Like many of today's young whippersnappers, for a time my kids hoped to make it big as professional YouTubers. During that phase, their favorite activity involved planning and recording videos around their unique cooking theme "Gross to Good." The idea was just like it sounds, except for the "good" part.
Science
National Moon Day
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, is National Moon Day and the 52nd anniversary of when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The day is also to celebrate future launches into space, which you can learn about on NASA’s website here. Photo by NASA on Unsplash To celebrate National Moon Day, try one of the activities on the blog, STEMsational. They have…
Cicadas
You may have been hearing a lot about the emergence of periodical cicadas this year. It is an exciting year for those in the range for this year’s emergence. Here is a little info about these unique insects. What is a periodical cicada? Periodical Cicadas have a life cycle that lasts either 13 or 17 years, and all of them in an…
STEAM Saturday: Celebrate Astronomy Day
Saturday, May 15, 2021 is Astronomy Day! This day is a great time to learn more about astronomy and do fun activities inside or outside. Astronomy is the study of the universe beyond the Earth including the sun, moon, stars, and more. To learn more about astronomy, use your MPPL library card to access the many web resources…
Arbor Day Activities
Arbor Day is on Friday, April 30. It is an annual holiday encouraging people to plant and care for trees. It was initiated by Julius Sterling Morton, President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture in 1872. The Arbor Day Foundation's Kids Corner is full of printable activities, digital games, and resources. Leaf ID Game: Can you…
STEAM Saturday: Water Pollution Experiment
Water that you find in nature is not necessarily clean or pure; you would not want to drink pond water, for example. There are ways to clean water, though, and you can try this experiment at home! First, take a clean jar with a lid and fill it with water from a lake, pond, stream,…
Maker Monday: Egg Experiments & Facts
Eggs Eggs are an incredible adaptation that allow birds to stay light and able to fly while their babies are growing. Bird eggs are covered in a shell with lots of tiny holes. These allow air and moisture to pass through. Eggs are also covered in a coating that keeps out bacteria and dust. To see the parts of an egg…
Winter Reading Badges
Look at all those badges! Monty the Mount Prospect Duck has been busy reading and doing activities for Winter Reading. You have until February 28 to try to earn as many (or more) badges than Monty! Which ones are your favorites? Attend a virtual event Chill out & read Listen to a story Warm up…
Maple Syrup Season
Beginning in the middle of February and stretching into mid March, the Sugar Maple trees begin to prepare for spring by sending sap up to their branches to fuel the spring growth. This is one of the first signs of spring in the forest and marks maple syrup season. On days where the nights are freezing and the days are…
STEAM Saturday: Ice Experiments
Did you know that salt lowers the temperature of ice water? To see this process happen, try making ice cream with only a few ingredients. Materials Needed: 1 Gallon Zip Bag 2 Sandwich Zip Bags 1/3 Cup Rock Salt 1/2 Cup Whole Milk 1 Tablespoon Sugar 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract Ice (enough to fill 1/2…
