Balloon Rocket

For Transfiguration this week, the Hogwarts Students get to turn an ordinary old balloon into a rocket!

I love this fourth of July inspired tube for the balloon from Light Bulb Books!

Here are the instructions from Science Bob. 

Materials: 

1 balloon (round ones will work, but the longer "airship" balloons work best)

1 long piece of kite string (about 10-15 feet long)

1 plastic straw

tape

Tie one end of the string to a chair, door knob, or other support.

Put the other end of the string through the straw.

Pull the string tight and tie it to another support in the room.

Blow up the balloon (but don't tie it.) Pinch the end of the balloon and tape the balloon to the straw as shown above. You're ready for launch.

Let go and watch the rocket fly!

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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.
   • 3
     Slowly add about ¾ cup of water to the jar.
   • 4
     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.
   • 5
     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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Hogwarts Week 1 House Winner

We have finished our first week of Hogwarts Summer School! It was a fantastic week of learning and fun.

The winner for the House Cup for Week 1 was... (Drum roll please!)

Great job Ravenclaw students! The other houses were just a few decimal points behind so you better watch your back this coming week.
Here are some photos of the fun things our students did this week.

*Making something awesome with chocolate for potions.

*Having a water balloon fight for Quidditch!

*Planting something in a decorated pot for Herbology.

*Writing cheerful notes on the sidewalk for Charms.

*Making something amazing out of Cardboard for Transfiguration. 

* Writing to our Dads for Father's Day for Ancient Runes.

We even had one Gryffindor Student share his cool fort with his cousin from Slytherin. Way to go students! What a fantastic first week! Keep it up for Week 2.

If you are participating with your own Hogwarts Summer School, here is the list of Week 2 Classes and Activities.
Hogwarts Week 2

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Sardines-- Outside In the Dark!

Are you ready for a fantastic summer weekend? The assignment for Quidditch in the Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge this week is to play the game Sardines. The twist is that you need to play it outside and in the dark! 

Here are the Directions: Gather your family or a group of friends. You can play this in your backyard if you have lots of hiding places or you can go to park if you need a larger space so that everyone can hide. Turn off any outdoor lights. The person that is "it" goes and hides - similar to hide-n-seek. Everyone else counts slowly to 100. When they're done counting they go find the "it". But when they find "it" they hide with him/her until the last person finds the hiding group. Then the last person becomes it on the next round. 

Warning: It can be super fun and scary if you are the last person to find the hiding group!

Note: You can also play this game inside if you don't have a big backyard. Just turn off all the lights and hide somewhere inside the house!

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Slave for the Day- Last Minute Father's Day Gift Idea

How did it become Father's Day already? Are any of you like me and let Father's Day slip up on you?
If so, I have the perfect solution! Here is a FREE, fun, and easy gift for your kiddos to give their Dad. What Dad wouldn't want a personal slave for the day, right?

Simple print out our Free Printable and have your kids check the boxes with the things they are willing to do for their Dad on Father's Day!

My personal favorite is the Valet Parking! (J.K.!) I thought Dads would get a kick out of that. Although our dad's personal favorites will be the scalp massage and foot rub.

Be sure to have lots of yummy drinks and snacks on hand, throw in a yummy breakfast and you have a Father's Day celebration that will make Dad feel like the King he is! And won't it be fun to watch your kids serve the man that is always doing so much for them!

Be sure and take lots of photos.

Here are some other ideas from past years:

Father's Day QR Code Activity

Crazy Love Heart

Puzzle Heart

Playing Card Heart

Father's Day Secret Code with Decoder Heart

Dad will have to use the red cellophane heart as a super cool decoder to read the code key and decipher the message

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