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S-l-o-w d-o-w-n and learn about snails and slugs!

Today was an overcast, rather wet day where we live. We noticed there were quite a few snails crawling along the patio this morning. My kids were wondering where the snails were coming from, and where they were going. AH HA! One of those perfect, natural teaching opportunities! We wandered out to the patio to see what we could learn…

What You Will Need:

• Snails or Slugs


• Clear Observation Tank, such as our favorite 1-1/2 Gallon Aquaria/Terraria Tank with Cover


• Plants, or leaves from plants (we used hosta leaves, since the snails seem particularly fond of them)


• Magnifying Glass or loupe


• Paper or a small Blank Book


• Crayons or colored pencils

What You Do:

• Gather a few snails or slugs from your yard. The best time to find them is early in the morning, when the plants are still wet with dew. You can also find snails or slugs in moist, sheltered places like old flower pots or under boards or logs.


• Gently place the snails or slugs in your observation container, along with a few plant leaves.


• Watch the snails as they move around. Are they crawling up the walls of the container? Are they crawling on the plant leaves? You may want to add a short twig or even a craft stick to the container to see if the snails will crawl on these items.


• When snails crawl, they leave behind a trail of slime. Can you see this trail on all the surfaces the snails are crawling on? Does it matter if the surface is wet or dry? Smooth or rough? Place a small piece of black construction paper in the observation container and watch for the snail trails.


• Place small pieces of food and non-food items in the container with the snails. Observe what they like to eat. You might want to try apples, lettuce, grass, or even cardboard!


• Hold the clear observation container up so you can watch the snails as they crawl along from underneath! You might even be able to watch the snails eat! Use your magnifying glass to get a really close-up view of the underside and mouth of a snail. Amazing!


• Use a magnifying glass or loupe to look closely at the shell of a snail. Describe the shape, rings, and colors of the shell.


• Record your observations on a piece of paper or in a blank book – include things like the size of the snail, the color of the snail, the shape of it’s shell, and what it likes to eat. Draw a picture or sketch of the snails.


• Create a snail obstacle course or even a snail circus! Try to get the snails to crawl along a length of rope, up a ladder, or even along the bridge of your nose (as my adventurous son likes to do). Be creative!


• When you are finished observing and learning about your snails, make sure to release them back where you found them. Or, relocate them a safe distance away from the hostas!

Variations:

• We were curious to see how quickly a snail can actually move. We used chalk to place a small mark next to a snail on the patio, then measured 1 foot from that mark and drew a circle with a 1 foot radius around the original mark. As soon as the snail started to move, we timed the snail to see how long it would take for it to travel 1 foot. Of course, the snail didn’t make a straight trail, so we repeated this same procedure several times to get an average amount of time it took the snails to reach the 1 foot mark. After we recorded the average time, we poured water within the chalk circle and placed a snail in the center again. We tried this several times, timing each trip, to see if the snails moved quicker or slower when the patio was wet versus dry. Our patio is fairly smooth, so we tried this same procedure on the much rougher surface of the driveway as well. What did we find out? Well, you’ll just have to try this for yourself to obtain your own results – but let’s just say, no speed records were broken today!


• My kids wanted to see if a snail would travel faster uphill or downhill, or if the slope would even matter at all. My son positioned a smooth board at various angles and tried to coax the snails to crawl up and down the boards, timing them as they moved. I think we all learned a real lesson in patience during this procedure!


• Snail races?! Really?! Okay, we had to try it! We positioned snails at a starting line (drawn with chalk) and we each tried to entice the snails to move by placing bits of food in front of them. The first snail to the finish line, wins! Recommendation: Keep the race course very, very short – otherwise you might just fall asleep waiting for them to finish a long endurance race.

One Step Further:

• Did you know that snails have teeth!? Yep! Snails have a long tongue that is covered with roughly one quarter of a million teeth in different shapes and sizes. The teeth allow the snail to tear off small pieces of food to eat. Incredible!


• Many gardeners do not like having snails in their gardens. Some people use things like pennies or coffee grounds in an attempt to repel snails. Experiment with a variety of different household items to see if you can find out what will repel a snail away from your plants. Please make sure to use things that are safe, and with adult permission and guidance.


• With an adults help, research the different kinds of snails and slugs that are in your area. You could use books or the internet for your research. How many different varieties of snails and slugs do you have in your yard?

Next… we are going to observe the snails that live in the ponds! But that’s another adventure for another day…

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

Birdies, Eagles, and Mulligans… Oh my!

My kids and I have been having a ball (no pun intended) playing golf. But not the traditional kind of golf that requires a manicured golf course, expensive equipment, or funny pants. Instead, we’ve been finding fun ways to play “golf” at home.

Here are two games we came up with. Both games can be played by kids and adults of all ages and abilities.

Have fun!

Circle Golf

This is a fun game to practice putting skills. The object is to sink putts from 9 different positions on a circle in the fewest number of strokes.

What You Need:

• Backyard Area or Park


• Small Golf Club, Croquet Mallet, or even a small board


• Golf Ball, or other small ball, such as a Pinky Ball (the deeper the grass, the bigger the ball may need to be)


• Plastic Cup or Jar


• String, Garden Hose, or Long Jump Rope
  
• 9 Markers, we like to use Marker Rounds (they have so many uses)


• 1 or more Players

How to Play:

• To prepare for the game, use string, a garden hose, or a jump rope to mark off a circle in your yard that is about six feet in diameter.


• Place 9 markers around the perimeter of the circle. Don’t worry if they aren’t equally spaced. Each marker represents the “tee” and players will start putting from these positions.


• If you are playing in your own backyard, and you have permission, dig a small hole in the center of the circle, and place a plastic cup into the hole. Save the grass you cut out, so you can fill the hole back in later. If you are playing in a park, or don’t want to dig a hole in your yard, lay a plastic cup or jar on its side so it faces the first tee position – the cup will serve as the hole. The cup will have to be turned toward each tee as the player moves around the circle.


• One at a time, each player putts their way clockwise around the circle, beginning at the first tee and progressing through the other eight tees after successfully putting at each position.


• Players should keep track of the number of strokes taken at each position. Have the other players count the strokes aloud as the putter plays. This involves the other players and helps everyone remember the number of strokes taken.


• The player to complete the course in the fewest number of total strokes is the winner.

Variations:

• Change the diameter of the circle to a larger diameter for more challenging putts.


• If you prefer, have player one start at the first tee and record the number of strokes, then player two plays the same tee, etc. When all the players have completed the first hole, play begins again on the second hole, and so on.

Driveway Golf

Here is a fun game to play on your driveway! The object of the game is to flip or toss a small object along a “golf course” drawn with chalk on your driveway or sidewalk, in the fewest number of “strokes”.

What You Need:

• Driveway, Sidewalk, or any Paved Surface


• 2 or more Players


• Chalk


• Small Object for each Player – a small stone or bottle cap works well

How to Play:

• The first step to playing Driveway Golf, is to design the course. Have each player draw a golf hole on the driveway – one hole usually consists of a tee-box (starting point), fairway, and the green (putting surface where the hole is located). Hazards such as water, woods or sand traps are also common. The hole should be represented by a circle that is about three inches in diameter. Use your imaginations when designing each hole along the course. For example, a hole could be located on an island in the middle of a pond, or be surrounded by trees, sand traps, and water hazards. Be creative!


• Once the course has been drawn, number the holes from 1 to 9 (or 1 to 18 for a longer game), then determine which player will tee-off first.


• The first player should crouch down by the tee and toss their object toward the first hole.


• Objects that land partially or wholly in a hazard, must be placed outside the hazard, and a penalty stroke is added.


• Play continues through the course, through the last hole. The player with the fewest total strokes wins the game.

Variations:

• Use chalk to draw a score card on the driveway, as shown, to keep track of the number of strokes each player has for each hole.


• When playing with young children, you may want to allow them a “handicap” and let them tee-off closer to the hole.


• Create in color! Use a variety of colored chalk to create your course – blue for water hazards, green for trees, and brown for sand traps – you get the idea!

You Might Also Like:

Card Golf – This card game allows you to play golf anywhere! We also include score cards you can download and print from all the major golf courses in the world!

Dirtbag Footbag – Get active while playing with a footbag! This eight panel, hand-sewn, sand filled footbag (sometimes called a hacky sack) is what all the kids are asking for! It’s perfect for beginners and pros alike! Available in four colors.

Classic Marbles – In addition to fine-tuning small motor skills, playing marbles helps children develop social skills, learn to take turns, recognize and solve problems, negotiate, learn to cooperate and develop empathy. And… it’s just plain, old-fashioned fun!

PitchCar – All the excitment (and skill) of racing! Choose your favorite car, design and build your track, and with a flick of your finger, you’re off and racing! We’ve even created our own PitchCar Golf game! See the bottom of the product page for details on how to play.

FalsaWood Boomerang – Looks like it’s been carved by hand out of real wood, yet it’s made of a soft, safe material for indoor or outdoor fun!

FalsaWood Ball – Looks dangerous when it’s thrown at you, but it’s falsawood, soft and safe!

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

It’s Friday night – the night my kids build forts to sleep in.

When I was a kid, I would build forts inside our house with my brothers. And now that I have kids of my own, it is fun to pass along this Friday Night Fort tradition to my own kids.

After dinner, after teeth are brushed and pajamas are on, it’s fort building time! The kids get busy gathering necessary supplies. Sometimes their forts include blankets stretched across chairs with many pillows underneath to serve as a comfortable sleeping surface. Sometimes the forts don’t have a ceiling – but instead simply have pillow walls. Old fashioned clothes pins, bungee cords, blankets, comforters, and pillows are typical indoor sleeping fort materials. Small, cozy enclosures are the norm.

However your kids design and build their fort, you can be sure this will be an activity your kids will remember the rest of their lives. And just maybe, they will pass the tradition along to their kids someday.

Our Fort Building Tips:

• Sheets and light-weight blankets work great for building forts inside. To secure a corner of the blanket, twist a marble or small stone in the corner of the blanket, open a dresser drawer, tuck a blanket wrapped stone inside, and close the drawer. This keeps the blanket secure.


• Old-fashioned clothes pins or plastic clamps will hold blankets or sheets to window ledges, bed frames, dressers, or chairs.


• Folding chairs make great fort frames! Place several folding chairs around the perimeter of your room. Drape a large blanket or sheet over the chairs and secure the blankets with tape, clothes pins, or clamps. Instant fort roofs!


• Try using adhesive backed, removable picture hanging hooks on the walls (the kind with the peelable adhesive strips for easy removal). Hang cord or string from hook to hook to create a drape line. Drape light sheets, blankets or tarps across the cord to form your fort. Instant tent!


• Fort building can be done outdoors too, when weather permits. When we build forts outside, survival from the elements is the priority; robust materials like scrap lumber, plywood, branches, ropes, and tarps serve this purpose better. Outdoor forts are designed to fend off everything from a light rain, to an attack from a T-rex – or whatever the kids imagine the fort needs to protect them from.
  

Go ahead, help your kids build a fort inside your house tonight. Sleep in it with your kids. Create memories. Have fun!

Here’s a great family activity we like to call “Restaurant Night”.

This activity helps kids with math, reading, planning, and life skills – as well as helping them learn about good nutrition. A sort of “home-ec” lesson that’s a lot of fun! And you never know… you might just end up with a professional chef in your family!

Here’s how it works…

Restaurant Planning and Preparation:

• Schedule – One Saturday night a month, each kid gets to run his own restaurant – right at home. They become the restaurant owner, chef, host, and waiter.


• Cuisine – Provide the kids with cookbooks that they can use to plan their meal.


• Groceries – After reviewing the cookbooks, help the kids make a grocery list of the ingredients needed, and have them help you shop for the groceries.


• The Name – The restaurant “owner” chooses a name for their restaurant, and then uses an Art Board to design a sign for the restaurant. This is a great way for kids to be creative! They get to practice different lettering styles, experiment with colors and logo designs, and learn marketing skills!


• Branding – The owner also uses larger Art Boards to create custom placemats to be used by family members. TIP: Use both sides of the art boards – one side for one restaurant, and the other side for a different restaurant.


• Menu – The owner uses a sheet of paper from a Sketch Pad to create a custom menu to present to the rest of the family. Just fold the paper in half, design a cover, and write the menu on the inside.


• Ambiance – Kids might want to create additional artwork to hang on the walls or windows in your diningroom to help create the desired ambiance for their restaurant. The pages from the sketch pad work great for this! They might also like to choose music to play in the background during a meal – this can really add to the experience!

Preparing the Meal:

• Once all the above steps are done, and the scheduled date arrives, the restaurant owner becomes the chef and is ready to prepare the meal!


• Let kids experience as much of the cooking and meal preparation as possible, but because a kitchen has certain hazards, be sure to supervise this step, and assist when needed.


• While the meal is cooking, the restaurant owner decorates the restaurant with their signs, placements, posters, and menu. Depending on the meal, this step might need to be done before the meal preparation begins.


• When the meal is finished, the owner/chef becomes the host and can seat family members in the diningroom restaurant. Then the host becomes the waiter and serves the meal. Bon appetit!

Tips:

• Our family likes to have Restaurant Night on a Saturday night. We find this allows for greater flexibility because Saturday evenings are usually the least hectic. Pick a night that is relaxing and fun for your family!


• Take pictures! Make sure to capture your kids restaurant experience on camera. It’s fun to look back on how they decorated their restaurants.


• Remember to give your kids lots of praise throughout this activity, even if the meal doesn’t turn out to be 5-star restaurant quality! They’ll take great pride in their restaurant endeavor, if you support their efforts.


• If your children are too young to do this activity on their own, it’s a lot of fun to help your kids and work along side them, giving them opportunities to mix, measure, stir, etc.


• If preparing a dinner seems intimidating to your kids, try this activity with breakfast or lunch, as these are generally simpler meals.


• Use this opportunity to help your kids learn about safety in the kitchen. Show them the proper way to use kitchen tools and utensils.

Adult supervision with this activity is a MUST – stay safe!

You May Also Like:

Real Slate Chalkboard and Chalk Board Holder – Use this chalk board and holder to write your weekly menu on.

DIY Drinking Strawz – These unique straws making any meal more fun!

Cool Jewels – Make a batch of diamond-shaped ice cubes to serve in your favorite mealtime beverage!

United States Cook Book – A fun cookbook with recipes from every state in the USA.

US History Cook Book – A cookbook with recipes from various historical places and events.

Healthy Body Cook Book – A cookbook full of healthy recipes that are easy for kids to make.

Cook it in a Cup – This activity set provides a fun way to introduce your kids to cooking!

Emerging pussy willows at Split Rock Pond

Every March 1st, my three boys, my husband, and I begin our annual countdown to Spring. We keep a year-round journal to record all the changes we see around us, but Spring is the time of year when we have the most entries! We’ve kept this journal ever since we moved to the country, and we love to look back to previous years to see if we can predict the changes for the current year. For example, over the past five years, the Sandhill Cranes have arrived at our big pond on or around March 16. We saw our first Sandhill Crane yesterday – right on schedule! Hundreds of Robins usually grace our woods and yard on or around March 20 – we’re expecting them any day now!

We track the first sightings of birds we haven’t seen all winter – Blue Birds, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Brown-Headed Cowbirds, Swans, Sand Hill Cranes, etc. We track changes in our woods and plants; things like buds starting and the first flowers. We track animals we haven’t seen in a while, such as our deer and their new fawns – and later, racoons and their babies. We track the first sounds and sightings of the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of frogs that live in our ponds and creeks. We track the dates of “ice out” on the ponds on our property and of the lakes down the road. We track the dates when the creeks start flowing again (we love to watch the “ice bergs” float down the creek).

This is an activity our entire family does together and it subtly encourages our boys to be aware of their surroundings. It allows them to practice their skills of observation; it creates anticipation as we each look forward to our favorite signs — like the tadpoles for my frog-fanatic son, and the baby deer for me. My boys become enthusiastic about writing, because they like to be the one to record an observation in our journal. And I like to see how their handwriting has improved from year-to-year!

We took a walk to the big pond the other day. The ice has pulled away from the edges and some of it has sunk to the bottom. As soon as we approached the pond, we saw a salamander swimming in the reeds, followed by a fish that swam through the cracks of ice, curious to see us, too! The first mosquito was spotted (and swatted) today. Several honey bees buzzed around my bright yellow boots, and the first grasshoppers played around our feet.

Soon the first skunks, bear, Killdeer, and snakes will arrive. And we can’t wait for the true smell of Spring – worms coming out of the freshly thawed soil! We sure love the anticipation of Spring!

No matter where you live, Spring brings change. It’s just up to you to notice these changes.

Make sure to read our article Signs of Spring for more ideas on how you can enjoy this time of year with your kids.

Get outside with your kids and enjoy all that Spring brings!

Enjoy Spring!

Want some fun products to help you make the most of Spring? Check out the list below!

• The Private Eye Curriculum – Look closely. See more. Think more. This lively introduction to The Private Eye program will propel you and your kids into the drama and wonder of looking closely at the world, thinking by analogy, changing scale and theorizing.


• My Nature Journal – A unique keepsake journal specifically designed to help children build a lasting personal connection to nature.


• Sharing Nature with Children – This book is full to the brim of ideas on how to enjoy nature with children!


• Kaufmann Guide to Insects – Identify the insects you see with this quality guide book.


• A Walk in the Woods – This quality coloring book helps kids identify and relate to the creatures around us.


• The Golden Guide Set – Classic field guides to help you identify animals, insects, birds, and more!


• DIY Nature Kaleidoscope – View found items in nature up close and in a different way by making your own refillable kaleidoscope!


• Translucent Megalens – View the small changes in nature with this handy magnifying glass.


• DuAll Box – A perfect container for observing nature up close!

Last night, the moon was almost full as it lit up the night sky and cast long shadows from the trees. While my kids and I sat inside observing the moon, we noticed a fox in our yard hunting in the bright moonlight. It felt like one of those teachable moments that create lasting memories, so I decided we would go outside and join the fox.

Instead of getting ready for bed, I had my kids get ready to go outside. After bundling up in all their snow gear, we went for a walk in the moonlight.

The air was very still as we crunched through the snow along our country road. The Great Horned Owls sang in chorus, as they too were celebrating the almost full moon. My kids talked in whispers, as if they didn’t want to break the magic silence of the night.

Occasionally, we stopped and listened to the night sounds. We could hear animals walking through the woods on their own moonlight walks. We noticed how the moon appears to travel across the sky – as we played shadow tag by the light of the moon. As we walked, we looked at the moon and described the faces we imagined seeing in the craters.

It was a perfect winter night for an adventure and a moonlit walk.

Now it’s your turn!

A Full Moon will light up the night tonight. The moon will begin to rise around 4:40pm Central Time, and because it is rising early, it presents a perfect opportunity to go outside and observe it with your kids!

And… to help your kids learn about the phases of the moon, make sure to see our Chart the Phases of the Moon activity. This article includes a moon phase calendar that you can download and print to use with the activity, as well as links to websites to help you learn more about the moon.

Have fun, and enjoy your own moonlit walk!

“For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.”

This week is “Random Acts of Kindness” week.

Like everyone else, my kids and I think random acts of kindness throughout the year is great. But we especially like this week as a focus. For several years now, I’ve taken my kids into town to go through a drive-through for breakfast and we pay for the car behind us. This simple act still thrills my kids, and it’s a nice way to start our day. After this start, I challenge my kids to complete at least five random acts of kindness throughout the day. We’ve discovered that once you get started, it’s hard to stop!

Why not brainstorm with your kids and come up with a list of acts of kindness you can do within your community – then go out and do them!

The website The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has lots of wonderful ideas for kindness activities that you can do within your community, families, school, or homeschool. There are lessons you can download and use, too.

Have fun!

Ah, Winter in Minnesota. Land of 10,000 lakes and enough snow to make snowmen to cover them all! That’s our goal… sort of.

We get quite a bit of snow where we live each winter, and of course, all this snow means lots of fun! Every year I challenge my kids to create 100 tiny snowmen in our front yard. These adorable snowmen greet our visitors and put a smile on everyone’s face.

If you have snow where you live, give your kids our Snowmen Challenge!

What You Need:

• Sticky Snow (sorry we can’t send you ours!)


• Sno-Baller Snow Ball Maker or a Snowman Maker Mold


• Place for your snowmen to gather. A front yard is recommended so everyone can enjoy them!

What You Do:

• Dress in appropriate winter clothing to stay warm and comfortable outdoors.


• Gather your children to show them how to create mini snowmen. We like our snowmen to be at least 18 inches tall. Of course, if you are really ambitious, taller snowmen are even more fun!


• Form a snowball and roll it in the sticky snow to create the large ball that forms the base of your snowman. We recommend this first snowball be at least 10″ in diameter.


• Form another snowball and roll it in the snow to form the middle section (or torso) of your snowman. We recommend this snowball be at least 6″ in diameter. Stack this snowball on top of the base snowball.


• Form the last snowball to make a 3″ diameter snowball – this becomes the snowman’s head. Stack this snowball on top of the torso of your snowman.


• No two snowmen are alike! Some might be snowwomen! Use rocks, sticks, and mini carrots to decorate your snowpeople – be creative!


• When your armada of snowmen are complete, make sure to take a picture and save it for your family album!


• Enjoy your gathering of snowmen while you can. Remember, when the weather gets warmer, they will get tired of standing around and will ultimately disappear!

Variations:

• Use our Snow Brick Maker to create pedestals for your snowmen.


• Use our DIY Snow Painting Kit to decorate your snowmen!


• Don’t have snow where you live but still want to create snowmen? Check out our Snowman Kit and have fun!

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

I admit – my kids often tell me I’m “crazy” … but always in the most loving way.

Today, with temperatures in the 60s (rare for this time of year in Minnesota), I decided we would have our lunch outside in the grass – a picnic in November. My boys and I enjoyed this so much! Definitely an “outside the box” Fall activity!

I made our favorite “Firecracker Sandwiches” for lunch and we sat on a large blanket in the sun. We drank lemonade in our favorite Vodka Glasses set in a bowl of ice (these glasses are really fun to drink from). We watched clouds roll by, told stories, talked, and laughed. What a glorious day!

Create your own special picnic in the sun – even (or especially) in November!

Firecracker Sandwiches

What You Need:

• Tuna Salad (use your favorite recipe of tuna, mayonnaise, salt, and pickles)


• Bread, flattened


• Colored Plastic Wrap


• Rolling Pin


• Twist-ties or Colorful Ribbons


• Lemonade (optional)

What You Do:

• Prepare the tuna salad using your favorite recipe.


• Place a slice of bread on the counter and flatten it with a rolling pin, so that it ends up a thin, flat piece of bread. Kids LOVE to do this!!


• Spread a bit of tuna salad onto the flattened bread, then roll the bread up in a jelly-roll fashion.


• Continue creating rolled sandwiches until you have enough prepared for everyone in your picnic.


• Wrap each rolled sandwich in colored plastic wrap. Twist the ends of the plastic and tie shut with twist-ties or ribbon. Now they look just like firecrackers!


• Spread a blanket on the grass, and serve your firecracker sandwiches with ice cold lemonade served in a special glass. What a fun picnic!

Variations:

• Don’t like tuna salad? This idea works well with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or any other kind of sandwich your kids enjoy! Just spread a layer of your favorite sandwich ingredients on the flattened bread, wrap with colorful plastic wrap, and serve! Delightful!

While enjoying your picnic, share a fun book with your kids! Try The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems – classic poetry to set the mood for a picnic!

Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

It’s been a blustery, rainy, windy Fall day here in Minnesota. We’ve been stuck inside all day, with only dreams of swimming and basking in the sun.

With three very active young boys, and the inclement weather outside, I needed to find something “new and different” for them to do inside today. I decided to introduce them to the Fun Fly Stick. This simple gadget turned our entire afternoon into an absolute blast!

Upon opening the Fun Fly Stick, I got first dibs, and was able to show my boys the magic of flying the metallic butterfly. Oooo’s and aaah’s all around! Immediately upon seeing the butterfly levitate in midair, my kids were trying to figure out how this gadget works. “It’s static electricity!” shouted my hands-on 10 year old. “It’s electro-magnetism!” stated my scientifically minded 12 year old. “It’s magic!” said my imaginative 8 year old (ah… the precious moments of childhood). “Let’s take it apart to see how it works!” they all said in unison – reverse engineering at it’s finest!

Before I let my kids disassemble their new “toy”, I encouraged them to experiment with it first. They decided to try the Fly Stick with balloons (one of my kids was sure the Fly Stick ran on static electricity and was certain the balloon would react the same way the metallic objects had). After the balloon experiments, they decided to put aluminum foil around the end of the Fly Stick to see what would happen. After serveral experiments with the alumnium foil, they moved on to their hair. Yes… their hair! They thought they would be able to raise their hair until it was standing straight up! Don’t you just love the inquisitive minds of young children?

Through all the experiments of this afternoon, my kids were able to create “lightening bolts” of metal by having the butterfly object zip and zap between the Fun Fly Stick and their arms. My kids even found a way to see colored “arcs” from the Fly Stick to their arms. They also placed the metallic pieces on our marble table and were able to charge these pieces to see colorful sparks – “Wow! Look at the colors!” exclaimed one son; “OH, did you see the SIZE of that spark?!?” yelled another; “I smell ozone!” declared the third. Rest assured, my kids were completely supervised and safe – the Fun Fly Stick causes no harm (just lots of fun).

We just received the Fun Fly Stick, so I have reservations about letting my kids disassemble it to see how it works… even though I know this is how they learn. I guess if they can figure out the inner workings of this gadget, and learn something along the way, then the price we paid for the toy is worth it.

My husband works in design engineering, and has not yet seen the Fun Fly Stick in action. My kids are planning a presentation for their Dad when he gets home. They are excited to show him what they’ve learned…. then they are looking forward to the disassembly to reverse engineer this gadget.

I am thrilled with this toy and all the “tinkering” it has presented today. I’ve enjoyed watching my kids experiment and play, and especially like the fact they wanted to figure out how this gadget works. They have asked me to purchase two more Fun Fly Sticks so they each have one… as they have now devised a game to play and it requires each of them to have their own levitation wands (think Harry Potter and the Snitch).

Creativity.
Reverse engineering.
Childhood.
The mind of a child is amazing….

Oh, I almost forgot! You’re probably wondering what the results were of the balloon, aluminum foil, and hair experiments with the Fun Fly Stick. Well, I guess you’ll have to buy one for YOUR kids and experiment for yourself. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Final update: My husband came home and was enthralled by our sons demonstration of the Fun Fly Stick. I think he’s secretly planning to bring it to work to show all his engineering collegues. I hope we get to see it again someday.