End of Winter Science

Posted by Hannah | 0 comments

That is an optomistic title, because, really, winter is still usually roaring around here into March. January and February seem to be the most difficult months for me as a homeschool mother, partially because of the constant gray lingering in the sky and partially….well, maybe it’s all the gray. So while I keep popping my Vitamin D, I thought I’d share some of the fun our family has been adding in to our science lessons during these end of winter months.

1. Science kits.
We gifted our homeschool this past Christmas with a few new science kits. Now, these aren’t your typical chemistry science kits that I always find lying unopened and twenty years old at thrift stores – these are pretty cool! Our kids haven’t stopped fiddling and experimenting with these kits yet. Check out this wind power kit. http://www.amazon.com/Thames-Kosmos-Wind-Power-2-0/dp/B003KYRSQC/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1328330942&sr=1-1 and this hydro power one http://www.amazon.com/Thames-Kosmos-Alternative-Environmental-Hydropower/dp/B001TGAYU0/ref=sr_1_5?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1328331240&sr=1-5 The hydro power one is our kids current favorite because they can design and power their own vehicles with it. Each aspect of how these work is explained and provides a fantastic interactive science lesson that sticks! This Snap Circuits kit http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300-Snap-Circuits/dp/B0000683A4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1328331439&sr=1-1 gets weekly, almost daily, use by one of our seven year old son who loves figuring out electrical engineering with it. I can recommend each of these kits because of they repeatedly hold our kids interest and are made well.

2. Netflix videos and documentaries.
We don’t own a television but I appreciate some of the content we’ve found on netflix. When we finished our unit study on Egypt we ended it by sitting down and watching The History Channel’s Egypt:Engineering an Empire http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Egypt_Engineering_an_Empire/70057597?trkid=438403. Forever entertained by the idea of treasure hunting, our children (and their parents) have been enjoying The Discovery Channel’s Treasure Quest http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Treasure_Quest_Season_1_The_Legend/70134907?trkid=438403, which follows real-life deep sea treasure hunters who find actual treasure, explain in detail how they research and date it, and give a short history behind each shipwreck.

3. Pinterest
Whether it’s making our own flashlights, Swedish fire torches, exploring Egypt through the University of Machester, building catepults and cross bows or playing a periodic table card game – all the fun has been found on pinterest. You can check out my education pin board for more ideas http://pinterest.com/cultivatinghome/education/

Tell me, what fun activities or lessons have you been adding to winter?