The Wonderful World of Water!

Wow, two home school posts in one week!  I do like to get on a topic lol.  As I mentioned earlier in the week, we went to a home school program at the Indianapolis Children's Museum Tuesday evening.  Because our oldest, Lala, is on Spring Break she is with us till Thursday before going back to her moms and got to go as well.    The program about water was a little young for her, but she dove right in there with Jilly and they had a ball.  I have to say, it was a great time and a great program.  Apparently they are beginning to open up the programs they take to schools around the state to home school educators by offering them in the classrooms at the museum.  We started at the huge water clock in the lobby area and had a little mini-lecture about how it works, how it was designed and made.  I have been to that place 100 times and I learned things I never knew about that thing!  We then went up to the classroom, where we made family water clocks that timed out 5 minutes.  

We were all given bags to take out projects home, and were turned loose to work at our own pace on several other projects set up in stations around the big room.  We looked at pond water under the microscope.

We made nori rolls with seaweed and rice, which both grow in water, we made soap boats, which Jilly tested as soon as we got home in the bath.

We tested surface tension by counting how many drops of water fit on a penny...Lala got 41!

We planted seeds in peat pots soaked in water, we now have sunflowers, gourds, and sweet peas added to our seed starting.  We traced letters with a drop of water on a plate...harder than it sounds...

We tried, and of course failed, to mix oil and water and learned why we failed.  I think I may even be missing one.  It was very cool and well put on. They even sent home a packet for follow up projects and everyone got their own snazzy blue water bottle.Thank you, thank you Children's Museum for offering these programs and workshops, and thanks to Judy and Pam for presenting it so wonderfully.  I know we will be back, and I know I will be attending the health teaching workshop for home educators in May.  If you home school, or plan to, and live anywhere near go to their site, they have a lot to offer.  Not just these programs, but unit study materials based on exhibits and field trip planning materials.

H.W.