Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Funbrain Math Soccer (Grade 2)
Games with action combined with math often teach things quickly. They're usually having so much fun they don't realize that they're learning and mastering their math skills! My girls learned algebra at least 3 years before they ever had it in school thanks to a computer game called Algebra Dragons. Similar to this game, you had to figure out the answer before moving to the next step.
Here's a fun math game called MATH SOCCER. It's geared to second grade math. You shoot a ball into a goal, but...in order to get past the goalie, you have to answer a question. It's a flash game, and they play it online at the Fun Brain website. This link I'm giving takes you to their main page. All of the games are listed as either word games and number games, or you can go to the right hand side and choose a grade level from kindergarten up to grade 8. People often say that todays kids spend too much time on the computer, but when it's a game they actually learn from, it then becomes a helpful tool. Check out Fun Brains website, it's really cool, and I think kids will love it!!
http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
Here's a fun math game called MATH SOCCER. It's geared to second grade math. You shoot a ball into a goal, but...in order to get past the goalie, you have to answer a question. It's a flash game, and they play it online at the Fun Brain website. This link I'm giving takes you to their main page. All of the games are listed as either word games and number games, or you can go to the right hand side and choose a grade level from kindergarten up to grade 8. People often say that todays kids spend too much time on the computer, but when it's a game they actually learn from, it then becomes a helpful tool. Check out Fun Brains website, it's really cool, and I think kids will love it!!
http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
Labels:
computer,
FunBrain,
grade 2,
math,
math game,
math soccer,
second grade
Sunday, August 21, 2011
How To Make A Simple Kite
Now that school's back in session, and fall is rapidly approaching, that means windier weather is on the way and....kites!! This is a nice, easy, and fun activity. Dad or Mom can help if the child is too young to wing it on their own. It gives 'together time' while doing something fun too. The best part of the fun, of course, is getting it up into the air and watching it soar and catch the currents.
This website has 27 different types of kites to make, and has step-by-step full set of instructions for each. There's kites you can make from dowels, or skewers, and you can choose which size you want to make it (3 different sizes available.) They have a nice video to catch too, with the different types of kites and all. There's a section on knots for tying your kite, as well as 3 different types of box kites.
I'm thinking of trying a box kite with my grandson this fall, I've never made one of those and they do look like fun! Sounds like good family fun to me!!
http://www.my-best-kite.com/how-to-make-a-kite.html
This website has 27 different types of kites to make, and has step-by-step full set of instructions for each. There's kites you can make from dowels, or skewers, and you can choose which size you want to make it (3 different sizes available.) They have a nice video to catch too, with the different types of kites and all. There's a section on knots for tying your kite, as well as 3 different types of box kites.
I'm thinking of trying a box kite with my grandson this fall, I've never made one of those and they do look like fun! Sounds like good family fun to me!!
http://www.my-best-kite.com/how-to-make-a-kite.html
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Remember Mr. Wizard?
I always loved watching Mr. Wizard! He always had something new to learn, and he made science likable, and understandable. For those of you who are grandparents, I'm sure you'll remember watching his shows somewhere along the line. I know my brother and I always looked forwards to catching his show. His shows are, I believe, timeless, and still as good to watch today as they were back then.
For those who are not familiar with him, his real name was Don Herbert, and he was on TV for many years. Even Nickelodeon showed his series as 'Mr. Wizard's World in the 80's and 90's!
Mr. Wizard's official website has a page called 'Science Secret.' And, every other week he puts up a new science secret that you can solve. Not hard ones, but still a lot of fun, and very educational. The site has an area for teachers, and episodes to watch there; it also has a link to Nickelodeon where there are featured episodes.
The Science Secret he has posted this week is on air pressure, and is a fun experiment with a drinking glass, and plain old water. Check it out (and...it was as much fun for me as the kids!)
The section called Mr. Wizard's file has all kinds of interesting facts. The page I opened up to has what's called 'Bear Class' and it tells how science can tell the age of a bear, and how they put identifying numbers, and radio collars, on them to track them. I could have milled around in here for a long time, so many interesting things that kids, as well as adults, would find interesting.
http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/sciencesecret.htm
For those who are not familiar with him, his real name was Don Herbert, and he was on TV for many years. Even Nickelodeon showed his series as 'Mr. Wizard's World in the 80's and 90's!
Mr. Wizard's official website has a page called 'Science Secret.' And, every other week he puts up a new science secret that you can solve. Not hard ones, but still a lot of fun, and very educational. The site has an area for teachers, and episodes to watch there; it also has a link to Nickelodeon where there are featured episodes.
The Science Secret he has posted this week is on air pressure, and is a fun experiment with a drinking glass, and plain old water. Check it out (and...it was as much fun for me as the kids!)
The section called Mr. Wizard's file has all kinds of interesting facts. The page I opened up to has what's called 'Bear Class' and it tells how science can tell the age of a bear, and how they put identifying numbers, and radio collars, on them to track them. I could have milled around in here for a long time, so many interesting things that kids, as well as adults, would find interesting.
http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/sciencesecret.htm
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Free Printable Coloring Pages
I thought I might put a couple of links here for some free printable coloring pages. I have so many little friends who like to color :-) Sometimes when the little ones are coloring, I can't resist myself, and pretty soon I'm in there coloring too hahaha. It's time for school to start, and the kids who are too young to go will miss their siblings, so I thought it might be fun to have a few to print out for them to enjoy.
This place is absolutely awesome! There are so many categories to choose from. Love nursery rhymes? Got 'em. Love school theme. Got 'em. Everything from animals and unicorns, to alphabet characters and fun at the beach. What's really neat here too, is that they have an interactive coloring section. Yes, you can color with your mouse in their coloring games section. I just know I'll have fun with that one myself lol.
http://www.freekidscoloring.com/
If you have little ones who are just learning their alphabet, then this is for you. These free printable alphabet letters come in every shape and form you can think of. There's cartoon ones, funny ones, stained glass, beach themed, carnival themed, and all types of letters to color. I'm actually printing out an ornamental alphabet letter to use on a page in my one scrapbook. I love it, they're really ornate floral letters filled with swirls and designing. I have a hunch a lot of these letters could be used in scrapbooking because they're so unusual. (Plus who says you can only color with a crayon?!) Very cool!
http://www.alphabetcoloring.net/
This place is absolutely awesome! There are so many categories to choose from. Love nursery rhymes? Got 'em. Love school theme. Got 'em. Everything from animals and unicorns, to alphabet characters and fun at the beach. What's really neat here too, is that they have an interactive coloring section. Yes, you can color with your mouse in their coloring games section. I just know I'll have fun with that one myself lol.
http://www.freekidscoloring.com/
If you have little ones who are just learning their alphabet, then this is for you. These free printable alphabet letters come in every shape and form you can think of. There's cartoon ones, funny ones, stained glass, beach themed, carnival themed, and all types of letters to color. I'm actually printing out an ornamental alphabet letter to use on a page in my one scrapbook. I love it, they're really ornate floral letters filled with swirls and designing. I have a hunch a lot of these letters could be used in scrapbooking because they're so unusual. (Plus who says you can only color with a crayon?!) Very cool!
http://www.alphabetcoloring.net/
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Non-Toxic, Non-Messy Home-Made Play Dough
I know there's a scad of home made play doughs out there, but this is my favorite one, and the best one I've found ever. This stuff is great, it's non-toxic, and it's also non-sticky (unlike other home made recipes for it.)
When my kids were little, they went through the play dough stage. Grandparents and relatives would give it to them in a gift, and a week later it would be dried out, or permanently hardened into the rug or something. I had a passionate dislike for the stuff. Then my friend Betsy gave me the recipe she used to make it at home.
I can truely attest that it is non-stick, and non-hardening. And, even if it's been there for years in a hidden spot, and does get hard, soap and warm water still gets it out. My one daughter got some of it under her bunk bed legs, and stuck in the rug under the bed. While I did vaccuum under there, I never found this play dough until we moved! (I mean, really, who moves their kids bunk beds for regular cleaning...they weigh a ton and are awkward to move!) It had gotten to the hard stage, and my heart sank when I saw it in the rug. But, it came out with soap and water, and I was sold on this particular recipe for it.
Betsy's Play Dough
3 Cups white flour
1 1/2 Cup salt
6 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (I've had it work ok with 5 when I was short)
3 Tablespoons Salad Oil
3 Cups Water
In a large pan, combine all the above ingredients. Cook on medium heat setting and stir constantly. When the dough pulls away from the side of the pan and balls up, it's ready. Let cool and then knead it. I divide the batch into 3 or 4 sections, one for each color I want to make it with my food coloring. Use a few drops of food coloring, until it's the color you want, and then knead it into the dough. Done!
This recipe makes about 2 pounds worth of play dough. Store in a covered/sealed container (or zip-lock bags) in the fridge. This stuff keeps about 6 months, and it never gets hard! It also works better than real play dough going through those play dough machines, and it's a lot smoother and easier to work with lol. (I get those at the dollar store sometimes) Kids LOVE this stuff!
When my kids were little, they went through the play dough stage. Grandparents and relatives would give it to them in a gift, and a week later it would be dried out, or permanently hardened into the rug or something. I had a passionate dislike for the stuff. Then my friend Betsy gave me the recipe she used to make it at home.
I can truely attest that it is non-stick, and non-hardening. And, even if it's been there for years in a hidden spot, and does get hard, soap and warm water still gets it out. My one daughter got some of it under her bunk bed legs, and stuck in the rug under the bed. While I did vaccuum under there, I never found this play dough until we moved! (I mean, really, who moves their kids bunk beds for regular cleaning...they weigh a ton and are awkward to move!) It had gotten to the hard stage, and my heart sank when I saw it in the rug. But, it came out with soap and water, and I was sold on this particular recipe for it.
Betsy's Play Dough
3 Cups white flour
1 1/2 Cup salt
6 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (I've had it work ok with 5 when I was short)
3 Tablespoons Salad Oil
3 Cups Water
In a large pan, combine all the above ingredients. Cook on medium heat setting and stir constantly. When the dough pulls away from the side of the pan and balls up, it's ready. Let cool and then knead it. I divide the batch into 3 or 4 sections, one for each color I want to make it with my food coloring. Use a few drops of food coloring, until it's the color you want, and then knead it into the dough. Done!
This recipe makes about 2 pounds worth of play dough. Store in a covered/sealed container (or zip-lock bags) in the fridge. This stuff keeps about 6 months, and it never gets hard! It also works better than real play dough going through those play dough machines, and it's a lot smoother and easier to work with lol. (I get those at the dollar store sometimes) Kids LOVE this stuff!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Kid-Friendly Jokes & Free Printable Mad Libs
Yay!! It's Whacky Wednesday!!
What child doesn't love to tell a good joke?! I found a few they might enjoy for their first day back at school...
What song do bees like? The A Bee C song
What do you call a cold meal? Brrrrrrrrrrreakfast
What did the Atlantic Ocean say to the Pacific Ocean? Nothing, it just waved...
............(0 0)
.---oOO-- (_)-----.
╔═════════════════╗
║ Todays Mad Lib ║
╚═════════════════╝
'----------------------oOO
........|__|__|
.......... || ||
....... ooO Ooo
My kids used to love Mad Libs. Not only do they foster learning their adjectives, nouns and verbs, they also teach creativity with their imagination. What I do is ask the kids for a noun, pronoun, etc, BEFORE reading the story, that way it comes out more humorous and unexpected. Hey, with Mad Libs, silly IS fun, and the goofier the answers the more giggles they get! Here's one from teachnology for them to enjoy:
The First Day of School
One very nice morning near the end of summer, my mother woke me up at 4:00 A.M. and said, "Wake up and smell the grass, sleepy head - today is your first day of school and you can't be late." I groaned in my bed for twenty seconds, but eventually, I got dressed. I wore a blue and white striped long sleeve _______________(noun) with a collar on it, a red tie, dark gray pants, white socks, black shoes, and a(n) _______________(adjective) hat. In ten minutes I made lunch and ate my breakfast. _______________(number) hours later, the bus came, and in a few minutes I was already at school. In school, I met two really _______________(adjective) kids. All of us became friends very fast. That day we had science, and luckily my friends and I were at the same _______________(noun) . My friends' names are _______________(proper noun) and _______________(proper noun). At math, we weren't together, and that really bugged me. We learned what _______________(plural noun) were, and when to use them. At snack and recess, we played 'Three - Square' together. It was extremely fun. At P.E., we were ____________("ing" verb) off of the ropes onto _______________(plural noun). I thought it was a very _______________(adjective) idea. In swimming class, we needed to swim extremely _______________(adverb), or else...we would get tortured. Thirty minutes later, school was over. I grabbed all my belongings, and put them into my back-pack. In two minutes, the bus came. Before I went into the bus, I shouted, "Goodbye, adios amigos, sayinara, and shalom," to my friends. Then I went into the bus. In a flash, I was back home. This day was an extremely exciting day!
Find a free printable version of this colored worksheet of this mad lib (cute!) at:
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/madlibs/
What child doesn't love to tell a good joke?! I found a few they might enjoy for their first day back at school...
What song do bees like? The A Bee C song
What do you call a cold meal? Brrrrrrrrrrreakfast
What did the Atlantic Ocean say to the Pacific Ocean? Nothing, it just waved...
............(0 0)
.---oOO-- (_)-----.
╔═════════════════╗
║ Todays Mad Lib ║
╚═════════════════╝
'----------------------oOO
........|__|__|
.......... || ||
....... ooO Ooo
My kids used to love Mad Libs. Not only do they foster learning their adjectives, nouns and verbs, they also teach creativity with their imagination. What I do is ask the kids for a noun, pronoun, etc, BEFORE reading the story, that way it comes out more humorous and unexpected. Hey, with Mad Libs, silly IS fun, and the goofier the answers the more giggles they get! Here's one from teachnology for them to enjoy:
The First Day of School
One very nice morning near the end of summer, my mother woke me up at 4:00 A.M. and said, "Wake up and smell the grass, sleepy head - today is your first day of school and you can't be late." I groaned in my bed for twenty seconds, but eventually, I got dressed. I wore a blue and white striped long sleeve _______________(noun) with a collar on it, a red tie, dark gray pants, white socks, black shoes, and a(n) _______________(adjective) hat. In ten minutes I made lunch and ate my breakfast. _______________(number) hours later, the bus came, and in a few minutes I was already at school. In school, I met two really _______________(adjective) kids. All of us became friends very fast. That day we had science, and luckily my friends and I were at the same _______________(noun) . My friends' names are _______________(proper noun) and _______________(proper noun). At math, we weren't together, and that really bugged me. We learned what _______________(plural noun) were, and when to use them. At snack and recess, we played 'Three - Square' together. It was extremely fun. At P.E., we were ____________("ing" verb) off of the ropes onto _______________(plural noun). I thought it was a very _______________(adjective) idea. In swimming class, we needed to swim extremely _______________(adverb), or else...we would get tortured. Thirty minutes later, school was over. I grabbed all my belongings, and put them into my back-pack. In two minutes, the bus came. Before I went into the bus, I shouted, "Goodbye, adios amigos, sayinara, and shalom," to my friends. Then I went into the bus. In a flash, I was back home. This day was an extremely exciting day!
Find a free printable version of this colored worksheet of this mad lib (cute!) at:
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/madlibs/
Monday, August 15, 2011
Kids Cook: Microwave Ham & Cheese Sandwich
Tuesday: Kid-Friendly/ Kid Tested Recipe
This sandwich is a really super easy version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. The twist is that it can be made quickly in a microwave, and kids don't need to use a stove. My suggestion: the first few times they do it, they need supervision,a walk-through, and tips from Mom. They need to be reminded not to eat it until it cools some, because all of us Mom's know that cheese stays hot for a while.
How old is too young to do this? Well, you know your child better than anyone else, so you have to call the shot on this one. My one daughter started some microwave cooking when she was around 3rd or 4th grade. While I wouldn't let her use the stove, the microwave seemed the easy choice. First she learned how to do microwave scrambled eggs, and microwaved oatmeal, and then progressed to snacks. This one is a fun sandwich for kids to learn: not hard, no sharp knives involved, nor a stove. Just a microwave safe plate, a butter knife, and an appetite.
Easy Microwaved Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Step 1: toast two slices of bread
Step 2: put the toasted bread on a microwave safe plate. Then put 2 thin sliced ham slices on, and one cheese slice. (I use a slice of American cheese that's already sliced and individually wrapped; swiss is good too.)
Step 3: Microwave instructions: Microwave the sandwich for about 40 seconds, or just until cheese is melted. Don't forget: to let cool some before eating!
This sandwich is a really super easy version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. The twist is that it can be made quickly in a microwave, and kids don't need to use a stove. My suggestion: the first few times they do it, they need supervision,a walk-through, and tips from Mom. They need to be reminded not to eat it until it cools some, because all of us Mom's know that cheese stays hot for a while.
How old is too young to do this? Well, you know your child better than anyone else, so you have to call the shot on this one. My one daughter started some microwave cooking when she was around 3rd or 4th grade. While I wouldn't let her use the stove, the microwave seemed the easy choice. First she learned how to do microwave scrambled eggs, and microwaved oatmeal, and then progressed to snacks. This one is a fun sandwich for kids to learn: not hard, no sharp knives involved, nor a stove. Just a microwave safe plate, a butter knife, and an appetite.
Easy Microwaved Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Step 1: toast two slices of bread
Step 2: put the toasted bread on a microwave safe plate. Then put 2 thin sliced ham slices on, and one cheese slice. (I use a slice of American cheese that's already sliced and individually wrapped; swiss is good too.)
Step 3: Microwave instructions: Microwave the sandwich for about 40 seconds, or just until cheese is melted. Don't forget: to let cool some before eating!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Free Printable Math Activity Worksheets
Now that school is almost back in session again, it's good to get the kids geared up with a little review. My grandson has been doing different math reviews during the summer. Somewhere on a news blurb I heard that a child loses at least half of what they learned the previous year! With that in mind, I made sure each day we did something that incorporated math. Cooking (fractions), cutting our sandwich at lunchtime into 1/2, quarters, and of course pizza is always a winner when it comes to fractions (plus you get to eat part of the lesson lol.) Baking taught other fractions and measurements, and I had him check the outdoor thermometer every day. These were a lot of the things that he had in his lessons last year, so I wanted to make sure we did some things that showed him how important math is in our everyday lives.
We also worked on addition and subtraction, not single digits, but 2 and 3 digit problems, so he could keep refreshed on borrowing. We're halfway through the multiplication tables, simply because he wanted to get started on them.
Free Printable Math Worksheets
This is a really helpful website I found, and they have all kinds of printables that are really handy to print out at home...and they're themed too. There are worksheets for each grade, one through five. I picked the 'winter theme' for a landing page...what kid doesn't like thoughts of snow! There's addition, subtraction, single digit problems, double and triple digit problems, word problems. In the higher grades they cover multiplication, division, and working with decimals. They even have a handy multiplication table you can print out too.
There's also sections here on geography, preschool, kindergarten, science and language arts. Take a look around, and be sure to bookmark it for the school year, or to get started on refresher before they go back to school!
http://www.kidzone.ws/math/winter/index.htm
Free online jigsaw puzzles
This is a fun site for family entertainment, and has different puzzles and subject for any age to play. Not only do they have pages upon pages of free to play online jigsaw puzzles, you can even turn your own uploaded image into an online puzzle, or make one from a picture of yourself taken with your web cam. How neat is that?!
There are so many different puzzles available in many different categories to play for free. There's culture and objects, fine art, music and instruments, space and astronomy pictures, and all different kinds of animals. Each and every day they put a new picture puzzle on the site, so I go there every morning for my mid morning break. I liked the African bull elephant they had the other day, but I'm really fond of the scenery and floral ones.
Puzzles are good for teaching logic, and keeping the mind alert. (Not to mention keeping the child busy lol) When doing a puzzle on the computer, it also helps the smaller kids get familiar with using a mouse (small motor control.) Each puzzle has a slider bar so you can set it yourself for the level of difficulty you want. For the very young kids, you can set it so that the puzzle only has 9 pieces, to make it harder for the older kids, you can go all the way up to hard, which is around 180 pieces. You can even choose how many cuts each puzzle piece has. I leave it on the classic one that it comes set at, but you can always change it if you want. You can also enlarge the puzzle to play. Another thing I like about this site is that once I get my puzzle loaded, I can hop off my internet connection and still do the puzzle.
Follow this hot link to get to just jigsaw puzzles main page:
http://justjigsawpuzzles.com/
There are so many different puzzles available in many different categories to play for free. There's culture and objects, fine art, music and instruments, space and astronomy pictures, and all different kinds of animals. Each and every day they put a new picture puzzle on the site, so I go there every morning for my mid morning break. I liked the African bull elephant they had the other day, but I'm really fond of the scenery and floral ones.
Puzzles are good for teaching logic, and keeping the mind alert. (Not to mention keeping the child busy lol) When doing a puzzle on the computer, it also helps the smaller kids get familiar with using a mouse (small motor control.) Each puzzle has a slider bar so you can set it yourself for the level of difficulty you want. For the very young kids, you can set it so that the puzzle only has 9 pieces, to make it harder for the older kids, you can go all the way up to hard, which is around 180 pieces. You can even choose how many cuts each puzzle piece has. I leave it on the classic one that it comes set at, but you can always change it if you want. You can also enlarge the puzzle to play. Another thing I like about this site is that once I get my puzzle loaded, I can hop off my internet connection and still do the puzzle.
Follow this hot link to get to just jigsaw puzzles main page:
http://justjigsawpuzzles.com/
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Amazing Hummingbird
(Above photo: A Rufous Hummingbird)
From birth to flight, these pictures at the below link paint a beautiful story, and are great to share with the kids/grandkids. What child (or adult) isn't fascinated with hummingbirds?! Although these are not my pictures, my greatest thrill was a few years ago when I found a hummingbird nest nestled into an overhanging branch I was about to prune. I didn't own a camera at the time, so I couldn't take my own pictures, but I found this wonderful webtv site that has wonderful large pictures of a hummingbird they found in it's nest in 2005, following the babies from the moment of birth, until they left the nest.
Follow this hot link to view the pages:
hummingbirds: from hatch to flight
Page 1 has a close up photo of her in her nest, and an interior shot of the nest itself with it's 2 eggs in it.
Page 2 is taken a week later shows a just born baby hummer breaking out of his shell; the second picture is a few hours after it's birth; the 3rd picture is a close up shot of the baby itself.
Page 3 advances to one full week later. Picture 1 is the Mother is sitting on the nest; picture 2 shows just how much those two tiny birds grew in one weeks time; picture 3 is a close up shot of the babies.
Page 4 is taken 5 days later. Picture 1 shows the babies are getting fuzzy developing their feathers to come; picture 2 their developing beaks growing; picture 3 shows them getting their color, and picture 4 is taken one week after that and shows them developing even more color in their downy feathers...and look how huge they are getting too!
Page 5 shows Mom keeping her babies dry on a rainy day, the babies sleeping, and getting too big for their tiny little nest!
Page 6 shows them at 21 days old, with one having left the nest, and the bottom picture says a lot about the hummers size! It shows a penny and a toothpick resting in the nest. The nest is smaller than the length of a toothpick (2 1/2 inches long). This is a great comparison picture!
Much thanks and credit must be given to whoever Vel (Verle33) is, for posting these pictures and sharing it with everybody on the internet!!
Some amazing hummingbird facts:
* Hummingbirds do not flap their wings up and down, nor do they flap in a circular motion. Their pattern of flapping is in a figure 8 shape. Much like a helicopter, the hummers can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, and most amazing, they can also fly sideways.
* When a hummingbird is flying a normal flight, it's wings move 80 times per second. When they're courting a mate, or diving for food, they often increase it to 200 times per second!
* This birds heart beats as fast as 1,260 beats per minute. Adult humans only beat around 80 per minute.
* They use up so much energy that they will eat up to eight times an hour, with each feeding session lasting only around 45 seconds.
* The main part of their diet is sugar. They take nectar from flowers, as well as sap from trees. Sometimes they add pollen or insects to their menu for building stronger muscle.
* The smallest hummingbird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird, which comes from Cuba. It's adult size in only 2 1/4 inches long and only weighs around 2 grams. The largest in the world is the Giant Hummingbird that lives in South America. He is much, much larger than those we have here in N. America, he grows to a whopping 8 inches long, and weighs in at up to 20 grams!
* The hummingbird egg is only approximately half an inch long.
From birth to flight, these pictures at the below link paint a beautiful story, and are great to share with the kids/grandkids. What child (or adult) isn't fascinated with hummingbirds?! Although these are not my pictures, my greatest thrill was a few years ago when I found a hummingbird nest nestled into an overhanging branch I was about to prune. I didn't own a camera at the time, so I couldn't take my own pictures, but I found this wonderful webtv site that has wonderful large pictures of a hummingbird they found in it's nest in 2005, following the babies from the moment of birth, until they left the nest.
Follow this hot link to view the pages:
hummingbirds: from hatch to flight
Page 1 has a close up photo of her in her nest, and an interior shot of the nest itself with it's 2 eggs in it.
Page 2 is taken a week later shows a just born baby hummer breaking out of his shell; the second picture is a few hours after it's birth; the 3rd picture is a close up shot of the baby itself.
Page 3 advances to one full week later. Picture 1 is the Mother is sitting on the nest; picture 2 shows just how much those two tiny birds grew in one weeks time; picture 3 is a close up shot of the babies.
Page 4 is taken 5 days later. Picture 1 shows the babies are getting fuzzy developing their feathers to come; picture 2 their developing beaks growing; picture 3 shows them getting their color, and picture 4 is taken one week after that and shows them developing even more color in their downy feathers...and look how huge they are getting too!
Page 5 shows Mom keeping her babies dry on a rainy day, the babies sleeping, and getting too big for their tiny little nest!
Page 6 shows them at 21 days old, with one having left the nest, and the bottom picture says a lot about the hummers size! It shows a penny and a toothpick resting in the nest. The nest is smaller than the length of a toothpick (2 1/2 inches long). This is a great comparison picture!
Much thanks and credit must be given to whoever Vel (Verle33) is, for posting these pictures and sharing it with everybody on the internet!!
Some amazing hummingbird facts:
* Hummingbirds do not flap their wings up and down, nor do they flap in a circular motion. Their pattern of flapping is in a figure 8 shape. Much like a helicopter, the hummers can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, and most amazing, they can also fly sideways.
* When a hummingbird is flying a normal flight, it's wings move 80 times per second. When they're courting a mate, or diving for food, they often increase it to 200 times per second!
* This birds heart beats as fast as 1,260 beats per minute. Adult humans only beat around 80 per minute.
* They use up so much energy that they will eat up to eight times an hour, with each feeding session lasting only around 45 seconds.
* The main part of their diet is sugar. They take nectar from flowers, as well as sap from trees. Sometimes they add pollen or insects to their menu for building stronger muscle.
* The smallest hummingbird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird, which comes from Cuba. It's adult size in only 2 1/4 inches long and only weighs around 2 grams. The largest in the world is the Giant Hummingbird that lives in South America. He is much, much larger than those we have here in N. America, he grows to a whopping 8 inches long, and weighs in at up to 20 grams!
* The hummingbird egg is only approximately half an inch long.
Introduction:
I'm both a mother, and a grandparent. For the past 8 years I have searched the internet far and wide for fun things for my grandchildren that are age appropriate. I've found crafts, coloring pages, seasonal fun, mad libs, brain teasers, potty training charts, and so, so much more. No matter what the age, there is something to learn, and what a better way to learn than to have fun doing it. Whether doing simple coloring, learning math, or playing games, it all still involves learning whether it's how to color within the lines (small motor control), or learning addition.
I'm making this blog primarily to share all these wonderful places with parents, as well as grandparents. For all those times you've ever heard "Mom....(or gramma/grampa) I'm bored", this will hopefully help you find all kinds of free resources to keep them entertained and learning. With all the fun things I've found along the way, I thought it would be nice to share them with others.
Each day I plan on passing along some information and links so you can find those things that are educational, and/or fun. The posting schedule I have planned is:
Math Monday: free resources for learning math, whether it's beginners or advanced. Most will be for grade-school aged kids. Lots of the pages have free printables so your child can practice, including regular math worksheets, to fun math learning games. Why a schedule? Well, I know how busy we all are, and if there's only one area you're interested in, then you'll know what day to drop in. Of course, you are more than welcome to use the 'follow' option and have it emailed, or rss feed. There's also a Facebook Share button if you find something you'd like to share with others.
Tuesday Tip Day: Mom to Mom tips, kid friendly recipes, lunch box treats. Please email me if you have a good tip to share! I will be glad to mention it came from you.
Whacky Wednesdays: kid friendly jokes, mad-libs, brain teasers, and fun stuff
Thursday: crafts for kids
Friday: free printables for the kids, and sometimes just for Mom, coloring pages, and seasonal downloads
Saturday: science and nature
Sunday: family fun and things that have no particular category lol.
I'm making this blog primarily to share all these wonderful places with parents, as well as grandparents. For all those times you've ever heard "Mom....(or gramma/grampa) I'm bored", this will hopefully help you find all kinds of free resources to keep them entertained and learning. With all the fun things I've found along the way, I thought it would be nice to share them with others.
Each day I plan on passing along some information and links so you can find those things that are educational, and/or fun. The posting schedule I have planned is:
Math Monday: free resources for learning math, whether it's beginners or advanced. Most will be for grade-school aged kids. Lots of the pages have free printables so your child can practice, including regular math worksheets, to fun math learning games. Why a schedule? Well, I know how busy we all are, and if there's only one area you're interested in, then you'll know what day to drop in. Of course, you are more than welcome to use the 'follow' option and have it emailed, or rss feed. There's also a Facebook Share button if you find something you'd like to share with others.
Tuesday Tip Day: Mom to Mom tips, kid friendly recipes, lunch box treats. Please email me if you have a good tip to share! I will be glad to mention it came from you.
Whacky Wednesdays: kid friendly jokes, mad-libs, brain teasers, and fun stuff
Thursday: crafts for kids
Friday: free printables for the kids, and sometimes just for Mom, coloring pages, and seasonal downloads
Saturday: science and nature
Sunday: family fun and things that have no particular category lol.
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