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Animal Habitats

Animal Habitats

Learn about an animal you love and create a home for it!

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • Small box- like a shoe box
  • Construction Paper
  • Scissors
  • Markers or Crayons
  • Tape and/or Glue
  • Computer with internet or a book about animals
  • Various other items:
    • Cardboard Tubes
    • Pipe Cleaners
    • Cotton Balls

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Use the internet or a book to learn about an animal you love.
    1. What does your animal eat?
    2. Where does it live?
    3. What kind of home does it have?
    4. Other things: Does it live with a family or alone? What kind of behavior does it have? What other cool things can you learn?
  2. Grab a shoe box (or another small box) and think about how you can turn that into a place where your animal would live.
  3. Pick out materials that will help you create the habitat or home. 
    1. Does it live in an ocean? You would use blue or green colors and maybe green pipe cleaners to make seaweed
    2. Does it live in the jungle? You would use green and brown colors. A paper towel tube could be used to make a tall tree.
    3. Does it live in the Arctic? You would use white, grey and blue colors. Cotton balls would be great for snow
  4. Use the materials you have to create a home for your animal. 
  5. Make sure to add it’s nest, den, or home where it sleeps and lives
  6. Tell your family about what you created and teach them something new about your favorite animal!

Don’t forget to show us what you learned and created! We can’t wait to see what you made. 


Inspiration: http://makinglemonadeinsecondgrade.blogspot.com

003 - HFFE 2020 - Young at Art

Home Fun Episode 3

Join Jay, our host for this episode, in our Young at Art exhibit for a pair of paper projects–including a how-to on crafting a paper fish! Plus Drew shows us how to make a pop-up card.

 

Cardboard Creations

Cardboard Creations

Between boxes from online orders, TP rolls, and paper towel rolls, your home has all of the materials to create something amazing! Use these materials, tape, and scissors to create a rocket ship, tower, or city!

 

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • Cardboard
    • Boxes
    • TP Tubes
    • Paper Towel Tubes
    • Kleenex Boxes
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

 

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Gather materials and think about what you want to create… A car? A Train? A house? 
  2. How will you build what is in your imagination? Builders draw their design first. Grab a piece of paper and pencil or marker and draw what you want to build first. 
    1. If you make a house, what kind of windows will you have? Will it have a pool on the roof? Or a Swing on the ceiling?
    2. What will make your car special? What will the front seat look like?
  3. Look at your design and your materials and start to think about how you can build your design.
  4. Grab scissors (with the help of an adult) and start to cup and tape! Watch your design come to life!
  5. Need some help? Maybe a sibling or adult in your home can help. 
  6. When your creation is built, put the finishing touches on it. What colors will you use? Will you use other materials to create details?
  7. Show off your design to your family! Tell them all about your creation and how you built it. 

 

What did you create? Will you go to Mars in your rocket ship? What kind of tower or house did you build? We would love to see what and how you created!

 

Inspiration: CMofIL Summer Camp

Friendship Bracelets

Friendship Bracelets

We know it’s tough being away from your friends and family. Show someone how much you love them by making them a friendship bracelet and sending it in the mail. Everyone loves surprises!

 

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • Colored Thread or Yarn
    • You will need 7 strands about 50 cm long
  • Small piece of cardboard
  • Tin Can
  • Pencil
  • Scissors 

 

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Create the loom: 
    1. Using the tin can, trace a circle on the cardboard and cut it out.
    2. Draw 4 lines (like a pie or pizza) on your circle to make 8 sections
    3. Make a hole in the middle (you may want an adult to help you with this)
    4. Cut 1 cm into the circle.
  2. Take the strands of thread or yarn and tie them together 
  3. Thread the tied strands through the hole in the loom
  4. Now, take one strand at a time and slide it through the slits on the loom. There should be one left empty
  5. Take the 3rd strand to the LEFT of the open slot, lift it up and put it in the empty slot. The new open slot should be where you just took the first strand. 
  6. Rotate your loom and pick up the new strand 3rd from the left and repeat above step. 
  7. Repeat.
  8. Your bracelet will begin to grow. Make sure to give it a tug every now and then. 
  9. *There is a video on the link below if you get a little confused. 

 

Who will you send your bracelet to? Show us what colors you used. We would love to see what you made!


Inspiration: https://www.redtedart.com/friendship-bracelets-with-cardboard/

Fruit & Veggie Dissection

Fruit and Veggie Dissection

What do all plants have? What does the inside of a stem, or petal, or other fruits look like? Grab some tweezers, some help from your parents, and a magnifying glass to investigate

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • Flowers, Fruits, Vegetables
  • A Parent with a Knife
  • Tweezers or Small Fork
  • Magnifying Glass

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Ask your parents to help you find flowers, vegetables, or fruits you can investigate.
  2. Ask them to help cut them into pieces. 
  3. Use the tweezers or small fork to pull out seeds or other small parts
  4. Now use the magnifying glass to look at all of the items up close. 
    1. Are the seeds from the fruits and vegetables the same or different? How are they similar and how are they different?
    2. What about the skin of the fruits and vegetables?
    3. What do you smell? What colors do you see? What does the inside feel like?

What did you discover? What types of fruits or vegetables did you dissect? Show us on social media!


Inspiration: https://lemonlimeadventures.com

HFFE Ep 002

Home Fun Episode 2

This episode’s exhibit focus is “Ready. Set. Build!” Activities featured are “Building Block Bridges” and “Lego Landmarks,” and this week’s host – Jason Sandberg – builds something pretty awesome out of Legos!

 

Grow Crystals-100

Growing (Egg Shell) Crystals

Use some simple items to create crystals in egg shells! Can you create this sparkly and shiny science project?

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • 1-2 Egg Shells- halved, washed and dry
  • ¾ Cup Epsom Salt
  • ½ Cup Water
  • Elmer’s Glue
  • Paint Brush
  • Food Coloring

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Use the paintbrush (or your finger) to gently spread glue on the inside of your egg shells.
  2. Sprinkle some of the salt on the inside of the egg shell and let dry. 
  3. Heat your water to a boil. 
  4. Now, carefully add the rest of the epsom salt to the water slowly. Make sure to stir and dissolve all the of the salt.
    1. Ask your child if they know what dissolve means
    2. Dissolve means a solid is being incorporated into a liquid to create a new solution. Think about how Kool-aid powder dissolves in water to make a yummy drink!
  5. *Optional: pour the new solution into multiple cups and add food coloring to create colorful crystals.
  6. Make sure the glue is totally dry and pour the warm water into the egg shells. You may want an adult to help you- the water will be very hot.  
  7. Now, WAIT! I know it’s hard, but it takes time for things to grow. Check back each hour to see if anything has changed. Write down what you observe each time you look. *Hint- that’s what scientists do!

Did it work? Show us your crystals! Show us on social media!

Inspiration: https://jenniemasterson.com

Squirt Gun Art

Squirt Gun Art

Are you ready to get messy with outdoor art? We’re going to teach you how to make a painting with a squirt gun!

 

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • Cardboard, poster board, or large paper
  • Paint (multiple colors)
  • Water
  • Squirt guns- smaller would work best (and multiple if you have different colors of paint)

 

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Tape your canvas on the side of a table or lay on the grass
  2. Mix your paint with water to make it less thick. 
  3. Add paint mixture to your squirt guns. You may need the help of an adult or a funnel
  4. Now, aim and spray your canvas. 
    1. What happens when you spray it closer to the canvas?
    2. What happens when you spray it from further away?
  5. Let your canvas dry before picking it up or taking it off of the table. 

 

Don’t forget to show us your art! We can’t wait to see what you made. 

 

Inspiration: CMofIL’s Summer Camp

Video 001 - Crime Lab

Home Fun Episode 1

The first of our Home Fun for Everyone videos is centered on our Heroes Hall Crime Lab. Activities featured are “Fingerprint Fun” and “Shoeprint Science.” This episode hosted by the museum’s president, Amber Kaylor!

For Fingerprint Fun we recommend printing the following Fingerprint Pattern

 

Space Station

Create a Space Station

It’s May the 4th (be with you), otherwise known as Star Wars Day! Today’s project is to create a Space Station diorama. What will your space station look like? Where will it be place- on the moon? Mars? Tatooine?

For this activity you will need the following items:

  • A box
  • Cardboard
  • Recyclables
    • Cardboard tubes
    • Styrofoam
    • Plastic yogurt cups
    • Other plastics
  • Scissors
  • Glue or Tape
  • Lego Pieces (optional)

Now here’s what you do:

  1. Draw a plan for your space station. 
    1. What will it look like?
    2. Where will it be placed?
    3. What things would you need to survive on another planet?
  2. Now, from the drawing, start to gather materials and build! Cut, paste, and create your space station.
  3. Show us and tell us about it! We would love to see videos of you telling us about your space station. 

Inspiration: CMofIL’s Summer Camp; sample station built by the Pier 32 Crew

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