A Rockin' Poem

One of our Rock Club members wrote this poem during our club meeting on Saturday.
I think it's great!

Rocks
By Eden N.

Igneous is made of lava.
While sedimentary is of layers.
And don’t forget metamorphic
which changes as it ages.
So next time you go rock hunting
respect them if you can.

Science Experiment - Shadow Play

We had a great science class at The Learning Garden yesterday! We discovered how light travels in straight lines with this simple and fun experiment. The children who were here ranged in age from 3 to 8 and they all seemed to love it! Give it a try!

Materials you will need:
Scissors
Tape
Paper
Popsicle stick
Flashlight
Pencil

What you do:
1. Draw a medium to large size shape on the paper and cut out.
2. Use tape to secure shape to the end of a popsicle stick.
3. Turn off the lights and turn on the flashlight.
4. Hold shape near a wall and shine a flashlight on the shape.
5. Experiment with where you hold the flashlight and the distance of the shape from the wall.

Discuss:
1. The shadow is cast on the wall because the the shape blocks the rays of light from reaching the wall.
2. The shadow casts the same shape as the shape of the paper because light travels in straight lines through air.
3. Why does your body cast a shadow outside on a sunny day?

Have fun!

Ups and Downs

The best thing about owning Lakeside Learning Garden is having the store full of kids who all just enjoyed a story time or a learning activity. Right now, I'm sitting here at my computer while the store "hums" with sounds of toddlers playing and moms chatting. I love this! It's great to have a place where people can meet and enjoy a positive experience with their families. On the other hand, it's always disappointing when someone comes to the store and has a negative experience. This has happened a few times that I know of and even though there are things that happen that are just out of my control, I always feel awful. I can only hope these people come back to the Garden again and give us another shot. Another thing I love about having the store is being able to help people find just the right books and curriculum at a decent price for their children. It's always satisfying!

The Singing and Dancing Never Ends...

Homeschool Showcase

Our Homeschool Showcase was so much fun! The kids each brought something to share from their homeschool activities. M. and W. brought their science journals. A. brought a worm habitat in a jar and a picture of a 6 foot worm (who knew?). B., S., G., M. and O. recited poems they memorized. C. wrote 2 of the words he can spell and L. shared a short story she wrote and illustrated.