Last Hurrah of Summer QR Code Activity

It is August 1st and if you are like me you are thinking about back to school. Whether your kids start in a week and a half like my son or in three weeks like my daughter, you probably want to make the most of the time they have left. This is a QR Code Activity that I posted last year to help me plan one last hurrah! I wanted to spend the day with my kids doing those things that I knew we wouldn't have time to do once school starts. It was my way of sending  summer off in style.

This is the way that it works.
For every two hours during the day I have created QR Codes for two different activities to do as a family. The activities begin at 9 a.m. and end at 9 p.m. that night.
You choose one of the activities to do during each time frame (or you could do activities less often if you prefer. For example: 9 a.m. then again at 1:00 p.m. then 5:00 p.m. etc.)

Here are the choices (and the pictures for each choice.)

9:00 a.m.  Eating your favorite breakfast outside OR Going out to breakfast at a restaurant

11:00 a.m. Going to a park and having a picnic OR Packing your lunch and riding a bike somewhere fun to eat it

1:00 p.m. Swimming at the local pool OR Running through the sprinklers or having a water fight

3:00 p.m. Eating popsicles and reading a book OR Eating Ice Cream and watching a cartoon

5:00 p.m. Eating your favorite dinner on a blanket in the living room OR having a BBQ in the backyard

7:00 p.m Playing a board game OR Playing an active game as a family outside

9:00 p.m. Laying on a blanket and looking at the stars ORTelling scary stories with a flashlight on your face

Once you have chosen the activities that you want to do with your kids, you can play in one of two ways. 

#1 Just print out the QR Codes. 

This is the cheapest and easiest way to play, since the QR Codes are in black and white. Just cut out the QR Codes that you want to use. Put ONE in EACH envelope labeled with the time. Then hand the envelopes to your kids when they get up in the morning. They can use your smart phone, tablet or iPod to scan the QR codes with a QR code reader like QRAFTER PRO. This will tell them what activity they can do that hour. You won't believe their excitement as they wait for the picture to pop up on your phone! 

Then you are off and running, having fun until it is time to open the next envelope.

#2. If you don't have a smart phone, you can print out each of the pictures shown above. Then you can choose which activity that you want to do and put that picture in an envelope for your kids to open. Either way they will love to play with you and create memories of a fun summer day that will last all year long.

Print out the FREE QR Codes below:  

The Last Hurrah of Summer QR Codes

Print out the FREE Hourly Picture Activities below:  

The Last Hurrah of Summer PIctures Only

Enjoy having one last Hurrah of Summer with your Kids! Next week I will be posting a fun QR Code Activity I created for the first day of school. So come back soon. 

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Mentos and Diet Coke Geyser

This is my favorite Steve Spangler Science Activity. Hogwarts Students get to mix up a batch for Potions this week.

Mentos and Diet Coke Geyser

Each year we try to change up the variables by doing it several different ways. Look at this awesome experiment!

One year we built volcanoes around the Diet Coke bottle and then exploded our volcanoes by dropping in the candy. I gave the students extra points if they dislodged the paper animals they had placed around the base of the volcano. I know. Kind of gruesome when you think about it but I do teach 10 year old boys!!

You could try a different number of mentos or different brands of soda. The possibilities are endless. I really would buy more than one bottle of soda and pack of candy. Creating this geyser is so much fun!



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Instant Slushy Magic

For Potions this week, the Hogwarts Students get to make Instant Slushies in the Kitchen. All you need is your freezer and your favorite bottle of soda! 

Here are the instructions from Chemistry.About.Com. 

Any soda or soft drink works for this. The slushy project works especially well with 16-oz or 20-oz carbonated soft drinks, since the fizz fluffs up the ice. It's also easiest to use a plastic bottle.

1. Start with a room temperature soda. You could use any temperature, but it's easy to get a handle on how long it takes to supercool the liquid if you know your approximate starting temperature. 
2. Shake up the bottle and place it in a freezer. Do not disturb the soda while it is chilling or else it will simply freeze.
3. After about 3 to 3-1/2 hours, carefully remove the bottle from the freezer. Each freezer is a little different, so you may need to adjust the time for your conditions. Handle it carefully without jarring or shaking the bottle which could result in premature freezing. 
4. Gently open the bottle, releasing pressure slowly, and pour the soda into a chilled cup. This will cause it to freeze into slush while you pour. 

Isn't this magic trick awesome! I first came across this idea as an object lesson that can teach some pretty cool lessons. 

For example: This instant slushy can illustrate what happens when kids make bad choices. They might start lying to their parents or smoking or drinking alcohol. You may not notice a visible difference in them right away. But we shouldn't be tricked. The consequences are real for making bad choices and will show up eventually. Take to your family about some of the consequences of making bad choices while you enjoy your delicious instant slushy. 

To find more about this Object Lesson go here.  

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Worm Farm

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     For Herbology this week, the Hogwarts Students get to create a Worm Farm in a Jar. Below are some instructions from eHow. More great instructions come from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.

     

     
     

     I think finding the worms is half the fun! Look under rocks, or on the sidewalks after it rains. You can check your garden or lawn after the sprinklers have been running. If your Mom or Dad says it is okay, you can dig a small hole with a shovel and find worms. Head outside at night with a flashlight. Worms are more active at night. 

     
     

     

     
     
   • 1   Drill six or eight small holes in the jar's lid. This will provide your worms with plenty of air.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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     Place a 1-inch layer of garden or potting soil into the bottom of the jar. Add a 1-inch layer of sand. Repeat this alternate layering of soil and sand to almost fill the jar. Leave 1 inch of space between the top of the jar and the upper surface of sand or soil.
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     Slowly add about ¾ cup of water to the jar.
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     Provide a food supply for your worms by putting some dead leaves and grass clippings on top of the sand and soil. These critters also like coffee grounds and rolled oats, so add some of either or both if you wish.
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     Gently place your worms into the top of the jar, and cap it tightly. Place the jar in a location free of direct sunlight. Since worms become active after the sun goes down, put the jar into a brown paper lunch bag and tie some twine or string around the bag just under the jar's lid. They'll think it's nighttime and become active, creating tunnels all through the worm farm. Make sure that you don't cover up the air holes, though.
   • 6
     Watch your worm farm for a week or two. They'll be fine for this amount of time as long as they have food and moisture. Make sure they always have plenty of grass clippings and dead leaves. Add about ¾ cup of water every 3 to 4 days, or when the soil dries out.
   • 7
     Release the worms gently in a shady area of your yard when you're through enjoying your farm. Remove the lid from the jar and lay it on its side on the ground. They will eventually find their way out of the jar and back into their natural habitat.

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Statues with a Flashlight

I love night games during the summer! For Astrology this week, the Hogwarts Students get to play statues in the dark with a flashlight. 

I love this idea from The Camping Family. 

Choose one person to be the museum tour guide and one to be a tourist. 

Everyone else is a statue. 

The tour guide gets the flashlight.

In the dark, each statue strikes an interesting pose and "freezes".

The tour guide turns on the flashlight and leads the tourist from one statue to another. 

As each statue is visited, the tour guide shines the light on the statue and describes the statue to the tourist, making the descriptions as comical as possible to try to get the statue to laugh or move.

The statue tries to stay perfectly still.

If the statue laughs or moves while in the flashlight beam, s/he is "out".

The tour guide should listen carefully. If there is a sound of movement, the guide can quickly shine the beam in that direction and try to get that statue "out".

The last remaining statue becomes the next tour guide.

You can also play Statues with just the museum tour guide. The Museum Tour Guide will move from frozen statue to frozen statue with his or her flashlight trying to get each one to laugh. 

Gather your family and some neighborhood kids and play statues today! 

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I am Malala

Last week I shared my favorite read aloud of this past school year-- Wonder by R.J. Palaccio. Today I would like to share my second favorite read aloud from this past school year. The book was I am Malala. This is the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, the 16 year old girl who stood up for girl's education and was shot by the Taliban.

When I decided to tackle this challenging non-fiction title with my 5th and 6th grade students I was worried it would be beyond their ability to understand or appreciate. Boy, was I ever wrong! Not only did they get it but reading this book became a life-changing experience for all of us.

Malala has become a personal hero to all of the girls in my class. No one can read this book without gaining a profound appreciation for the rights of eduction that we take for granted every day. I promise if you read this book yourself and/or read it with your kids, you will never see your life or school the same way again.

Malala is an engaging storyteller and each chapter in the book prompted so much dialogue and conversation. It is a violent story but it told in such a way that it is appropriate for 10 and 11 year olds. If you want to prevent summer brain drain, put this on your reading list for the summer.

I showed my students this amazing video of Malala's UN Speech.

We loved this interview with Malala by Diane Sawyer.

Here is Malala's father as he speaks about her on the TED Stage.

I love Malala and her cause. I am praying with the rest of the world for the safe return of the kidnapped Nigerian school girls. Only through education can we hope to change our world for the better.

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Spy Camp

For all of you local readers, Tiff and I are doing another Wonder Kids Summer Camp this summer. Our theme is SPY CAMP!

I am so excited about all the things we have planned. From dusting for fingerprints...

to cracking secret codes....

to solving mysteries....

This camp is going to be so much fun! Email us if you have kids ages 4 to 14 that are interested in attending.

The dates are July 14th to July 18th.
The time is 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
The cost is $60 for the week.
The location is American Fork, Utah.

We promise the case of summer boredom will be solved!

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Best Book EVER: Wonder!

I can't recommend the book Wonder highly enough. I used this novel as a read aloud in my class this year and without question it was a favorite of everyone in the class. Reluctant readers, prolific readers, boys, girls, ADHD, autism, you name it. Everyone loved this book. And just when I thought that the book couldn't get any better,  R. J. Palacio came out with the Julian chapter! GENIUS!

I think every parent needs to put this on their summer reading list. Grab a copy and read it to your kids while you are on a road trip or while you are camping or on vacation. Take a few late nights, lay outside on a blanket and devour this book together.  I think it is perfect for kids from 6 to 60.

I promise you won't regret it. I am recommending this book to a close friend who is worried that her 8 year old son will not take responsibility for his actions. This book is perfect for driving the point of personal responsibility home! I promise it will get the conversation started.

Are you worried that your child does not reach out to others or is getting into a clique or exclusive group? This book will solve your problem.

Are you wanting to encourage your child to be more kind and considerate? This book is your answer.

Do you want to open your child's eyes to the perspective of others? Check.
Do you want him or her to see how gossip hurts others? Check.
Do you want to help your child stand up to bullies or not be a bully? Check.

This book is for you! This book is perfect on so many levels. But believe it or not, even though it teaches so many powerful lessons, it is not preachy. It is exciting, engaging, and entertaining. You will not be able to put it down. I cried when I read Julian's ending.

Get Wonder and Julian's Chapter today!

Wonder

The Julian Chapter
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6 Tips for Tie-Dying T-Shirts with Kids

Our last craft with our first year campers was Tie-Dye T-Shirts. At first I was hesitant to tackle this project because it thought it would be too complicated and too messy. But I was amazed at how easy and fun and inexpensive this activity can be. Here is what we learned about the process.

Tip #1 Do Not Use Rite Dye.
My first thought was to pick up some rite dye at the grocery store and go to town. But I quickly learned in my online research that Rite Dye is not the best product for tie-dying t-shirts. We used a Tulip tie-dying kit with three colors that worked fantastic for us. If you want bright, vivid, long-lasting color do not use Rite Dye. One other suggestion: Use a t-shirt made of 100% cotton.

Tip #2 Use small squirt bottles for the dye.
Our Tulip kit came with three squirt bottles. This makes containing the dye so easy. We did this activity outside on some folding tables that we set up on the lawn. We protected the tables with some plastic table clothes.

Tip #3 Wear gloves during the entire process. 
I put gloves on each girl but then made the mistake of helping with bare hands! Just picking up the t-shirt and transferring it into a plastic bag left me with green fingers that lasted for days. Always use gloves! Use gloves from beginning to end even when you are rinsing out the shirts and putting them into the washing machine.

Tip #4 First soak your t-shirt in a soda ash solution.
I learned from my internet research that soaking your t-shirt in a soda ash solution first will make the colors bind to the shirt more effectively. This will result in a brighter colored shirt that holds its color longer. My Tulip Kit did not include soda ash but it was easy to find packaged separately. It was hanging right beside the tie-dye kits and came with simple instructions.  I bought both the kit and the soda ash at my local Hobby Lobby Craft Store. When we were about ready to start, I mixed the soda ash with water and soaked our six shirts in it for 20 minutes. Then I twisted out any excess water and we started the dying process on the damp shirts.


Tip #5 Try different techniques when dying your shirt. 
Our Tulip Kit included instructions for different tie-dye techniques. I let the girls choose which one they wanted to do. The easiest was the crumbled tie-dye. The girls simply crumpled up their shirts and squeezed dye onto the top. It doesn't get much easier than that!

The next easiest style was this beautiful ombre one. We squirted the dye directly on the bottom of the shirt and then dipped a paint brush in dye solution and brushed the dye on the remainder of the shirt.

The more traditional one involved bunching up the shirt and putting rubber bands around it every two inches. Then we squirted dye in alternating colors on the areas between the rubber bands.

This fun shirt was made by first rolling the shirt around a cardboard tube, scrunching it together and then squirting on the dye in three distance sections.

All the instructions were clear and easy to follow in the Tulip Kit.

Tip #6 Leave the dye soaking on the wet shirt for at least 8 hours before you rinse it out. 
Once you have finished tie-dying your shirt, leave it in the rubber bands or on the cardboard tube or in the scrunched ball and wrap it up completely in plastic wrap. I put each wrapped shirt in a separate grocery bag so that I could move them inside the house. Then we had to wait. I waited overnight and rinsed them out the next morning. Wait at least 8 hours. Then rinse the shirt under cold water until the water runs out clear. Throw it in the washing machine without any other article of clothing. Once through one wash and rinse cycle your shirt is ready to wear and wash normally in the future. The color is set and you are done.

We are so pleased with the vivid colors of our finished products. The girls loved doing this. I think this was their favorite project so far. We spent a total of $3.50 per shirt and that includes the cotton t-shirts which were $3.00 a piece. This would make a fun summer camp project and a great project to do at a family reunion or before a family vacation. Wouldn't it be fun for everyone in the family to have a matching tie-dye t-shirt?  Oh yeah! Pin It