Earth Day was a hit for Young Adults in the SSC Library. I scheduled a Homegrown "Chia" Pets program as an after school event and we had fun playing in the dirt.
Grass seed was used in place of Chia seeds, VERY COST EFFECTIVE!
This class was an hour in duration. Many of the students had never planted seeds before, so I can only hope they cared for these pets as advised. Nonetheless, they enjoyed creating these fun little creatures and getting crafty after a day of school work.
The Table O'Crafty Stuff
The supplies for this program were very inexpensive. A large bag of soil, 2 bags of grass seed (only 1 was needed) and nylon socks (obtained for free from shoe stores) were the major cost, roughly $15. This was more than enough to serve at least 20 kids. Our large stock of craft supplies spread on the table entertained the students creativity. Donated plastic eggs aided in the designs.
Ch-Ch-Ch...Grass Seed!
I highly suggest this simple, yet educational program.
Please enjoy this fuzzy creature experiment I created to show off at the Children's Desk.
Spring has sprung in the Southern Finger Lakes region. Our robins are raiding for worms, even if the wintry weather gives us woe. The Full Pink Moon is pending and I am just coming up for a breather after a week of entertaining young adults on Spring Break. I had initially planned 3 Spring Break programs, but tossed in a fourth option last minute.
Tuesday, March 31 was a Sand Art experience. You may have made one of these at your town carnival or County Fair. Those bottles can cost up to $15 or more, depending upon location, but this program cost less than $20 and served nearly 10 kids, with lots of extra. The difference is we had bottles cleaned and donated by various patrons. I purchased Play Sand for just under $4 per 50 pound bag at our local hardware store. The sand was natural color, so students had the chance to dye their own sand for a more original look. This tutorial helped guide the group on this simple process. The results are fantastic!
Wednesday, April 1, was April Fool's Day and I was a fool with double Young Adult programs. One room was quiet with a http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/05/play-recipes-homemade-bounce-balls.html, but the impromptu Fashion Club with Tat became a flurry of activity all afternoon.
As we have been preparing for REcycled Runway, Tat and I realized during our last class that adding another few hours to the plan was a good idea. Luckily, Spring Break week had the space and time available with most of the classmates in attendance. We brainstormed, snacked, and got giddy as our design made a big transformation. It is amazing how much progress can be made in just three hours! Remember: only teaser shots until the big reveal on May 30, 2015 at Corning Museum of Glass...get your tickets!!!
Thursday, April 2, was another entertaining event leaning in the realm of science experiment. We made Glow in the Dark Bouncy Balls from household ingredients. This class was full and quite the experience, because I did not test the instructions beforehand. I wanted to approach this class just as fresh to the idea as my students. I learned that the tutorial was slightly misleading. The ingredients allowed us to form a ball, but left at room temperature, it became a slime puddle. The project was still educational and fun, but not what we intended. This is the case with many experiments. Nevertheless, we had a ball!!!
Today is Good Friday and the library is barren...of kids at least. I am mentally preparing for First Friday Art Club and creating Crayon Encaustic paintings.
