Caz

We have had the best couple of weeks around the Hobbit household.  We're gearing up to start our Monday Pcyc classes this week, but the boys have been a bit stir crazy with the lack of THEIR things to do so when a park meet was organized last week, we were ON it!    

This was a newish group, and is more of a side shoot group really, as it has a few members of other groups we're part of.  The only difference is it is purely secular in nature... and oh wow, how nice was it to not have to worry about saying something that might offend, or make uncomfortable,  the more religious home educators.    The other group I attend IS an inclusive group, but sometimes you just don't want to have to screen what you say at all times ya know?  

We met at a GREAT park, never even knew the place was there.  And directly across from the cop shop, so you're pretty guaranteed to be safe from wandering hoodlums and such ;)   My friend and her hubby & kids came, and to the boys delight, they brought their DOG!  

Oh MY, Merry was just in LOVE with Sammy the dog.  He NEEEEDED Sammy (lol his words, no kidding)  and the kids were so good with the pooch.  My gf's kids, despite being 12 and I think 14, were more than happy to play with my guys and help keep an eye on them.  I told C that I might have to start paying her kids for park days LOL.   Here's Sam walking Sammy (lol) and loving it!  


We also had fun with science this week.  We made Craters!  Totally loving the experiments from this science curriculum .  We're finishing up the 'space' section and moving on to the Earth science end of things now.  For this experiment, I filled a baking dish with about 5cm of flour, and then had the boys use the sifter to 'dust' the top with cocoa powder (ok, so we used el cheapo home brand chocolate muffin mix, it was 1/6 of the cost of cocoa ;) )   Then we took marbles and recorded their diameter,  then dropped them from varying heights (knee, waist, then shoulder) to see how that affected the size of the craters they made.


Here's dad getting in on the home ed fun for a change, helping with the crater measuring.   The boys then documented their measurements and we discussed why they thought the meteor (err.. marble) dropped from the heighest position made the biggest crater. They quite enjoy being little scientists when we get out the lab reports.  


We also had a great little 'poem' activity to help the boys remember the difference between Meteoroids (just orbiting out in space, minding their own business),  Meteors (entering our atmosphere and burning their way through), and Meteorites (the bit that's left over IF any of the meteorite doesn't burn completely up and something actually hits the Earth!)  They thought it was quite amusing that the same item has three different names just based on WHERE it happens to be at! lol

9 Responses
  1. Kylie Says:

    I am so totally bummed I missed that park day and can't wait for the next. :)

    Loving that science experiment too. I must check out yoru stuff from pandia press one day.


  2. Todd Says:

    Wow, you really did have a great week!


  3. I randomly came across your blog but I wanted to say it is completely cute! :) I love that background too!


  4. Caz Says:

    Kylie, they do e'books on Pandia now, so you dl a pdf and print out pages as needed. Is GREAT since a lot of places won't ship here!

    Todd, yeah it was. Back to our normal schedule now so it'll be busier if that's possible lol

    Talya, thanks for popping by and for the compliments :D I'm amazing that my little blog is ABLE to be stumbled upon randomly! lol


  5. Kez Says:

    Cool science experiments - and I just learnt something about meteors, meteorites & meteoroids myself!


  6. Not Hannah Says:

    I've never heard of a meteoroid. Very cool stuff...


  7. Caz Says:

    I'd never heard them called that either Not Hannah .. I guess us non scientific plebs don't get to know these leet secrets hehe. Thanks for popping by gang.

    Now, off to figure out where the post I am SURE I put up the other day went!?!?!


  8. Kylie Says:

    Hey Cari I'm on the Pandia Press Site now, they only do science for the first level.....do you know if they have plans for the other levels?


  9. Caz Says:

    I think they do in time Kylie. Will email ya :)