Backpacking with the Kids

We just returned from a backpacking trip with the kids--the first one with our own kids. This reminded me of some earlier comments that I meant to post on the website but never did (will soon perhaps!).
- small kids may need to take 2-3 steps for every one step you take
- singing, storytelling and imaginative creations (trees that remind you of a dragon, moss that looks like a miniature forest--I wonder who lives in that forest? Counting "Excalibur" trees--trees whose roots grew around rocks, etc.) go a long way towards increasing everyone's enjoyment and taking their minds off of the work of walking
- kids are way stronger than adults, both physically and spiritually, or at least, these kids are way stronger than these adults!
- sometimes reading the map and figuring out where you are (using a compass or not) can be fun, unless you try and share that info with someone who is feeling particularly tired out at the time!

- kid loads should be about 20% of their body weight; even though these seems light, and they may beg to carry more at the outset, it is good to remember that their bodies are growing and the extra stresses can cause long-term problems for them
- a well-fitting, well-adjusted backpack is worth its weight in gold (although it also shouldn't weigh much at all when empty!)
- keeping easy to reach snacks available for the kids at all times, and topping up the water bottles regularly keeps everyone happy
- even the most cheerful backpacker is bound to get a little grumpy when their footwear gets waterlogged
- "one" should always fix any broken gear immediately after a trip and before "one" forgets that it has been damaged!

We bought "big squeeze" backpacks from MEC for the kids for Christmas and this was their maiden voyage. I have to say I am incredibly pleased with the design. The only thing I'd change is to put a water bottle carrier right on the hip belt rather than just the ones on the sides of the pack so that they are more easily accessed by the kids with small arms and hands. The packs were easy to adjust and re-adjust on the trail, held an impressive amount of gear (which is good, because the kids carried the light but bulky items), and the compression straps were incredibly useful. The vertical alignment made it easy for the kids to dig through and find things themselves quite easily.

Songs we sang this trip: The Happy Wanderer, Mud Mud Glorious Mud, I've Been Working on the Railroad, The 12 Days of Backpacking (the kids had to keep revising it as we saw more and different wildlife), Put One Foot in Front of the Other, Smoke on the Water, we hummed the Top Gun Anthem, and a few others I'm not thinking of at the moment. An eclectic list for an eclectic family!

For more tips on camping with kids (car camping, canoe tripping and backpacking), see my camping pages here: http://greensim.com/lemonade/camp.html

Great Gifts Kids Can Make Themselves

Remember making popsicle (sorry, "craft stick") trivets in school? How about spray painted macaroni pencil holders?

If you're looking for kid-friendly gifts to make that are a little different than the usual, try the Lemonade gifts page for some inspiration.
The decoupage photo box was particularly well received by the grandparents.
Crayon painted candles and hand-made picture frames are also sure-fire hits.

For some green ways to wrap it all up, take a look at the gift wrap page as well.

The Harry Potter Pages are all up now!

There are LOTS of new activities, games, recipes, educational resources, and I even expanded my novel study section. There is something there for everyone, Muggles, Squibs and Wizards alike.

Main page with activities by wizarding subject, lots of classroom activities here.

Food and candy recipes, all with a wizarding theme are here.

Wizard themed party games, and variations on quidditch suitable for non-flying Muggles can be found here.

The Harry Potter novel study can be found here.

And wizarding crafts can be found here.

Enjoy!

Harry Potter / Wizarding Activities are Up on Lemonade

The first phase of my wizarding activities updates can now be found here: http://llemonade.com/wizard.html
Along with the older activities, I've added quite a few new ones. I'm still playing around with the sorting of ideas, and will be adding more pictures as I go.

The updates include instructions on the Honeydukes candy, extra recipes for butterbeer and pumpkin juice, a recipe for firewhiskey, and instructions for making waxen hands of glory (along with pics).

All the original games and activities are still there as well. I will be adding more games and educational activities over the next few weeks as I separate out the "party" and "educational" activities into their own pages.

Now to find that Puffskein knitting pattern...I don't think I made that one up and I would like to find the original source. Anyone happen to know it offhand? It's a great first-time knitter's project.

Also on the page you can find links to crafts including shrunken house elf heads (apple doll heads),links to many recipes not found elsewhere on the internet, and a template for a chocolate frog box. There is lots more there too, including ideas for Hogwarts classes.

Rocket Science

Rocketry is a great way to explore Newton's laws of motion. It can be linked in with Canada Day fireworks, Chinese New Year, inventions, flight, and any space launches/missions of interest. You can spend a lot of time learning about various engines, fin designs, history of rocketry, escape velocity, etc. but the most popular part of exploring rockets is (of course) launching.

My son is interested in rocketry. We have found that there are lots of possibilities in terms of level of sophistication as far as model rocketry goes.

There are the simpler ones--stomp rockets, baking soda/vinegar rockets, and alka seltzer rockets. You can buy commercial kits for these, or make your own (much cheaper, more fun and easy to do).
When you have gain a little experience, you can work your way into dry ice, air rockets, water rockets and rockets that use explosive engines, such as Estes. The Estes rockets can be bought ready made, as kits you put together (with varying levels of building available), or you can make your own engine-ready paper model.

There are plans and links for all of these on the Lemonade Science Index page.

From experience comes knowledge. Here are some tips that may help you with your rocket launch:
- start small and work gradually to larger projects as you gain experience--even the smallest and "tamest" of rockets provide great entertainment
- check the wind, not only at ground level, but at altitude as well; wind can mess up launches by sending your rocket off course, sometimes to never be recovered again; it is also a safety hazard
- if it is windy, try some kite flying instead, and remember that there is usually less wind at dawn and dusk
- always launch in a safe open area, well away from people, pets, wildlife, airports, hydro wires, and any other hazards
- read and ensure you understand all instructions and safety precautions before you attempt a launch
- be sure to bring along extra batteries, alka seltzer tablets, water, baking soda/vinegar, etc. as appropriate to your rocket
- also bring along a camera and friends
- remember that any rocket, regardless of fuel system and complexity, brings with it the potential for serious injury if not used properly--prepare accordingly and always have a responsible adult supervising launches
- be sure to experiment-- try comparing baking soda/vinegar to alka seltzer to dry ice for fuels to see which gives the most thrust; try different fin designs, compare air rockets with water rockets, etc.
- for Estes rockets: try using different engines on your rocket to see how it changes the flight; make your own altimeter to measure the height (great way to explore Pythagoras and trigonometry too!), try adding payloads to your rocket, etc.
- carry an emergency repair kit with you to your launch

And most of all, have fun!