumen casi un 10%, por eso, si llenamos una botella de agua y la congelamos, se puede romper.

Ahora a disfrutar de este día especial y caluroso ¡con unas deliciosas paletas de frutas! Es muy fácil prepararlas, y se pueden hacer con ingredientes que ya tengas en casa.

Artículos necesarios:

  • Agua
  • Algún tipo de fruta fresca o congelada
  • Azúcar
  • Contenedor, molde o vaso de plástico
  • Palitos de madera o cucharas plásticas
  • Opcional: Jugo de fruta

Instrucciones:

Con ayuda de algún mayor, licúa la fruta con un poco de agua y azúcar al gusto. Puede ser de cualquier tipo; fresas, moras, mandarinas, limones, etc. También podrías utilizar jugos.
Coloca la mezcla en algún contenedor de plástico o en vasos desechables. Recuerda de no llenarlos porque los líquidos se expanden al congelarse, y tampoco uses vidrio porque este se podría romper con el frío. Inserta el palito de madera o cuchara de plástico en el centro, cuidando que no se mueva, y colócalos en el congelador. Al cabo de unas cuantas horas, asegúrate que toda la mezcla se haya convertido en hielo. Para sacarlas de su contenedor, ponlas dentro de un recipiente con agua tibia por unos segundos. ¡Y listo!

Otras opciones: Paletas de avena, de arroz con leche, de fresas con crema, rellenas de lechera, de mango con chile, de yogur, de agua de coco, etc. Usa tu creatividad, hay muchos sabores por explorar.

Disfruta de unas deliciosas paletas de fruta en un día tan especial, diviértete mucho ¡y feliz Día del Niño!

¿Te gustaría descargar esta actividad? Haz clic aquí para obtener un archivo PDF.

Para encontrar actividades, ideas y mucho más descubrimiento en casa, ¡síguenos!

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Daily Discovery: Pollination Investigation

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Animal Encounters, Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Life Science

Post written by Angela Kettle, School Programs Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Pollination Investigation

Did you know that one out of every four bites of food you eat comes courtesy of bee pollination, according to the United States Department of Agriculture? In their search for nectar, bees bring pollen from one flower’s anthers to another flower’s stigma, paving the way for cross-pollinating plants to bear new seeds. Find out how it works in the activity below!

Supplies:

  • Pencil and paper
  • Colored pencils, markers, or crayons (optional)
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • 1 pipe cleaner or 3 cotton swabs
  • A fine powder, such as powdered sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika… or even the ‘chip dust’ at the bottom of a bag of chips

Instructions:

  1. Draw two flowers of the same species and one bee, or print the template out (included in the PDF). Color your bee and your flowers if desired. Cut the bee and the two flowers out.
  2. If you are using a pipe cleaner, cut it into 6 pieces and tape on to the bee as legs. If you are using double-ended cotton swabs, cut in half and attach 6 the halves to the bee as legs.
  3. Fly around like a bee! Land your bee in the center of the first flower, in search of nectar. Have your bee take a big drink of nectar (which it will later use to make honey!), then fly off to the second flower. Did your bee accidentally bring some pollen from the first flower to the second? This is pollination!
  4. How can you help bees do their important work? Check out these tips from National Geographic!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

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Daily Discovery: Pine Cone Science!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Life Science

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Pine Cone Science!

Arbor Day is a holiday celebrated in the spring, that encourages and inspires people to plant trees in their communities and learn the importance of trees on Earth. Even though we can not gather with others, check out some ways in which you can still participate in this “tree”rific holiday!

Pine cones play an important role in nature. Only found growing from pine trees, their function is to keep a the tree’s seeds safe! They close their scales to protect the seeds from cold temperatures, wind, or even animals, then open up to release their seeds when it is warm. This allows the seeds to germinate and grow into a pine tree. Check out this cool adaptation for yourself with the following experiment!

Supplies:

  • Three pine cones
  • Three medium bowls or jars
  • Paper and pencil
  • Hot and cold water

Instructions:

  1. Gather pine cones from your backyard, natural space or community. With a variety of different pine cones you can experiment further with this activity.
  2. Place one pine cone into each container. Label each container with either cold water, hot water or air.
  3. Pour cold water into the “cold water” jar, and hot water into the “hot water” jar (be sure to use adult supervisor for this step). Leave the jar labeled “air” empty.
  4. Observe what happens to the pine cones when they are exposed to different temperatures and conditions!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

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Daily Discovery: Fancy Rats / Descubrimiento en casa: Ratas de compañía

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Animal Encounters, Any Age, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español, Life Science

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Fancy Rats

FCMoD’s fancy rats ( Rattus norvegicus domestica ) are some of the museum’s most charismatic animals, but are they really all that fancy? Learn more about these furry creatures and channel your inner zoologist as you observe animals in your own backyard!

Fancy Rat Life History:

Being a fancy rat simply means that they are domesticated; they are tame animals and common household pets. The word “fancy” means that humans “appreciate or like” them more than the non-domesticated brown rats. What other animals are considered domestic? Do you have pets or farm animals that live with you? What animals do not make good pets?

Physical Characteristics:  Rats are mammals and vertebrates. This means they are warm-blooded, have hair or fur, and have a backbone. Fancy rats have a wide range of different colors of fur, unlike wild rats who are usually dark brown (an adaptation to help them blend into their environment). All rats have a long, furless tail that are used for balance when they are climbing and exploring their habitat.

Habitat: Wild rats can live almost anywhere! They are found on all continents except Antarctica. If they are not living in people’s homes as pets, they prefer living in damp environments where they can tunnel.

Diet: Rats are omnivores – they’ll eat almost anything! In the wild, they eat a mixture of plants and small animals. At FCMoD, our fancy rats eat a bunch of fruits and vegetables. Naturally, they are scavengers who love to seek out food, which is why they like to live around humans – to break into food storage and help themselves!

Fun Facts:  Rats are often stereotyped in untrue ways, but they can be affectionate, intelligent and clean. They are highly social animals and at the museum, the rats are all siblings and love to snuggle while they nap!

Backyard Observations: Pets!

Whether it is in your backyard, neighborhood, or at a Natural Area, animals can be observed just about anywhere! Zoologists use science to observe animals and learn about their behaviors and their habitat. You can be a backyard zoologist and observe similar domesticated animals like the museum’s fancy rats and record what you discover!

Supplies: 

  • Writing utensil
  • Paper
  • Computer and Internet Access (optional)

Instructions: 

  1. Create a way to record your animal observations and behaviors. You can write a journal entry or maybe create an observation chart, or use our guiding questions to think deeper about the animals you see!
  2. If you have a pet who live with you at home, watch them throughout the day and record what they do. If you have multiple, compare and contrast their behaviors.
  3. If you don’t have any pets, take a walk with your family and look for pets, farm animals or other domesticated animals on your walk. You can also visit https://explore.org/livecams/farm-sanctuary/wisconsin-pasture-farm-sanctuary to observe farm animals though camera live streams!

Guiding Questions:

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.


Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Ratas de compañía

¡Bienvenidos al descubrimiento en casa!

Nosotros en el Museo del Descubrimiento de Fort Collins estamos muy contentos de invitarlos a visitar nuestro contenido lleno de actividades, creatividad, conocimiento ¡y mucho más! Con ideas nuevas cada semana, descubran un mundo mágico lleno de aprendizaje y diversión ¡para toda la familia y en su propio idioma!

Las ratas de compañía (Rattus norvegicus domestica) son uno de los animales más carismáticos que viven dentro del Museo del Descubrimiento de Fort Collins (FCMoD). En general, las ratas no tienen buena reputación, entonces, ¿por qué tenemos algunas de ellas como mascotas? ¿En realidad, hay alguna diferencia entre los diferentes tipos de ratas? Vamos a aprender más de estas criaturas peludas. ¡Encuentra a tu zoólogo interno mientras observas a los animales que hay a tu alrededor!

La historia de las ratas de compañía:

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre una rata salvaje y una rata de compañía? Las ratas de compañía son animales que pueden ser domesticados; son dóciles y comúnmente se vuelven mascotas que se llevan bien con los humanos. ¿Puedes pensar en otros animales que también son domésticos? ¿Tienes mascotas o animales de granja que viven contigo? ¿Puedes observar cuáles animales no podrían ser mascotas?

Características físicas: Las ratas son mamíferos y vertebrados. Esto significa que tienen sangre caliente, pelo o pelaje y una columna vertebral que les ayuda a mantener su cuerpo recto. Las ratas de compañía pueden variar en el color de su pelaje, mientras que el de las ratas salvajes usualmente es de color marrón oscuro. Las ratas salvajes adoptaron este color para poder ocultarse en su medio ambiente. Todas las ratas tienen una cola larga y sin pelo, y esta parte del cuerpo les ayuda a trepar y mantener el equilibrio, superando obstáculos mientras exploran su ambiente.

Ambiente natural/hábitat: ¡Las ratas salvajes pueden vivir casi dondequiera! Se pueden encontrar en todos los continentes excepto en la Antártida. Cuando no están viviendo en nuestros hogares, prefieren vivir en un ambiente húmedo donde puedan cavar túneles y hacer sus escondrijos.

Dieta: Las ratas son omnívoras—¡comen casi de todo! En la naturaleza, comen una variedad de plantas y animales pequeños. En el museo, nuestras ratas comen muchas frutas y vegetales. En su estado natural son carroñeras y les encanta buscar comida, por eso les gusta vivir alrededor de los seres humanos. ¡Así pueden colarse en nuestras despensas y tener todo un banquete!

Datos curiosos: A menudo, a las ratas se les da un estereotipo falso, sin embargo, son cariñosas, inteligentes y limpias. Son animales muy sociables y, en el museo, todas las ratas son hermanas. ¡Les encanta acurrucarse cuando se duermen!

Observación al aire libre: ¡Mascotas!

Ya sea en tu patio, en tu cuadra o en un área natural, se pueden observar animales en cualquier sitio. Los zoólogos utilizan la ciencia para aprender sobre los comportamientos y hábitat de ciertos animales. ¡Tú también puedes ser zoólogo empezando en tu propia área! Observa a los animales domesticados que hay alrededor -como las ratas del museo- ¡y apunta lo que descubres sobre ellos!

Artículos necesarios: 

  • Algo para escribir (lápiz, pluma o marcador)
  • Papel
  • Computadora y acceso al Internet (opcional)

Instrucciones:

  1. Observa el comportamiento de algún animal. Puedes escribir tus notas en un diario o hasta hacer un dibujo. Si deseas, usa la guía de preguntas que está abajo para pensar más profundamente sobre los animales que estudias.
  2. Si tienes una mascota en tu casa, obsérvala durante el día y toma nota de lo que hace. Si tienes más de una mascota, compara sus comportamientos y su interacción.
  3. Si no tienes ningún animal en casa, da un paseo por los alrededores con tu familia y observa algunas mascotas, animales de granja u otros animales domesticados.
  4. También puedes visitar el sitio web: https://explore.org/livecams/farm-sanctuary/wisconsin-pasture-farm-sanctuary  para observar videos de animales de granja ¡en vivo!

Guía de preguntas: 

¿Te gustaría descargar esta actividad? Haz clic aquí para obtener un archivo PDF.

Para encontrar actividades, ideas y mucho más descubrimiento en casa, ¡síguenos!

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Daily Discovery: Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments

Post written by Angela Kettle, School Programs Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Did you know that you can find little pieces of our museum all around your home? Explore different colors, sounds, shapes, light qualities, and sizes in this sensory scavenger hunt, based on the exhibits at FCMoD! When you find an item, check it off the list. Show us your completed scavenger hunt on social media with #DailyDiscovery.

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

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At Home Workout Resources

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Discovery at Home, Health

Post written by Alex Ballou, Marketing Assistant.

At Home Workout Resources

Here at FCMoD, we believe in the importance of working your mind and your body. And during times like this, we want to provide resources to continue exploring together.

In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of our recommended at home workout resources during this time. Learn more below!

  • Here are some fun ways to get active as a family!
  • Let’s get the whole family moving – together! Here are 10 ways to exercise as a family.
  • Have a backyard? Here are some outdoor activities to get the family working out with no-equipment necessary!
  • Trying to stay in shape while working at home with the kids? Here are some fun at-home workouts that everyone will enjoy!

Even though the museum is closed, we want to continue to inspire creativity and encourage hands-on learning for all!

Image Credit: WellnessMama.com

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Daily Discovery: Rain Stick Craft

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Music, Poudre River Fest Daily Discovery

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Rain Stick Craft

Have you ever wondered why it rains? Water vapor rises into the atmosphere. As it cools, it condenses and combines with tiny particles to form clouds. If the water droplets get big enough, they fall to the earth as rain! Capture the sound of rain and bring it inside with this awesome rain stick craft.

Supplies:

  • Paper towel tube
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Tin foil
  • Dry beams. rice, or popcorn
  • Markers, crayons, paint, stickers, ribbon, or whatever else you want to decorate with!

Instructions:

  1. Place all your supplies on a clear surface with plenty of room to create.
  2. Cut out two small pieces of paper to wrap over the ends of your tube, and one larger piece of paper to decorate and cover your tube. Ask an adult to help if you need it!
  3. Using art supplies, decorate your paper however you want. Be creative!
  4. Tape a small piece of paper around the end of your paper towel tube.
  5. Scrunch the tin foil to make a snake like coil and put it inside the tube.
  6. Fill the tube with beans, rice, or popcorn! Tip: Try using a funnel or a cone of paper to fill the tube.
  7. Tape the second small piece of paper to the end of the tube.
  8. Wrap the tube in your decorated paper and tape it in place. Optional: Add more décor! Try ribbon, string, jewels, or feathers!
  9. Turn your stick over and listen to the sweet sound of rain falling!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Image credit: supersimple.com

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Daily Discovery: Story Detectives!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Reading & Writing, Social Studies

Post written by Heidi Fuhrman, Discovery Camp Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Story Detectives!

Did you know you can be a story detective?! Think about someone you love, what stories do they have that can give clues to the past? Use these detective questions to find out more about that story and create a graphic novel or creative project to share what you learned!

Supplies:

  • Pencil & Paper

Optional:

  • Investigation sheet (included in the PDF)
  • Access to phone or laptop
  • Crayons/ colored pencils/ markers
  • Construction paper & blank paper
  • Graphic novel template (included in the PDF)

Instructions:

Real stories from real people give us important clues about the past and you can help discover and investigate those stories by becoming a story detective! Since stories disappear along with their owners, by learning these stories you are becoming a story keeper too!

  1. Think of someone you know that has a story you want to know more about or who has had a different life than yours. . . Maybe a parent, a grandparent, a friend, or a sibling!
    • Level Up: Create a detective team! Choose a story partner. Plan to investigate their story and then have them investigate a story in your life!
  2. Now that you have a person in mind, think about a story that person has that you want to know more about.
    • Here are some ideas:
       What life was like when they were growing up?
       Did they move to this country/city/state from somewhere else? What was the
      place they moved from like?
       Have they seen a really interesting event from the past? (Maybe people
      walking on the moon, the Civil Rights Movement, WWII, or right before
      computers were invented)!
       Do they have an interesting object or picture you’re curious about? What is
      the story behind it?
  3. Next, plan your investigative interview. Think about what questions you can ask them. Using our detective sheet (included at end), write them down. A good story detective is always ready for an interview!
    • Here are some ideas of good detective questions:
       What was it like when you were my age?
       What were your favorite things to eat when you were my age?
       What kind of things did you do for fun?
       How did you travel around your city?
       What is one thing we have now that you didn’t have as a kid?
       What is the most amazing thing you’ve seen in your life?
       What is one thing we have now you never thought would be invented?
       You saw ________. What was that like?
       Where did you live before ________. What did it look like? What was your favorite place there?
       What was it like to live through/before ___________ [event].
  4. With a grown-ups’ help, hold your interview! Call the person on the phone or video call them on a computer. If they live with you, you can interview them in person!
    • Level Up: If you want, you can film or record the interview so you can save it forever! It’s very special to have the story even when the person is gone!
  5. During the interview listen carefully. Sometimes the person will give you clues to other questions! Be sure to write these clues and any other facts down on your detective sheet!
    • During the interview these are good clue questions to ask!
       Why did . . . .?
       Tell me about. . . .?
       Describe __________ . . .
       What did . . .?
       How did . . .?
  6. Remember, a good story detective:
     Always listens . . .you never know when you’re going to get a clue!
     Respects the story teller. Remember, this is their story! You get to be the detective who hears it and keeper who saves it.
     Avoids yes/no questions. You want to know as much of the story as possible!
     Says, “Thank you for sharing your story with me.”
  7. Whew! You aced that interview! Now, finish your detective job! Think about your interview:
     What do you want to know more about?
     What is the most interesting thing you learned?
     How does this change the way you think about the past?

    • Level Up: Interview two people about the same event. What did they say that was the same? What did they say that was different?
  8. Finally, share your investigation with your family and friends!
    Create a graphic novel or picture book about the story you learned more about!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

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