Home Sick? 7 Great Science Flicks for Kids on the Couch I am all for getting my kids outside to play, but when they (or you!) are sick, a movie on the couch can be the perfect thing. Add some hugs, a snuggly blanket and a water bottle to sip on during the show and […]
Tips for young birders… Bring the birds to you! When it’s cold outside you can really help out the birds by providing them with food. After all, it takes energy to stay warm. A bird feeder can be like a drive-thru restaurant for birds to get some quick energy and a quick pit stop where […]
Natural Playgrounds Taking Root The “Great Minnesota Get-Together” will have a natural playground in 2014! Research (C&NN) shows that combining fresh air, natural materials and power of play leads to physical and mental health benefits for children. Natural Playgrounds are popping up in backyards, schools, nature centers, childcare centers, and churches across the state. This […]
STEM is Bubblin’ HOT! A hot topic in education right now is STEM. Schools across the country are adopting the blending of science, technology, engineering and math into topic-based units and projects. Many educators take it further by adding art, turning STEM into STEAM. Growing Green Hearts has been teaching STEM/STEAM for years and works […]
Registration for Little Green Frog Camp is open now! One way Swedes celebrate the first day of summer is singing and dancing to a song about a little green frog. The Gammalgarden Museum in Scandia, Minnesota is providing three 2-day camps for kids K-5 throughout the summer. The historic buildings, artifacts, and stories inspire nature play, […]
Questions Are Key! Kids are great with questions. Sometimes too good, right? Step one of the scientific method, a thinking process, starts with a problem question. As a parent, teacher, or mentor it’s important to keep kids asking questions. The more practice kids get, the more likely they are to begin asking multiple types of […]
What makes that boat go? Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream Let’s take that row boat idea a bit further for kids. Here’s a way to learn about forces, paddle power, and engineering as a process. When the paddle and rubber band are […]
A project from recyclables that’s for the birds, really. January 2014 will be remembered for the frigid temperatures, and also a day off of school for Minnesota kids and teachers! This bird feeder project uses recyclables that many have on hand. It can be built in 15 minutes or drawn out to take longer […]
To get people laughing, playing and celebrating in a new way my family made our Christmas Card into an engineering design challenge. A basic description of an EDC is- identify the problem, name some parameters, and work as a team to fill the need or want. The requirements of our Christmas card: connect with family and […]
Where have green hearts been growing lately? Where next? Are you heading to the NAEYC conference at River Center on January 31st? If so, please consider stopping by the Growing Green Hearts workshop titled “Energize Kids About Climate” on Friday at 2:15. It would be great to see you there! Will your kids be getting […]
