Animals are amazing and you can learn so much by watching them at zoos, in their natural habitats, reading books, and looking up information about them with our web resources. Live Web Cams and livestreams are a great way to see animals while staying home this winter. These cameras are mounted in animal enclosures and near animals’ habitats in…
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Insects in Winter
How do insects survive the long, cold winter? In several different ways! Some Overwinter as Eggs Praying mantids spend the winter as eggs, waiting for the warmer spring temperatures to hatch. Both the native Carolina Praying Mantis and the Chinese Praying mantis are found in Illinois. Carolina Mantis egg case Chinese Mantis egg case Some…
STEAM Saturday: Chromatography
Chromatography is the process of separating mixtures. Combine science and art and learn about how colors are made with this fun project presented by Miss Claire. You will need: Coffee filtersMarkersPencilWater + containers https://youtu.be/PpOyyqqiRC4…
Harper College Experience Day
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Harper College is having a month-long event to give students of all ages interactive and fun learning opportunities. Maybe this will give you some ideas about what you'd like to study! Each Wednesday in October, a new activity will be posted and is…
Family Friday: Podcast for Curious Minds
Radiolab, one of the most beloved podcasts in the world, has collected their most family-friendly content in the podcast Radiolab for Kids. From “What do dogs see when they look at the rainbow?” to “Do animals laugh?” the topics are all about curiosity. Radiolab for Kids is sure to delight and engage the most curious…
STEAM Saturday: Ant Experiments
Try looking for an ant colony on your driveway or sidewalk and setting up an ant experiment. Find different types of food such as crackers, sugar, or fruit. Break the food into small pieces and place it in different places near the ant colony. You can even make a hypothesis about what will happen and even which kind of food will be…
STEAM Saturday: Lightning Bugs
Lightning Bugs, or fireflies, are a native species of beetle. There are over 2,000 different species all over the world, with over 125 native to the United States. Once you start to look more closely, you can notices differences between how different lightning bugs flash. Each species has a different pattern and speed that they flash. Color also…
Maker Monday: Solar Oven S’mores
No campfire? No problem! Try making s'mores using solar energy with this fun project from WeAreTeachers.com. Supplies: pizza boxblack construction paperaluminum foilplastic wrap Directions: Cut the “oven door” flap on the box. Decorate with markers if you wish! Glue black construction paper to the bottom of the box. The black color absorbs the heat. Glue…
STEAM Saturday: Messy Outdoor Activities
The Artful Parent is a great resource for art activities appropriate for a wide range of ages, toddler through school age children. Check out the website or the book. Warm days are the best time to try messy hands-on activities outdoors. Three favorite messy activities from the Artful Parent are making oobleck, melting ice, and playing with cloud dough. Oobleck 1 ½ -2 cups…
Maker Monday: Flashlight Constellations
Supplies: Constellations WorksheetsScissorsPen/Pencil or hole punchFlashlightTape Directions: 1. Using scissors, cut out the circles around the constellations. 2. Write the name of the constellation on the front or back of each circle. 3. Make a hole on each black dot of the constellation with a pen/pencil or hole punch. 4. Tape the constellation to the flashlight in front of…
