A trying week for this mom/ SPRING in the home.

Friday, we had a bit of a scare with Jake.  He had to be taken to the ER for chest pains and near fainting (3 days of complaints).  OY! fortunately his EKG and Xray was normal.  He is restricted until he gets to a peds cardiologist for the all clear.  I tell ya, never a dull moment.  Hopefully all is clear and last week was just some freaky episode.

So what are you doing to pass the time while we wait for REAL spring? Dont' forget, we are in Chicago, so don't get too excited about hearing the birds singing or letting your child out without a coat.  This is prime tricky weather time.  Make sure those kids are washing with soap and water after trips to the park, the store, a friends house etc. 

Well, here is a great experiment/activity to get a bit of spring happening in your home!

• book: Jack and the Beanstalk* by Matt Faulkner (Scholastic, Inc.; $3.25)
• dried lima beans
• paper towels
• plastic sandwich bags
• small plastic cup or milk container
• soil
• chart paper and brown craft paper
• marker
• plastic scoop (for soil)

1. Read children the folktale Jack and the Beanstalk. Then show them a handful of dried lima beans. Ask them if they know what type of bean it is. Invite children to plant the beans two different ways — in a cup with soil and wrapped in paper in a plastic bag — to see if a beanstalk will grow. Prepare a sheet of chart paper listing the two lima bean experiments. Ask children to predict what will happen in each experiment.
2. Invite children to work in small groups to prepare the first experiment. Provide children with a plastic cup. Assist them in filling their cups halfway with soil. Place two lima beans in the soil. Cover with more soil. Add water. Write each child's name on a piece of masking tape and attach to the cups. Place the cups in a plastic bin or container to prevent it spilling and keep them in a sunny area of the room.
3. For the next experiment, provide each child with a plastic sandwich bag, a damp paper towel, and two lima beans. Ask children to carefully wrap their lima beans in the damp paper towel and then place them into the plastic bags. Label children's bag with their names. Find another sunny area in the classroom to place the bags.
4. Prepare two five-day observation charts on long sheets of brown craft paper so that children can record their observations for two weeks. List each day of the week and make two columns below each day to record observations for the Planted Beans and the Wrapped Beans.
5. Plan a time each day for children to observe the growth of their beans. Remind children to water their beans when the soil feels dry and to dampen the cloth if it becomes dry. Record children's observations daily. Compare the growth of their lima beans with their initial predictions

Optional: Photograph the process of the children's experiments to document their learning experience. Children can assist in placing the photographs in sequence and provide dictations to describe their observations and the outcome of their experiments. Create a display in your science area or class bulletin board.

until next time...enjoy your kids.
TB