hands-on activities

Learn About Mozart The Eight Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Series

October 11, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The next book in the Geronimo Stilton series Out of Time (Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time #8) has fun learning facts about Mozart. So, if your child is loving the Geronimo Stilton books, you’ll love this next hands-on craft with the book.

How about combining Mozart, music, and the adorable antics of Geronimo Stilton?

In the Geronimo Stilton series, The Eighth Journey Through Time sails through 4 different time periods in the book.

What a busy mouse.

Learn About Mozart The Eight Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Series

Out of Time (Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time #8) takes your little learner to meet:

Alexander the Great,
Queen Cleopatra,
Sir Francis Drake,
and todays topic of interest- Mozart in The Court of Vienna.

The way the books are set up, your child can read the whole thing or just choose to start at one of the time periods.

Geronimo meets Mozart and his family and helps them get to the Court of Vienna.

Of course like the other books in this series, it is loaded with fun facts. Also, it has introductions to several instruments, fashion of the time period, and many historical references.

Also, there are a few logic games where your child studies a picture and discover what is wrong.

These books are aimed at middle to upper elementary, but they are really fantastic for struggling or reluctant readers.

They are not quite a graphic novel and have a fair amount of reading to them.

But it is laid out in such a fun and colorful way that they hardly realize they are learning all wonderful historical facts.

Benefits of Learning Music

Even if you or your child have no musical aspirations music is a great experience and has so many learning benefits.

Strengthens memory and attention.
Reinforces important language skills.
Relaxes and relieves anxiety.
Improves listening skills.
Helps learn math skills (quarter, half note, etc and fractions).
Nurtures creativity.
Makes you use more of and different parts of your brain.

While you listen to some of Mozart’s music, play a memory game.

Encourage your child to identify the instruments they hear.

They can also listen for when the music speeds up and slows down. What a wonderful way to help you both relax and focus, this can be a great beginning, end, or reset to your homeschool day.

Also, look at these sites:

Fun Ways to Teach Children Note Values
Dig a little deeper into learning about Mozart with this YouTube video- History of Mozart from Bedtime History .

Then, add some fun facts about Mozart.

Marvelous Mozart Facts

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756.
He wrote his first musical compositions at just 5 years old.
Mozart could speak 12 different languages.
He wrote over 600 musical pieces in his short lifetime.
He was left-handed.
Mozart wrote his first opera at just 12 years old.
Mozart died December 5, 1791 at age 35, believed from rheumatic fever.

Let’s make a DIY music memory game without the need for any special equipment.

But I do suggest that if you don’t have a paper slicer you grab one.

They are so great for cutting straight lines and very inexpensive. But you can do this with just a ruler and scissors also.

Music Appreciation Activity DIY Memory Game

You will need:

white cardstock
colored cardstock
glue stick
paper cutter or scissors
markers

First, cut your white cardstock into 2 ½ ”x 2 1/2” squares.

Again, you can use scissors, but these little paper slicers come in handy dandy for a lot of different projects and are really reasonable.

Next, cut your colored cardstock slightly larger than the white, say 2 3/4” to 3” square.

Draw music notes, simple instruments, music symbols, or write out musical terms on your white cards.

Remember you will need two of each.

A quick Google search can help you find some inspiration.

But here is a photo of the 6 I did for this version. You can make more or less depending on your child’s familiarity with music and their skill level.

Once your designs are drawn glue the white cardstock to the center of the colored squares.

This helps create sturdier cards and you can’t see through the white cards anymore.

To play the game it is simply like traditional memory, mix up and then lay all the cards out face down.

Take turns picking two at a time to try and create a match, if you get a match you keep the pair, and draw again, but if not put them back down in the same spot.

Repeat until all cards are matched up.

Music Note Memory Variations

Write the notes on half your cards and the name on the other half.
Draw instruments on your cards instead.
Write composer names.
Draw music bars with different notes

Other Geronimo Stilton Series

Finally, you’ll love these other hands-on book crafts for the Geronimo Stilton series books:

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

October 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have some engaging bat activities for kindergarten. Find some other fun kindergarten crafts on my kindergarten homeschool curriculum page.

October is the perfect time of year to swoop into a mini unit on bats. These adorable and often misunderstood creatures are a great way to introduce concepts like echolocation and nocturnal.

I have a few do it yourself ideas and a fun sensory bin bat activities for kindergarten. This sensory bin is so easy and inexpensive you can make it with just items in your pantry.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

The benefits of sensory bins are many for preschoolers and kindergarten aged children.

They can explore and build their imaginations.

Also, they are good for self regulation, promote fine motor skills, and simple life skills.

That is all before adding in some extra educational activities.

Bat Unit Study Resources

First, include a few of these books to begin your study.

Nature Anatomy is a great living science book that has so many applications.

There is a beautiful two page spread on bats that is perfect to go along with the sensory bin.

You can also go with Bats by Gail Gibbons if you want something to reference during your play and learning in the sensory bin.

I also found this fantastic bat skeleton at Dollar Tree.

I wasn’t sure at first because of the scary teeth but realized that it offered a great learning opportunity to talk to your child about the myths surrounding bats.

And the fact that while yes there are vampire bats, the majority of bats are peaceful bug and fruit eating creatures.

If you look at the plastic skeleton you will see that anatomically it is pretty close to a real bat skeleton.

You can use it as a tool to label the different parts of a bat and talk about how they use their ears for echolocation.

Share a fact about what is echolocation. Bats emit high frequency sound through their mouth or nose and listen for the echo.

From the echo, the bat can determine the size, shape and texture of objects in its environment.

Too, add in my free Bat Unit Study.

Dynamic Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook For Multiple Ages
$4.00 Add to cart

Learning About Bat Activities

Too, once you create your sensory bin for kindergarten, add some other ideas for learning.

Add letter tiles to work on beginning sounds or even spelling out simple words like bat, night, wing, or fly.
Hide the letter tiles in the rice and have your little bat swoop in and grab one then tell you the name of and sound that the letter makes.

Roll a die and have your child count out the appropriate number of bats to match the number.

Let your child play and develop their imagination in the sensory bin while you read aloud from Stellaluna.

Busy hands mean the brain is free to take in and hold onto information.

Add spoons and cups for scooping, measuring, pouring, and investigating the sensory bin.
Talk about the fact that bats hang upside down rather than resting on top of the branch the way birds do. Demonstrate with the pasta bats and sticks in the sensory bin. Introduce the concept of nocturnal animals if your child is not already familiar with it.
Bats are most active from dusk to dawn. Make your bin a deep purple that makes it look like dusk, just after the sun sets but before it is completely dark, the time that many bats begin to feed. This is a great way to open up the topic for conversation. They are sure to remember these things taught during play.

And add pincers or tongs for picking up the bats to build fine motor skills.

How to Make a Bat Sensory Bin

Now, look how to make an easy bat sensory bin from things you already have in your home.

Here is a list.

Food coloring or liquid watercolors
Uncooked white rice
farfalle(bowtie) pasta
White beans
Sticks from the yard.
And a container or bin

First, I had liquid watercolor on hand so I used that to color my rice and pasta but you could also use food coloring or watered down craft paint as well.

Place your rice in a large bowl or ziploc bag and add coloring. Shake and knead the bag or stir until it is completely covered.

Next take a small handful of bowtie pasta and toss in a bag with black and/or brown coloring until coated well.

If you do brown, black, and even gray it gives you the opportunity to talk about the different colors of bats.

You could also just use black beans if you have them on hand for your night sky.

Spread rice and pasta out on a baking sheet in the sun to dry. The liquid watercolors dried up in less than 20 minutes.

Once your materials are dry, add the rice to a large baking dish or other shallow container to create a dusk colored sky.

Next, add some sticks gathered from the yard to give your bats somewhere to fly around and hang from.

Sprinkle a few great northern beans (or beads or pom poms) for stars.

Finally, add your bats.

Finally, add these other science fun activities.

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Activities

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

October 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love doing three different cocoa winter hands-on science activities to go with my winter season unit study.

And we’re taking one of our favorite winter treats and turning it into science.

Using a simple packet of cocoa, we’re going to do three fun winter hands on science activities that your kids will love.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

These activities will appeal to multiple senses and can be used to teach some basic science principles.

Adding a new sensory experience to some science activities that might be ordinary and basic can give them new life.

Too, it makes them interesting, stirs your child to ponder about science, and helps your child retain what he has learned in an exciting new way.

3 Fun Cocoa Science Activities for Kids

Grab some of your favorite chemistry books like Basher Chemistry to reference while exploring these cocoa winter science activities.

And learn some of the vocabulary and scientific terms that go with them.

Don’t forget to enjoy a delicious cup of cocoa with your little scientist while you have fun with these activities.

Don’t confuse it with one of science mixtures.

1. Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa Science Activity

First, begin with this hydrophobic hot cocoa activity.

You’ll need:

A clear container
Spoon
Hot cocoa mix
Water- hot and cold

Directions:

Grab a glass of cold water and a heaping tablespoon of hot cocoa powder.

Slowly lower the spoon into the glass.

Twist and move the spoon a bit.

Raise the spoon out of the glass. What happened? The liquid that was wrapped around the powder rolls right off.

Now heat up a cup of water. It doesn’t have to be boiling just nice and hot.

Stir another tablespoon of cocoa into the water and see how fast it dissolves.

What is the Science of Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa

Cocoa is a substance that is known as hydrophobic. This means that it repels water.

The fat in the cocoa makes it hydrophobic. Oil is also hydrophobic. Have you heard the old saying oil and water don’t mix? It’s true.

So why does it dissolve in hot water so much better than cold water? Simply put, hot water has more energy in it than cold water.

This means that the molecules move faster and break down the cocoa powder faster than cold water does.

You can also try this experiment with cold and hot milk. It will work the same due to the amount of water in the milk.

2. Hot Cocoa Slime Science Activity

Second, slime is not just a fun sensory activity.

It can be used to learn some basic chemistry terms like

molecules
polymers
chemical reactions
and nonnewtonian fluid ( neither a solid or a liquid).

And slime is also calming. It helps with focus and builds fine motor skills. This slime smells amazing and is a great winter themed experiment.

You’ll need:

1 packet of hot cocoa
1 cup of school glue
2 Tablespoons of contact solution
3 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Place glue, baking soda, and contact solution in a large bowl.

Stir in an entire packet of hot cocoa.

Remove from bowl and knead with your hands for a few minutes until desired texture is reached.

What is the Science of Cocoa Slime

When you mix baking soda with contact lens solution the main ingredients polyvinyl alcohol and borate ion undergo a chemical reaction called an endothermic reaction

Together, these two ingredients create a non-Newtonian fluid which is a substance that is neither liquid nor solid.

Slime is a polymer.

And polymers are made up of long chains of molecules.

Too, the glue contains polymers which can bend and slide past each other. This allows the slime to flow and to take the shape of the container it is in.

Last, this activity is the hot cocoa volcano.

3. Hot Cocoa Volcano Science Activity

This is a fantastic multi-sensory science experiment. It smells great and creates an exciting chemical reaction that kids love.

You can continue to add baking soda and vinegar to keep the reaction going indefinitely.

You’ll need:

Small plastic cup
1 Tablespoon Hot Cocoa
2 Tablespoons baking soda
Vinegar

Directions:

Mix baking soda and hot cocoa in a small cup.

Place your cup outside or on a surface that is easy to clean, this ~~could~~ WILL get messy.

Slowly pour vinegar into the cup and watch it bubble over.

Add more baking soda and vinegar to continue with the cocoa lava flow.

if you really want to get a bubbly foaming concoction that resembles lava add a bit of dish soap to your mixture.

What is the Science of the Hot Cocoa Volcano

Baking soda and vinegar react to neutralize each other.

Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is an alkali.

And the resulting reaction releases carbon dioxide which is the bubbles of gas that make it look like a bubbling volcano.

More Winter Season Unit Study Resources

Then, here are some other winter unit study resources you’ll love.

And add my other unit study Arctic Region.

What do you think? Are you ready for a bit of winter fun and science?

Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot

October 5, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for Native American crafts for kindergarten, you’ll love this fun pinch pot. Besides this fun activity grab more on my page kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

I can clearly remember creating little pinch pots in early elementary school.

They were the perfect little art project when you were ready to move beyond crayons and paper.

Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot

No matter how imperfect they were they were perfect in your eyes. And I suspect your mother’s too.

When considering a simple Native American kindergarten craft, I immediately thought of these sweet little pinch pots.

Many tribes made their pottery in a similar fashion.

In fact, pinch pots are one of the oldest methods of making pottery.

About Native American Pinch Pots

Native Americans would usually gather their clay by hand from streams or hillsides.

It was a very labor-intensive process.

First, they had to extract the clay from the ground and then it had to be purified.

It was often mixed with plant fibers or sand to reduce shrinkage and cracking.

They would then create their clay pieces. Then, place them to dry in the sun and then heat with fire to be sure all moisture was removed.

For the most part these pots were used strictly as storage and for gathering.

Later on, they became a decorative item in many Native American homes.

Different patterns and designs mean different things to different groups.

Tribes like Pueblo, Navajo, and Cherokee are just a few of the groups that would have made pinch pots. Too, they would pass the skills of how to make them down to each generation.

Native Americans: A Visual Exploration had a great breakdown of maps, pictographs, and timelines.

The pictures are bright and offered a lot of information that can be shared with your child.

We are going to try out two different clay pot methods that were used by Native Americans

Sometimes these methods were even combined.

Once done these are great little trinket holders for beads, barrettes, paper clips, or other small items.

How to Make a Native American Pinch Pot

Next, look at this short list of supplies for making this fun Native American pot.

You will need:

Air Dry Clay
Paintbrushes
Acrylic craft paint

Roll a lump of air dry clay into a ball and how much is up to you.

You may start and decide your pot needs to be larger.

Just mush it up, add some more and begin again.

I had white on hand so that is what I used.

But you could also buy it in terra cotta color for a more natural mud look. And you can use the rest to mix and match pots for more Native American crafts for kindergarten.

Press your thumb or fingers into the center to create a large impression.

Be careful to not poke all the way through.

If you do, you can easily repair it by squeezing and pinching it together again.

Show your child how to pinch the sides and bottom to widen the bowl and thin the side.

You want it to have relatively the same thickness all over.

Press the bowl gently into a hard surface like the counter to flatten and level out the bottom.

Allow your bowl to dry overnight and then flip over. Let it dry for 24 hours.

Flip once more so that the bottom can dry and let it sit another 24 hours.

You can put your pot out in the sun to dry just like the Native Americans did.

Finally, it is time to decorate your pinch pot.

A good plan is to show your child Native American designs from books or online.

And let them try to replicate them on their pot with acrylic craft paint, watercolors, or markers.

Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot. If you're looking for Native American crafts for kindergarten you'll love this fun pinch pot. Besides this fun activity can be added to my tips in how to homeschool kindergarten. Native Americans would usually gather their clay by hand from streams or hillsides. It was a very labor intensive process. Tribes like Pueblo, Navajo, and Cherokee are just a few of the groups that would have made pinch pots.

Then, try the second method.

Native American Kindergarten Crafts: Coil Pot

Another method of creating pottery that is similar to pinch pots is a coil pot.

Roll the clay out in coils and layer them to create your desired width and height.

Roll clay into snakelike coils.

Spiral the coil around itself until you have created a base as large as you would like it to be.

Gently pinch the coils together so that they hold to one another.

Start coiling around the outside edge and upward to create the sides of the bowl to the desired height.

Again press them gently together to remove cracks and gaps and help the coils stick together.

Let dry for 2-3 days until completely dry, flip every 24 hours.

What do you think? Are you ready to make a few?

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Resources

Additionally, look at these other homeschool kindergarten resources.

Other Homeschool Native American Unit Study Resources

Finally, here are some Native American unit study resources.

I know you can find an idea or two here.

Geronimo Stilton Mouse into Space:How to Make an EASY Straw Rocket

October 3, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today for mouse into space we are doing an easy straw rocket. The book Mouse in Space (Geronimo Stilton #52) is about outer space. So, if your child is loving the Geronimo Stilton books, your child will love making this easy straw rocket.

If you have a child who loves all things space consider tying it in with Geronimo Stilton Mouse in Space for a mini space unit study.

Geronimo Stilton Mouse into Space:How to Make an EASY Straw Rocket

By now you know that we love the Geronimo Stilton series.

And the series is wonderful for young readers.

They are fantastic for either read aloud or as your child’s independent reading time and are good for lower to upper elementary.

Geronimo Stilton Stories

I think they are great for developing reading fluency and vocabulary in a fun way.

However, they also dive into so many fantastic science and history lessons.

Kids think they are just reading a silly story about a mouse off on adventures.

Before you know your kids are filling their heads with historical facts about Cleopatra, Da Vinci, Genghis Khan, Vikings, and more.

Or maybe they are getting science lessons about dinosaurs, the Australian Outback or of course…outer space.

Also, I’ve included a few ideas to expand your space unit study.

7 Activities for a Homeschool Space Unit Study

Use watercolors, chalk pastels, or some other unique art medium to draw a rocket and label the parts-nose, fins, body tube, windows, etc.
Learn How to Make Astronaut Ice Cream
Make a fun glow in the dark Puffy Paint Moon
Add a few more books to Geronimo Stilton like Who Was Neil Armstrong or The Mysteries of the Universe.
Create a space themed sensory bin with black gravel and space themed toys.

Watch National Geographic Rockets 101

Finally, my HUGE Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

Spend some time talking about the science of what makes rockets work.

National Geographic has a great article on just that.

How to Make an Easy Straw Rocket

This simple and easy straw rocket activity is something that will keep the kids busy flying missions all day.

And you are very likely to already have this stuff on hand so there is no need to run out for special supplies

You will need:

Two straws, one that fits inside the other
Colored cardstock
Tape
Scissors
Stickers or markers for decoration

Cut a general rocket shape and two fins out of colorful cardstock.

You can make it any size you like. But the lighter and smaller it is the higher it will fly so keep that in mind.

Flip the rocket and fins over and tape together securely on the back.

Flip your rocket back over and decorate the front with markers or fun stickers.

Here we used little round stickers like you would use for yard sale pricing to make the rockets windows.

Don’t forget to name your rocket. The Geronimo 1 just felt right.

Tear off bits of orange or red cardstock to create flames from the boosters.

Tape them on the back as well if you like to add more detail.

Cut the paper straw so that it is just about 1” longer than your paper rocket.

Then, smash down one end. Tape it off to completely close off the hole on one end.

Next, tape securely to the back. And leave 1” sticking out of the bottom with the opening at the bottom and the taped off end toward the top.

Too, I discovered that a paper straw fits perfectly inside of a Dunkin Doughnuts straw. (You know where we’ve been.)

Now, point your rocket to the sky and put the end of the straw in your mouth and blow. Soon your rocket will take off.

Also, try experimenting with different sizes of rockets, fins, as well as various straw lengths to see what flies the farthest, fastest, straightest, etc.

Finally, you love these other Geronimo Stilton books and crafts:

hands-on activities

Learn About Mozart The Eight Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Series

Benefits of Learning Music

Marvelous Mozart Facts

Music Appreciation Activity DIY Memory Game

Music Note Memory Variations

Other Geronimo Stilton Series

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Bat Unit Study Resources

Dynamic Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook For Multiple Ages

Learning About Bat Activities

How to Make a Bat Sensory Bin

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Activities

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

3 Fun Cocoa Science Activities for Kids

1. Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa Science Activity