FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestFlickr

Low Cost

Nature Journaling – Art, Science, Observation, and Fun!

2021-05-28T22:05:55-06:00

Folks know what Nature is. Folks know what a journal is. But Nature can't write... no thumbs, among other things. Sooo. . . what is a nature journal? That depends. If you are an adult, a nature journal is a fantastic way to get away from the hustle, bustle, and rush, and practice patience, observational skills, and art.  It can be an opportunity to get out and have an outdoor adventure.  Keeping a nature journal is a way to become acquainted or reacquainted with the natural world.  It can become the place where an artist or future artist takes notes and [...]

Nature Journaling – Art, Science, Observation, and Fun!2021-05-28T22:05:55-06:00

Celebrate the Bees – World Bee Day

2021-05-29T08:08:07-06:00

On December 20, 2017, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously voted to declare May 20 World Bee Day. Why should we celebrate bees? Why not? The purpose of World Bee Day is to recognize more than just the most well-known of the bees - the European honey bee.  Many people don't know that the honey bee isn't native to North America.  It colonized the western hemisphere with the European settlers.  When the settlers arrived, though, this country already had plenty of bees of its own, some 4,000 different species actually, ranging in size from the world's smallest bee, the [...]

Celebrate the Bees – World Bee Day2021-05-29T08:08:07-06:00

Designing the Perfect Paper Airplane

2021-06-01T08:11:55-06:00

One of my most popular programs is also the least expensive and easiest to set up.  All I need are a pile of regular copier paper, a pile of copier paper cut into squares, 2 - 4 large pieces of bulletin board paper with giant targets drawn/painted on them, and the books we'll be using on display in the "engineering and design area," ready to be thumbed through, studied, and used.  A roll of masking tape comes in really handy, too.  Having a paper recycling receptacle for the fallen, crashed, and stepped upon makes clean up go a lot faster.  Just [...]

Designing the Perfect Paper Airplane2021-06-01T08:11:55-06:00

World Origami Days are Here! 20 Days of Workshops and Tutorials

2021-01-27T16:29:22-07:00

Like so many conferences, festivals, and other events, World Origami Days has gone virtual this year. Beginning on October 24, the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer (1898-1992), who founded the first origami group in the USA and was one of the founders of OrigamiUSA and the British Origami Society, this event will host workshops and tutorials daily through November 11, which is Origami Day in Japan. Everyone who registers will receive links to the videos of the daily tutorials in November, so don't worry if you miss one or a few. There is a page of templates for folding a flapping bird [...]

World Origami Days are Here! 20 Days of Workshops and Tutorials2021-01-27T16:29:22-07:00

A Chill in the Air and Color in the Trees

2021-01-27T16:42:42-07:00

There's been a bit of a chill in the air the last week or so, a frequent thumping on the roof of pecans falling out of the tree in the yard, and a sense of frantic feasting radiating from the hummingbirds who frequent the feeders on my porch.  Autumn is here. One of my favorite things to do as the seasons slip away from summer and toward winter is to walk through wooded areas and collect brightly colored leaves.  This is something my mother did with me as a very young child on my great grandparents' farm.  I still have the [...]

A Chill in the Air and Color in the Trees2021-01-27T16:42:42-07:00

Happy Superhero Day!

2020-04-28T21:37:18-06:00

April 28 is National Superhero Day! Marvel marked the day by celebrating the heroes on all our minds and thoughts these days - nurses, doctors, EMT's, first responders, medical researchers, grocery store workers, restaurant workers offering curb-side and delivered meals, long-haulers and delivery drivers, production workers, and all the thousands of others who risk their lives daily by going to work so that the rest of us can shelter in place. So why don't we celebrate our favorite superheroes on their day? To learn about some of the more famous classic superheroes, we can take a look at their biographies at Superhero [...]

Happy Superhero Day!2020-04-28T21:37:18-06:00

World Book Day and GISH Scavenger Hunt for Covid-19 Relief

2020-04-23T16:53:15-06:00

Happy World Book Day, everyone! Also known as World Book and Copyright Day and International Day of the Book, this celebration that is more well-known in the U.K.  than in the U. S.  was first held in 1995.  Organized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to promote reading, publishing, and copyright, World Book Day takes place on April 23 each year.  This particular date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the deaths of several famous authors: Miguel do Cervantes, William Shakespeare, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega/La Inca, as well as others.  This date is the [...]

World Book Day and GISH Scavenger Hunt for Covid-19 Relief2020-04-23T16:53:15-06:00

Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, Dolly Parton, and More Available Online

2020-04-04T22:16:22-06:00

Hey, everyone! I hope everyone is staying at home and healthy. I wanted to share some exciting news! Instead of canceling the Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival this year, the organizers and storytellers have opted to offer it virtually, free, and forever!! In fact, I am listening to a great story as I write this blog! Please check it out. There is little in life that can beat a great storyteller. www.SoundsoftheMountains.org Dolly Parton has also joined the ranks of those offering activities for children during our time of shelter in place. She is reading stories on Thursday evenings for [...]

Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, Dolly Parton, and More Available Online2020-04-04T22:16:22-06:00

Online Resources for Home-bound #3

2020-03-29T00:07:17-06:00

Hello again!  I hope this post finds everyone staying at home and safe. It's amazing how much can be found on the internet to keep a person entertained and learning while we're hanging out at home.  I'm taking classes on all kinds of subjects from several different sites myself these days.  I'm almost finished with all the courses on Code.org.  That site is like playing a game all day!  I'm reviewing my math skills on Alison (Alison.com).  I've started coding on FreeCodeCamp (https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/), and I am excited to say that I am finally working on earning NASA Badges (https://www.txstate-epdc.net/).  I'm not [...]

Online Resources for Home-bound #32020-03-29T00:07:17-06:00

Online Resources for Homebound Families #2

2020-03-26T00:58:44-06:00

Here is my next list of resources for folks staying home for health and safety  In this list I have collected some virtual tours of museums and zoos, and sites that offer collections of books that are free to read. (I'll be searching for graphic novels and comic books next.) If you find a broken link, please let me know so that I can correct it. If there is a subject or resource that you'd like me to look for, please let me know.  I want to do whatever I can to help folks. Virtual Trips to the Zoo Atlanta Zoo [...]

Online Resources for Homebound Families #22020-03-26T00:58:44-06:00
Go to Top