Daily Discovery: Nature Diorama/Descubrimiento en casa: Maqueta de la naturaleza

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

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Nature Diorama

With supplies from your backyard, you can bring nature indoors and create a beautiful diorama! Take inspiration from our own Rocky Mountains and prairies or ask an adult to help you research other animal habitats.

Supplies:

  • Cardboard box
  • Colored paper (or paint)
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Clay (if you have it)
  • Natural materials: rocks, sticks, pine cones, dry grass, leaves, etc.
  • A plastic animal toy for your habitat: bear, fox, deer, etc. Tip: Don’t have one? Try cutting out a picture from a magazine or drawing your own!

Instructions:

  1. Take a nature walk or visit your backyard to collect materials!
  2. Turn the cardboard box on it’s side.
  3. Use colored paper or paint to decorate the background of your nature scene.
  4. Use clay to make the ground and press your natural materials into it. Tip: Use glue if you don’t have clay.
  5. Get CREATIVE! Then, when you are ready, place (or glue) your plastic or paper animal into the diorama!
  6. Share a photo of your nature scene with us on social media using #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.

 

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Maqueta de la naturaleza

Podemos reproducir una maqueta de la naturaleza con muy pocos materiales. Busca inspiración en nuestro propio Parque Nacional Rocky Mountain, en las praderas de Fort Collins, en un jardín, o en cualquier lugar natural. Hasta podrías hacer investigaciones sobre hábitats de animales diversos.

Artículos necesarios:

  • Una caja de cartón/de zapatos
  • Papel de colores (o pinturas)
  • Tijeras
  • Pegamento
  • Plastilina o arcilla
  • Materiales naturales: piedritas, palitos, conos de pino, hierba seca, hojas, etc.
  • Un juguete plástico de un animal para tu hábitat: un oso, un zorro, un venado/ciervo, etc. Consejo: también podrías cortar una foto de una revista, hacerlo con plastilina ¡o dibujarlo!

Instrucciones:

  1. Visita un área natural o tu patio para colectar los materiales naturales que usarías en tu maqueta. También los puedes dibujar, recortar de revistas, o hacer con plastilina.
  2. Gira tu caja de cartón para que esté de lado, como la foto de arriba.
  3. Pinta o pega papel de colores en el fondo de tu maqueta para crear una escena natural.
  4. Usa plastilina/arcilla para formar el suelo de tu escena y para añadir más materiales. También podrías utilizar pegamento.
  5.  ¡Usa tu creatividad! Decora a tu gusto. Para el toque final, sitúa (o pega) el animal de tu elección en la escena de tu maqueta.
  6. Comparte una foto de tu obra maestra con nosotros a través de las redes sociales usando la etiqueta #descubrimientoencasa, y ¡continúa aprendiendo sobre la naturaleza!

¿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: Wonder Women Citizen Science – Birds!

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

Post written by Heidi Fuhrman, Discovery Camp Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Wonder Women Citizen Science – Birds!

Many superheroes are inventors and innovators! They create new technologies and harness the atmosphere, physics, space, and the power of flight to make this world safer! You can be a superhero too by innovating new ways to help our natural world and by helping scientists in your own community!

Supplies:

  • Markers/crayons/colored pencils
  • Scissors
  • Yarn or string
  • Glue or tape
  • An innovative mind!
  • Optional: paper, colored paper, foil, assorted recyclables

Instructions:

  1. It’s estimated that nearly 1 billion birds die by flying into windows each year in the U.S. alone! Why? Birds see reflections of the outside world on the glass and think its habitat they can fly into. You can help by indicating that your windows are, well, windows, and not the great outdoors, by creating and hanging up bird deflectors!
  2. Start by collecting supplies. Solid color construction paper, foil, colorful ribbons—use your imaginations! Get creative! Cut out shapes, maybe some animals and attach them to yarn or ribbon using glue or tape. Hang these up in your windows!
  3. Do you have a different idea for something that could help birds, bugs, or other animals in your backyard? Maybe it’s a feeder, maybe it’s helping them find habitat or creating a more friendly ecosystem in your backyard, maybe you have your own idea! Using materials here or other things around your house (make sure to check with an adult that it’s ok to use!) invent it!
  4. . Want to do more? You can become a local superhero by becoming a citizen scientist! Citizen scientists are ordinary people—adults and kids—that help real scientists collect important data! Check out some of these awesome organizations to see how you can be involved! It’s often as simple as keeping track of the birds, bugs, or trees in your own backyard or neighborhood!
    • Nature In The City (Fort Collins)
    • Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
    • Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, & Snow Network
    • SciStarter
    • Citizen Science Projects for All Ages
  5. Go learn about some real superheroes that invent, innovate, and study science! Check out our Wonder Women guide, search for famous scientists and inventors online, or visit your local library to find books!
  6. What do you care a lot about? Do you have a great idea to make this world better? Protect your native animals? Solve a problem? Try it out! You’re never too young to make a  difference and be a superhero!

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: Wonder Women – Smart Stuff

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 9-12, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Engineering & Math

Post written by Heidi Fuhrman, Discovery Camp Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Wonder Women – Smart Stuff

Not all superheroes use their physical strength to fight evil! Oracle fights with her hacking skills and She-Hulk uses powers of  persuasion as a lawyer—just like many of our real-life wonder women who use their smarts to make a difference!

Supplies:

  • Pencil & Paper
  • Scissors
  • Brass brad
  • Printed Cipher Wheels (file included in PDF)
  • All your spy skills!

Instructions:

  1. Put your smarts to the test! Like some real life wonder women—spies like Virginia Hall & codebreakers like Elizebeth  Friedman—see if you can crack our codes! Learn about  different types of cryptology below and take a stab at becoming a codebreaker.
  2. Using what you learn about codes, write your own and see if a friend or family member can crack it! You can even send them the codes via text to connect across the city or country! How did they do?
  3. Go learn about some real-life superheroes that used their smarts to make this world better and safer!
    Check out our Wonder Women guide or look online or at your library for stories about inventors, spies, mathematicians, doctors, and scientists.
  4. Think: What do you know a lot about? What are you an expert at? What “smarts” do you have? How can you use your knowledge to help other people and make this world a better place?

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: Medium

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Daily Discovery: Who’s Your Wonder Woman?

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

Post written by Heidi Fuhrman, Discovery Camp Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Who’s Your Wonder Woman?

We all know a real-life wonder woman! They support us, help us, show us what it means to be a leader, innovator, teacher, scientist, artist, mother and more! Who’s the wonder woman in your life? What’s their superpower?

Supplies:

  • Your Wonder Woman coloring sheet (included in PDF)
  • Crayons, markers, colored pencils!

Instructions:

  1. Think about a woman in your life you think is a superhero! Maybe it’s a mom, a grandma, a sister, friend, teacher…it could be someone you’ve never met, but they inspire you! Talk with your friends or kids about their wonder women.
  2. Think about what superpower that person has! Are they kind? Strong? Brave, smart, compassionate…? Do they create, listen, invent, solve problems, use their voice for good, run fast? Maybe they helped you find your superpower! Share the superpowers of your wonder woman with the people you’re doing this activity with! Add their superpowers to the sheet.
  3.  Color your wonder woman!
  4.  Share your drawing with the wonder woman you chose! Give it to them, send them a picture, or stick it in the mail. Share it with us (@focomod)! We’d love to celebrate all the incredible women in our community!
  5. Go learn about some real-life wonder women! Check out some books from your library or search for some incredible women online! We’re all stronger #BecauseOfHerStory!

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: Make Your Own Maraca!/Descubrimiento en casa: Construye tu propio instrumento musical – ¡maracas!

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

Post written by Eisen Tamkun, Music Education Lead.

Daily Discovery: Make Your Own Maraca!

Shake shake shake, shake it! Create your very own maraca using household items!

Supplies:

  • Tape – any kind will do (the more colorful the better)!
  • Spoons – disposable work best
  • Filler – rice, beans, or dried corn
  • Scissors
  • Plastic Easter Egg

Instructions:

  1. Gather all the supplies.
  2. Start by insertion your filler in the egg. Only fill it half way so there is plenty of room for it to rattle around.
  3. Tape the spoon handles together keeping the bowls of each spoon facing each other.
  4. Secure the egg between the two spoons with some tape.
  5. Lastly, continue wrapping up and around the entire egg

Now that you’ve made your very own maraca, try rocking out to some of your favorite songs! Shake your maraca along to the rhythm!

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: fun365

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Construye tu propio instrumento musical – ¡maracas!

Crea tu propia maraca usando simplemente lo que tienes en tu casa, y suena, suena, ¡suénala!

Artículos necesarios:

  • Cinta adhesiva—la que tengas disponible. Si tienes de colores, ¡mejor!
  • Dos cucharas desechables
  • Arroz, frijoles, lentejas, maíz crudo o piedritas pequeñas
  • Tijeras
  • Huevo de pascua plástico

Instrucciones:

  1. Reúne todos tus materiales.
  2. Llena la mitad del huevo con el relleno de tu preferencia, asegurándote que haya bastante espacio para que este pueda moverse haciendo ruido, y ciérralo.
  3. Con la cinta adhesiva, une los extremos de las dos cucharas desechables para hacer el mango de tu maraca.
  4. Sujeta tu huevo entre las dos cucharas con la cinta adhesiva.
  5. Finalmente, sigue envolviendo el huevo con más cinta adhesiva hasta que esté completamente fijo y no se mueva.

¡Ahora que hiciste tu propia maraca, trata de sonarla al ritmo de tus canciones favoritas!

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

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

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Bohemian.

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Daily Discovery: Cardboard Box Creations

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

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Cardboard Box Creations

Have you ever wondered what a box could become? Follow along with Rabbit in the story Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, to imagine all the things a box can become!

Then create and take your own amazing box on an adventure at home!

Supplies:

  • A cardboard box
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Glue
  • Markers, paint, stickers
  • Metal brads, paper clips, clothespins
  • Loose parts such as: lids and bottle caps, sticks and leaves, beads, buttons, pipe cleaners, string, cardboard tubes, recyclables, any old junk around the house!

Instructions:

  1. Place all your supplies on a clear surface with plenty of room to create.
  2. Brainstorm some ideas for what your box could become. Tip: try drawing your idea on a piece of paper!
  3.  Build and create with all your loose materials. Use your imagination!
  4.  Ask an adult for help with cutting or attaching things to your box if you need it.

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: parenting.firstcry.com

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Daily Discovery: Tall Tall Tree Craft

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 3-5, Ages 6-8, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Life Science, Visual Arts

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Tall Tall Tree Craft

Did you ever wish you could live in a tree? Many different animals live in and around trees. Can you look out your window and spot them? How many can you name?

Some of the most amazing trees are called Redwoods. They can grow to incredible heights; one is taller than the Statue of Liberty! Here is a wonderful video of a redwood forest so you can see these trees from home.

Here is a fun craft to make your very own tall tree at home!

Supplies:

  • A stick with skinny “branches”
  • A paper plat (or piece of cardboard)
  • Clay
  • Glue
  • Decorations: beads, yarn, pom poms, glitter glue, paint, leaves, or whatever you find in your home!

Instructions:

  1. Place all your supplies on a clear surface with plenty of room to create.
  2. Mold the clay around the base of your stick to hold your “tree” upright on the plate.
  3. Decorate with all your craft materials. Be creative!
  4. Share your creation with us on social media using #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.

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Buell Foundation. Their support helps make access to early childhood education at FCMoD possible for everyone in our community.

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Daily Discovery: Mermaid Music

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Life Science, Music, Poudre River Fest Daily Discovery

Post written by Charlotte Conway, Public Programs Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Mermaid Music

Mermaids are famous for singing, but do their songs sound different underwater than on land? Do this experiment to discover for yourself!

Supplies:

  • 2 Chopsticks
  • 2 Metal forks
  • 2 Rocks (large enough to clink together)
  • Large bowl
  • Water
  • Tray or similar solid board (we use plastic trays!)
  • Plastic water bottle cut in half (this acts as a hydrophone)

Instructions:

  1. Start by observing what objects sound like in our human environment, surrounded by air. Clink each pair of objects together in the air and listen to the sound they make.
  2. You made a hydrophone out of a recycled plastic water bottle. This tool will allow you to hear what’s happening underwater! Place the narrowest part of the water bottle up to your ear and hold the cut
    end of the water bottle right over the surface of the water.
  3. Have a partner, it could be a sibling or parent, clink the objects together under the water. What do you hear?
  4. Why do you think things sound different underwater? It all has to do with sound waves! Sound is what we hear when sound waves bounce off objects. Molecules are closer together in liquid than in a gas (like our air!), so there is greater opportunity for waves to bounce off molecules underwater. What do you think will happen when sound waves travel through a solid?
  5. Place a tray (face down) up to your ear. Have a partner very lightly tap each one of the objects against the tray. How does this differ from what you heard in the water? What about in the air? Hypothesize why you think that is.

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.

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Bohemian.

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Daily Discovery: Squishy Soap/Descubrimiento en casa: Jabón plastilina

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 3-5, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español

Post written by Lea Mikkelsen, Early Childhood Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Squishy Soap

Use your rockin’ math skills to measure out different ingredients and make your own soap! Use your squishy soap to mold different shapes and keep it by the sink. Sing some songs or practice counting to 20 while you scrub!

You’ve never had this much fun washing your hands!

Supplies:

  • ‘1/4 cup of cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons pure liquid castile soap (optional: try scented!)
  • 2 teaspoons of oil (vegetable, almond, coconut)
  • Optional – 1 to 2 drops of food coloring for fun!
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Tray

Instructions:

  1. Carefully measure each of the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a spoon.
  2. Dump the mixture onto a clean tray and knead until the soap is smooth and not sticky!
  3. To use, pull off a small piece of the soap, add water, and scrub for 20 seconds!

Tip: if soap is too sticky add a little more corn starch, if dough is too crumbly add a little more oil. Keep kneading and keep experimenting until you get it right!

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.

Photo Credit: https://mamapapabubba.com/

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Jabón plastilina

Usa tus habilidades matemáticas para medir diferentes ingredientes y hacer ¡tu propio jabón plastilina! Moldéalo en diferentes formas divertidas y creativas, y úsalo la próxima vez que tengas que lavarte las manos, recordando el cantar algunas canciones o contar hasta 20 mientras las limpias. ¡Nunca ha sido tan divertido lavarse las manos!

Artículos necesarios:

  • ¼ taza de fécula de maíz
  • 2 cucharadas de jabón de castilla liquido (con o sin fragancia)
  • 2 cucharaditas de algún aceite (por ejemplo, aceite vegetal, aceite de almendras, aceite de coco, etc.)
  • Opcional – 1 o 2 gotas de colorante para alimentos
  • Un recipiente para mezclar los ingredientes
  • Una cuchara
  • Una bandeja

Instrucciones:

  1. Une todos los ingredientes en el recipiente, y mézclalos con la cuchara hasta que todo esté incorporado y se forme una “masa.”
  2. Coloca esta mezcla sobre una bandeja limpia y comienza a amasarla hasta que llegue a una consistencia lisa y no pegajosa.
  3. Si quieres usar esto para lavarte las manos, simplemente arranca un pedacito del jabón plastilina, córrelo bajo el agua, ¡y comienza a frotarlo entre tus manos por 20 segundos!

Nota: Si la masa está muy pegajosa, agrégale un poco más de fécula de maíz. Si la masa está muy firme o desmoronadiza, agrégale un poco más de aceite. ¡Sigue mezclando y experimentando hasta que estés contento/a con la consistencia de tu jabón!

¿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: Time Machine

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Engineering & Math

Post written by Charlotte Conway, Public Programs Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Time Machine

Time machines are the stuff of science fiction. In movies and shows, they help out some of our favorite characters… like when Hermione Granger used her time turner to perform better in school in Harry Potter!

Can you use design thinking to design your own time machine? Design thinking is when we design products that help meet specific needs for specific people. Follow the instructions below to get started!

Supplies:

  • Pencil or pen
  • Paper
  • Glue or tape
  • Recycled supplies
  • Some objects that can be found in many homes: paper towel tubes, buttons, tin foil, bottle caps, plastic bottles, stickers, paper clips, or cardboard
  • Your imagination and creativity!

Instructions:

  1. Identify your user. This is the person (or the group of people) who will benefit from your design. What do they like and dislike? What are their goals? What are some obstacles they face in meeting
    their goals?
  2. Sketch out your design on paper. Identify 3 ways your design will help your user.
  3. Using recycled materials construct your design. Get creative with your supplies, and make sure to get
    permission before using supplies you find in your home!
  4. Ask for feedback on your time machine from someone around you. How can you make it even better?
  5. Use your imagination to travel to different time periods!

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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