Author: Maddie Van Beek

Happy Easter! I hope you all had a great time with family or friends. There are lots of different Easter traditions out there, but one eggcellent tradition is decorating eggs!


Where did this tradition come from?
It’s hard to determine exactly when people started decorating eggs, but it has been going on for centuries, whether to celebrate the Easter holiday or the approach of spring. All over the world, different cultures decorate eggs in their own way. One country especially well-known for their intricately decorated eggs is Ukraine. Check out the picture below!

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EGG GEODES
Check out our blog from last year on creating egg geodes for super cool crystallized Easter eggs!

Activity link: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/sedimentation-and-crystallization-how-to-make-egg-geodes


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DRAGON EGGS
Make dragon eggs for another unique take on your typical Easter egg decorating.

Check out this activity from Instructables for more information: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-gorgeous-Dragons-Egg/


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OTHER EGGCELLENT ACTIVITIES
Since you already have the eggs out, here’s some more science with eggs!


Dissolve an egg shell and learn about osmosis: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/experimenting-with-eggs-acid-base-reactions-and-osmosis


Make an egg float in salt water and learn about density: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/floating-egg


Think you can’t fit an egg in a bottle? Think again! http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/nature-abhors-a-vacuum-how-to-put-an-egg-in-a-bottle


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FAIRY GARDENING
Now that you’re done decorating INSIDE, let’s get OUTSIDE and have some fun!


In the last few weeks you have learned about planting bulbs (http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-your-own-flower-bulbs) and creating flower seed bombs (http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/spring-flower-bombs). This week, you’re going to go on a nature walk and create your own fairy garden! A fairy garden is basically just a tiny little garden made from anything you can find in nature. You can build little homes, bridges, whole villages, or whatever you feel like creating!


Here’s an example of a fairy garden that my family made at my Grandma’s house:

We used blue buttons to create a little river under the bridge and a brass button for the door handle. The garden gnomes were conveniently there when we started building! Feel free to add your own personal touches to your garden as you build.


Below is a link all about the plant kingdom. You may recognize this website from our flower seed bomb blog. Use this website to gather and identify different items for your fairy garden.


http://scienceinvestigators.wikispaces.com/The+Plant+Kingdom


YOUR TASK: Build a fairy garden (in whatever shape or form you choose) using at least one of each of the following materials:

* Flowering plant (you don’t need the whole plant, just a piece of it)
* Non-flowering plant (you don’t need the whole plant, just a piece of it)
* Angiosperm
* Gymnosperm
* Leaf from a tree
* Stem
* Root
* Seed


If you’re not sure what some of these materials are, check the plant kingdom link again for more information before you start gathering.


YOU WILL NEED:
* Bag for gathering
* Hot glue gun for building (if desired)
* Extension cord for glue gun


Here’s what to do!
1. Find an area where you can gather. The woods is a great place, but even your back yard will do! You’ll be surprised at all the different materials you can find.
2. Gather a variety of building materials.
3. Find a space to build your fairy garden. You might want to find a sheltered area such as under a tree so your fairy garden does not get ruined from the weather.
4. Dump out your materials and record your finds. Check the list--did you find at least one item that fulfills each category? If not, get back to searching! Categorize your finds by writing down each item and then grouping them together. What did you find the most of? Least of? What was the most difficult to find?
5. Plug in your hot glue gun, if you plan to use one. Make sure you have an adult to help you, as hot glue guns can get VERY HOT. You definitely don’t have to use a glue gun if you don’t want to. If you’re building outside, you will need an extension cord for your glue gun.
6. Start building! Use your imagination to build whatever you want.
7. Don’t forget to have fun and take pictures!


References
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols
http://mentalfloss.com/article/49566/5-theories-about-why-we-dye-eggs-easter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg

Author: Maddie Van Beek

It’s now officially spring! In honor of the beginning of the season, we are going to talk about planting flowers!


A few weeks ago, we learned how to plant flower bulbs (http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-your-own-flower-bulbs).


This week, you are going to use shredded paper and wildflower seeds to create flower bombs.


Before we start shredding and planting, let’s learn a little bit more about flowers!


How does a plant grow?

Follow-up questions:
* Why is a seed coat important?
* What is a seed mostly made of?
* What parts does a baby plant have?
* How does germination happen?
* What jobs do roots and leaves do for the plant?
* How do seeds travel?




What are the different parts of a flower?

For more information about the growth process of a plant, check out our blog on bean seeds and germination: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/a-plant-is-born-seed-germination



Here’s even more information on the plant kingdom, if you want to learn more!
http://scienceinvestigators.wikispaces.com/The+Plant+Kingdom


Flower Bombs

Aside from flower bombs being a fun activity, these make great gifts for anyone who enjoys flowers! Another reason flower bombs are cool is that they are easily transportable and allow you to spread flowers to hard-to-reach places. They also make planting fun and easy.


YOU WILL NEED:
* Multi-colored paper
* Food processor
* Bowl
* Muffin tin or other tray
* Water
* Strainer
* Wildflower seeds (found at local grocery store or plant nursery)


Here’s what to do!
1. Select the paper that you want to use for your flower bombs. It’s fun to pick a few different colors if you want your flower bombs to be multicolored. You can even add glitter if you want!
2. Rip up the paper into tiny pieces and put the scraps into a bowl.
3. Add water. Stir up the paper shreds and mush it together. Add food coloring or glitter (optional).
4. Put your colorful paper mush into a food processor. Blend it up!
5. You’re now left with paper goop. Put a strainer in your kitchen sink and dump the paper goop into the strainer. Apply pressure to the goop to squeeze out that extra moisture.
6. Scoop the paper goop into a muffin tin, ice cube tray, or jello mold. Sometimes you can even find trays with fun shapes to use! Below you can see an example of someone who used heart shapes:

7. Fill each section of your tray half full with goop.
8. Now it’s time to add your seeds! Rip open the bag of wildflower seeds and carefully sprinkle onto each section.
9. Once you’re done sprinkling seeds, scoop the paper goop on top of each section so that the seeds are sandwiched in the middle of the two layers of goop.
10. Gently pat the goop down until the surface of each section is fairly level.
11. Wait 24 hours for your the paper goop to dry.
12. Flip the tray and tap the bottom. Out come your flower bombs! You now have dry paper with seeds safely secure inside. Once it rains, the moisture will seep into the paper and reach the seeds!
13. Now that you have your flower bombs made, choose a few spots to place them. The cool thing about flower bombs is that you don’t have to bury them--you just pick a spot and wait for rain. Put one in a sunny area, one in a shady area, and one in your home (in a pot of dirt). Since your indoor flower bomb won’t get any rain, make sure to water it daily. Predict which flower bomb will produce the most flowers and/or grow the fastest. Observe the growth process for each flower bomb and record your findings.


Looking for more activities with plants or gardening? Check out our other blogs here:
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/learn-about-the-different-biomes
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/biodegradable-gardening
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/theres-more-than-one-way-to-make-a-new-plant
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-transpiration


References
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Seed-Bomb/
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/garden-craft-seed-bombs

Author: Maddie Van Beek

This last weekend was full of running events all around the US! The NCAA Indoor Track Championships for college divisions I, II, and III were going on, as well as the USATF Indoor Track Championships, where some of the best track athletes in the nation compete. Beyond those huge events, there was a US 15K championship road race where some of the top long distance runners competed. 


Let’s look at some of the results and practice our math skills!


Laura Roesler ran 2:02.44 in the 800m at the USATF Indoor Championships and got 2nd place. If the track were 200m long, what pace was she running per lap? 

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Brady Speicher ran 4:15.34 in the mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. The winner ran 4:12.69. On average, how many seconds apart were they per lap? ​

The first place woman at the US 15K Championships ran 50:34, and the first place man ran 44:37. On average, what did they run per 5K? What mile pace were they running? What was the difference between their mile paces? ​

Before we get started, write down what you know about the relationship between your heart and exercise. ​

Click on the link below to play a game that demonstrates how activity affects your heart rate. 

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/keephealthy.html

Follow-up questions:
1. When is your heart rate at its lowest? 
2. What makes your heart rate speed up?
3. Does the intensity of exercise increase or decrease the effect on your heart rate? 


YOU WILL NEED:

• A track (or open space to run)
• Stopwatch
• A friend to time you

Here’s what to do!​


First, we are going to find our resting heart rate. Find your pulse in your neck and count the beats for 15 seconds. 

Author: Maddie Van Beek

It’s almost spring! Soon you’ll see flowers blooming all over the place. Today you’re going to become a gardener and plant your own flower bulbs!


What is a bulb?
A bulb is like a plant’s lunch box. It’s completely packed with nutrients for your plant to draw from. Check out the image below for an example of a bulb.

What’s the difference between bulbs and seeds?

The biggest difference is that seeds are baby plants that haven’t grown yet, while bulbs are mature plants that have already grown up before. The process that a plant goes through to sprout from its shell is called germination. We learned about this when we watched beans grow: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/a-plant-is-born-seed-germination.


A bulb has already gone through germination and become a mature plant. When the plant is out of season, the bulb lies dormant. When the time is right, the bulb uses its stored energy to grow again.


For more information, read the link below and create a t-chart to help define the differences between seeds and bulbs.

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-seeds-and-bulbs/


There are two main types of bulbs: hardy bulbs and tender bulbs. Hardy bulbs are planted in the fall, survive the cold winter, and bloom in the spring. Tender bulbs are planted in the spring and bloom in the summer. The bulbs you are going to use today are tender bulbs.



Soon after being planted, a bulb produces roots. When the time is right, the bulb uses its stored energy to create a stem, leaves, and flowers. The bulbs below have already produced their shoots:

Now that you know about bulbs and how they grow, you are going to plant your own!

YOU WILL NEED:
* Flower bulbs (you can find these at most home improvement stores, or even your local grocery store)
* Clear pots or large containers
* Rocks
* Sand
* Pebbles
* Water


Here’s what to do!
1. Select three containers. Fill one half full with rocks, one half full with pebbles, and one half full with sand.
2. Place a flower bulb on the surface of each container. Make sure the root side is facing down.
3. Pour water into each container until the water level reaches the base of the bulb.
4. Make a prediction, which bulb will grow the best? Will there be a difference between the three?
5. Place all three containers in an area where they will get plenty of sun. Make sure to continue to add water whenever the water level goes down. Your plant needs plenty of hydration to grow!
6. Write down your observations each day. Record the first day that you see roots produced.
7. Record the first day that a stem pops out from the bulb. Measure the height of the plants each week. Which plant seems to be doing the best?
8. Create a graph to chart your plants’ growth.


Option 2
1. Fill three containers half full with rocks, pebbles, or marbles. You choose, but make sure you use the same for all three.
2. Select three different types of flower bulbs.
3. Place a bulb in each container. Fill the containers with water until the water reaches the bottom of the bulb.
4. Check the water level of your containers each day and add water when necessary.
5. Observe your plants each day. Record the first day that roots are produced in each container.
6. Record the first day that you see a stem start growing. Measure your plants each week. Compare the rate of growth for your three plants. Record your measurements and make a graph to track your plants’ growth.


Check out our blog on bean germination for another fun gardening activity: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/a-plant-is-born-seed-germination


References:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/12167
http://www.thekidsgarden.co.uk/teachkidsaboutplantingwithseedsandbulbs.html
http://buggyandbuddy.com/science-for-kids-planting-a-bulb-w-free-printable-science-invitation-saturday/