Activities

---

 You get to be the author of your very own silly story. Maybe you will take a trip to a black hole or discover a far-off planet deep in the outer reaches of our galaxy. Maybe you will stay on Earth and watch mysterious bright lights or take a trip to a slimy beach. It’s all up to you!    Fun science facts will follow each story. Learn about our solar system, the Sun, deep space, and even our own planet as you create the perfect adventure tale. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/loopy-legends/en/ 

 You'll need your favorite soda can for the image, the soda can box, scratch paper to practice drawings, 9x12 inch black construction paper, colored pencils (Prisma if you can), a strong type of glue, scissors, heavy cardboard or poster board.  Do a practice drawing on scratch paper, draw a soda can on the black paper, color drawing (use dark colors and a heavy hand), cut soda can box into interesting shapes, glue the soda can box pieces onto a border around the paper, add heavy paper to the back for further support. 

For a twist on the traditional card game War, assign values of 1 to the ace, 11 to the jack, 12 to the queen, and 13 to the king, and face value for the cards two through 10 (for younger children, limit the game to number cards only). Playing in pairs, each student lays two cards face up, then subtracts the lower number from the higher. Whoever has the higher answer wins all four cards. If the totals are the same, the players flip over two more cards and repeat until there is a winner.

Challenge: Use the two cards to form a fraction, and then compare to see who has the larger fraction. If they are equivalent, repeat until someone wins the round. 

Have students stand in a square. Give one of them a ball and a math challenge that requires a list of responses, such as counting by twos or naming shapes that have right angles. Before the student answers, he passes the ball to the person next to him. Children pass the ball around the square as quickly as they can, and the student must give the answer before the ball comes back to him.
Challenge: When the correct answer is given, the child who has the ball must respond to the next challenge, sending the ball back around the circle in the opposite direction. 

Have fun creating your very own word cloud.  Choose your own font, colors, and shapes.  https://www.abcya.com/games/word_clouds

Using jelly beans, marshmallows or gumdrops (or all three) and toothpicks.  Have your student construct blocks, bridges, and towers that stand up strong.  How do you stabilize the structure, how does a 3-sided frame provides support.  Dream big and enjoy it later.

 Ingredients • 2 cups flour • 1/3 cup oil • Scant 1 cup salt • 2 cups cold water • 4 tsp cream of tartar • Food coloring (about 20 drops) • Bowl, gallon-size plastic bag OR wax paper • Airtight storage container(s) • (Optional) quart-size plastic bag(s) for kneading in food coloring Instructions 1. Stir together the flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large pot. Next, add the water and oil. If you’re only making one color, stir in the color now. 2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the dough has thickened and begins to form into a ball. Remove from heat. Place inside a bowl or gallon-size bag, or onto wax paper. 3. Allow to cool slightly. Then, knead until smooth. 4. If you’re creating multiple colors or adding colors at this point, divide the dough into portions for each color. Place the portioned dough into quart-size plastic bags. Add about 5 drops of color to the bags, adding more to brighten the color as desired. Knead the dough inside the bag so it doesn’t stain your hands. 5. Cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight containers. 

 Ingredients • 2 cups flour • 2 tbs oil • 1 cup salt • 1 cup cold water • 6 tsp alum or cream of tartar • Food coloring (about 20 drops) • Bowl, gallon-size plastic bag OR wax paper • Airtight storage container(s) • (Optional) quart-size plastic bag(s) for kneading in food coloring Instructions 1. Stir together the flour, salt and cream of tartar. Next, add the water and oil. If you’re only making one color, stir in the color now. 2. Continue stirring until the dough has thickened and begins to form into a ball. Place inside a bowl or gallon-size bag, or onto wax paper. 3. Knead until smooth. 4. If you’re creating multiple colors or adding colors at this point, divide the dough into portions for each color. Place the portioned dough into quart-size plastic bags. Add about 5 drops of color to the bags, adding more to brighten the color as desired. Knead the dough inside the bag so it doesn’t stain your hands. 5. Refrigerate in airtight containers.