Imagination Station - Science Lab

 

This theme was inspired by a popular station from my very first Imagination Station program. As part of an overall “Veterinary Clinic” theme I had set up a “Laboratory” station with a toy microscope and a simple experiment with water, vinegar, and baking soda that proved to be a hit with the kids. I knew then that I wanted to do a whole laboratory-themed Imagination Station at some point.

Program: Imagination Station - Science Lab

Ages: 2-6 

Number: Up to 15-20 children

Budget: Around $30-50; some items purchased can be reused, others we already had on hand 

Skills & Concepts: Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional, early literacy, fine motor, cause-and-effect, observation, science vocabulary

Activities:

1. Read-Aloud
   
   
   
   I first gathered everyone in the children’s department for an introduction and read-aloud. I introduced myself and told them that before I became a librarian I used to be a scientist. Then I asked them what they thought a scientist is and does and discussed their answers, which led us to reading the book We Are All Scientists by Ellen Ochoa.
   
   This is a great little book that introduces the concept of science and scientists, using short and simple text and relatable illustrations that portray a few different types of scientist. We followed that with a discussion of a couple of other types of scientists that were not in the book such as Paleontologist, which led to a discussion differentiating paleontology from archaeology.
   
   I informed them that we were going to pretend to be scientists today and that there would be things for dress up and pretend play, as well as actual experiments to do. I explained one very important thing about science is safety and following instructions so that we stay safe and so that our experiments work right. I went over safety rules, including no eating, drinking, or putting anything in our mouths, keeping our hands away from our mouths, faces, and eyes; and washing hands afterward, then led them into the program room and explained the various stations. 
   
   [Print motivation, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
2. Dramatic Play  
   
   
   
   
   I set up the market stand as a laboratory supply station and stocked it with some Erlenmeyer flasks that my supervisor happened to have, graduated cylinders and beakers that I had, test tubes that I purchased, child-sized lab coats and safety glasses that I got from a programming kit from the main library, and a toy microscope that was my daughter's. I added a sign with pictures and names of some of the scientific equipment, and placed a small table nearby. 
   
   [Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional skills, functional print, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
3. Discovery Zone  
   
   
   
   
   I set a variety of materials on a table - bugs, seeds, leaves, flowers, fossils, wood chips, and geodes - along with magnifying glasses and discovery tubes from Lakeshore Learning that I also got from the science programming kit. The sign on the table prompted them to observe characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, structure, and weight. 
   
   [Fine motor skills, observation skills, sensory exploration, background knowledge]
   
   
4. Oobleck  
   
   
   
   
   I made a large batch of oobleck, which is a super-thick slurry of cornstarch and water (approximately one cup of water per two cups of cornstarch) that forms a non-Newtonian fluid. This means that it behaves both as a solid and a liquid, depending on the forces acting on it. If a strong force acts on it, such as hitting it with your hand, it feels like a solid, but when under very weak forces it behaves as a liquid. You can peel it away from the bowl and pick up a chunk that initially seems dry and solid, but as it sits in your open hand, it becomes a liquid and starts oozing through your fingers. This is messy, but oh-so-fun and fascinating, and relatively easy to clean up.
   
   [Sensory exploration, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
5. Lava Lamp
   
   
   
   
   I have seen this done previously many times using Alka-Seltzer tablets, but I really didn’t want to use that due to expense and safety as they contain aspirin, which isn't even necessary for the experiment. I searched and discovered that you can get the same effect much cheaper and more safely using baking soda and vinegar.
   
   For the small cups, we were using it only needed one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda in the bottom, then fill about halfway with either mineral or vegetable oil. Then add food coloring to vinegar and use pipettes to drop the colored vinegar in slowly. The colored droplets of vinegar are more dense than the oil so they will sink to the bottom, where they then react with the vinegar and produce bubbles of carbon dioxide which bring the droplets back up to the surface, where they sink again as the CO2 dissapates.
   
   [Fine-motor skills, pincer grasp, colors, observation, cause & effect]
   
   
6. Color-Changing Cabbage Juice
   
   
   
   
   Purple cabbage contains pH-sensitive pigments called anthocyanins that are purple at neutral pH, but change to shades of magenta or pink when in an acidic environment, and turn blue or green in alkaline environments. I gave them sparkling water, lemon-lime soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda to add to the cabbage juice to observe the color changes. (For more details on this and how to extract the pigments from the cabbage see my previous "Making a Natural pH Indicator" post.)
   
   [Fine-motor skills, pincer grasp, colors, observation, cause & effect]
   
   
7. Microscopy
   
   
   
   
   The science programming kit I borrowed from the main library also came with microscopes, so I set up one with a provided slide of the cross-section of a plant stem and the other with a slide of a honeybee wing.
   
   [Fine-motor, vocabulary, background knowledge] 
   
   

How It Went

I would say this one was a hit, and I was very pleased with the turnout and how it went. Kids and adults really got into the different experiments and did a great job following directions! For once it seemed like everyone was doing and using everything the way I had intended, and there was plenty of pretend play going on as well. I was very pleasantly surprised at how little mess there was overall; even with all the various liquids used in the two experiments there were no big spills, and though of course there was some mess with the oobleck, it was not nearly as bad as I had expected.

What I Would Do Differently

This went so well the only thing that I would really change would be to not bother putting the real microscopes out. These were very low quality microscopes, and even with good microscopes it’s very difficult for children to see anything or understand what they are looking at, and I don't think they got anything out of this station other than a little frustration. One would need to have a better quality microscope, and one capable of projecting to a screen so the kids can see easily (and you can be sure of what they are seeing), but for this age the toy microscopes that have “slides“ made with photographs are a much better choice. Next time I'll also try to have a little better selection of things for the discovery table, with a few more different types of rocks and crystals, feathers, live insects, shed reptile skin, etc.

Family Steam - Leprechaun Traps II

I first did this program three years ago, and it went so well and was so much fun, I knew I would do it again some time.

Title: Family STEAM Challenge - Leprechaun Traps

Ages: All ages (I had kids aged 4 to 9)

Time: 1-1/4 hours

Budget: $35 for specially purchased items, some optional. Most materials were found items or from our general craft supply stock. 

# of Participants: 10 kids and 8 adults participated, along with 3 younger & older siblings that accompanied but did not really participate

Skills/Concepts: Imagination, creativity, folklore, problem-solving, motor skills, expressive language, public speaking

Materials:  

• variety of small boxes
• large pieces of flat cardboard (cut from large boxes)
• green spray paint, $7
• cardboard tubes from paper towels
• green construction paper in two shades
• colored craft sticks 
• string
• crayons
• markers
• glitter glue
• glitter shamrock foam stickers, $10
• "gold" coins, $7
• Lucky Charms cereal (both for bait and snacking afterward), $5
• Dixie cups
• glue sticks
• liquid glue
• tacky craft glue
• tape
• scissors, both kid and adult

Prep:  

1. I collected boxes over a period of 3-4 weeks, and cut up a few large boxes to have flat pieces to build on top of. 
2. Spray-painted boxes green. 
3. I found a few examples of leprechaun traps to give them some inspiration.
4. Put all the boxes and assorted craft supplies on tables at the side of the room. 

Program: 

1. First, we briefly went over a little bit of Leprechaun lore and legend.
2. Next, I read How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. I really like how it ends with saying maybe someday some clever child will build a trap good enough to catch the clever leprechaun, maybe one of them.
3. We discussed strategies and considerations for designing traps. 
4. I pointed out where everything was, and encouraged them to look over things and think about it for a bit before they started, and to decide if they were doing one trap as a family, working in pairs, or if each child was doing their own. I also told them if they thought of something they needed/wanted that wasn't out, to let me know and if we had it, I'd be happy to get it out for them.
5. Build!
6. As they were finishing, I began clearing remaining supplies from the supply tables and asked them as they finished to put their trap on the tables so we could line them all up for photos, then they could wash hands and have some Lucky Charms to eat. 
7. Once they were all done, I had them stand behind their traps for group and individual photos, then they each took a turn telling the group about how their trap worked, if they were comfortable doing so. [I did make sure they knew it was optional and if they weren't comfortable speaking in front of everyone they didn't have to.]

How It Went

I had an even better turnout than the first time I did this program, and it went just as well. Since the program had run over last time, I decided to save time by spray painting the boxes green ahead of time, rather than having the kids cover them with paper like the last time (I also didn't have a roll of green bulletin board paper this time). Even though this did save some time, we still ran over by about 15 minutes past the scheduled hour. 

I was happy most of the kids were willing to present their traps, though there was one child who had to leave and one who said they didn't want to talk in front of people, or even give his name, which was fine. There were also two little ones who were a little shy and couldn't speak loudly enough for everyone to hear, so they told me, then I repeated to the crowd. I think this is my favorite part of the program.

The kids really seemed to have a great time, and caregivers were appropriately involved without taking over. I was really happy with how things turned out.

What I Would Do Differently 

The only thing I would do differently is schedule more time, since it ran over both times I've done it, and allow more time for set-up and clean-up; thirty minutes is just not enough. It took 45 minutes to clean up, and I really needed at least 45 minutes for set-up. I really prefer to set up early when possible, then take a few minutes to sit somewhere quiet and gather my thoughts.

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

Spy School 2025 - Elementary Program

 

This is the fourth time I've done a version of this program, and I’ve done it a little differently each time. The first time was an in-person program in 2019 that focused on learning different codes and different methods of hidden messages, plus a “laser” maze for fun. The second time was during the pandemic as a take-home cryptography kit along with a virtual program. The third time was during summer reading of 2024 and had a "treasure hunt adventure" theme with basic instruction of codes and hidden messages and a final treasure hunt complete with riddles, codes, invisible messages, and a treasure map that would lead them to a cache of gold coins they could trade for a prize. 

For this iteration I returned to the original "Spy School" theme, focusing on secret codes and hidden messages, but also including a few other activities. 

Ages: Advertised as for elementary ages (6-11), but actual participants ranged from 4 to 14.

Number: Planned for 10 participants, and had 9 (plus 4 caregivers; adult assistance was needed)

Time: Scheduled for an hour, but ran over at by 20 minutes.

Budget: Roughly $20, as most supplies were already on hand

Skills/Concepts: critical thinking, logic, decoding, observation, chemistry, socio-emotional

Materials:

• paper
• cardstock
• brad fasteners
• yarn
• tape
• scissors
• baking soda
• grape juice
• white crayons (regular, not washable)
• watercolor paint
• milk
• clothes iron
• ironing board, pad, or towel
• paintbrush, small and large
• small cups
• pencils
• stamp pad with washable ink
• invisible ink pens with UV light

In previous versions I led the program in a classroom style, but since people are frequently late to programs at this library I decided to set it up with stations in a more self-directed format. I created cute little instruction manuals along with signage at each station. They created code names and agent number numbers for themselves, practiced a simple substitution code using an encryption wheel and the Pigpen Cipher, experimented with three methods of invisible messages*, did a fingerprint study, matched footprints to a suspect's shoe, built a spy gadget out of Lego bricks, and practiced agility through a simulated laser maze. 

Once they completed all the training activities, they reported back to me and received a mission folder for their first secret mission along with a secret agent pen with UV reactive invisible ink and a UV light in the cap. The mission file included the code name for the mission, a mission objective, a scenario explaining the mission, and ended with a coded message using a numerical substitution code with the key for the code written in UV reactive invisible ink. This message led them to a general location in the library where they had to use their observation skills to locate a message hidden in a book. They were reminded to look for something that seemed out of place  (books shelved in the DVDs, an English book in the Spanish language section, and books shelved backwards).

These messages were coded with the Pigpen Cipher and led them to another location and the final clue. The final clue was written in the UV-reactive invisible ink and instructed them to go to the branch manager’s office and give the password provided to the "undercover agents" at the front desk to gain entry and find the assets they were seeking. In the office they would find our treasure chest which had small prizes like stickers, bracelets, stampers, etc., as well as a selection of prize books; they could pick one book and one toy. I prepared four different missions, dividing them into four teams so they were spread out and not getting in each other's way.

*The three methods of hidden messages we experimented with were:

• Wax Resist - write a message with a white crayon, then paint over with watercolor paint to reveal. The wax in the crayon is hydrophobic, and thus repels the water-based paint.
• Milk - a message written with milk can be revealed using a hot iron. The heat produces the Maillard reaction, which caramelizes and darkens the sugars and proteins in the milk.
• Baking Soda & Grape Juice - a message written with a concentrated baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NAHCO3) slurry can be revealed with grape juice due to the acid-base reaction and change in pH causing a color change.

How It Went
I may have gone *slightly* overboard planning and preparing for this program, spending a fair amount of time on the instruction manuals, folders, and signs; and planning the missions and the clues (but I had so much fun doing it!), and I was really worried no one would show up after all that work. However, I was very relieved to have four families show up for a total of nine kids and four adults, which is a really good turnout for this location! I think overall it went well; there were some hiccups and things that didn’t quite work as I had planned, but everyone completed most of the training activities and they all stuck around to complete their final missions and get their prizes. Though there were some moments of frustration, overall everyone seem to have a good time and weren't daunted by the challenge.

My attempt at making it a self-directed activity did not work very well, however. Participants, adults included, just did not want to take the time and effort to read the instructions included in their manuals or on the signage and still needed me to walk them through and explain everything, so I was run ragged, running from station to station to help people and give verbal instructions and explanations. I think I will go back to my preferred classroom-style instruction for similar programs in the future.  

Some struggled with the coding and decoding, especially with the Pigpen Cipher, and needed a lot of help with that. I also found that the Legos were too distracting and kids tended to just play and build whatever with them rather than making a gadget and then moving onto other activities, so I would probably recommend skipping that or having them make gadgets out of random craft supplies instead of Legos. Some really loved the "laser maze", doing it over and over, and one little boy asked me to time him. I would probably recommend this program for an older age range, say 8-12. For younger kids, I would place less emphasis on the secret codes, and stick to one simple numerical substitution code as those under 8 really struggled with the codes.

Paper Sculpture STEAM Program

 

On a shoestring budget? No time to plan and prep? Need a super simple, low-cost, low-effort-yet-high-quality program in a pinch? Looking for open-ended, process art that's easy and not messy? Then this one's for you!

I first saw this project about a year ago (sorry, I don't remember where or by whom), and thought it would be a great fit for the summer reading 2025 theme of "Color Our World". I loved how colorful and creative it was, and since it was abstract art there would be no "wrong" way of doing it and each person's piece would be unique. But I ended up leaving that library before summer reading, and the library I went to was doing a different theme and already had programs planned through August. This library unfortunately does not have a healthy programming budget, and I still really wanted to do this program, so it was a natural choice for my first school-age program this fall.

Time: 1 hour

Ages: 5-12 (actual ages of my participants were 4-10)

Budget: Nominal, basic stock supplies already on hand

Description: "Get creative and explore shapes, movement, and spatial relationships by twisting, folding, curling, and gluing strips of colored paper to create a one-of-a-kind sculpture."

Concepts & Skills:

• Colors
• Spatial relationships
• Fine-motor
• Socio-emotional
• Creativity

Materials & Supplies:

• assorted colors of paper, cut into strips of varying widths (I only had 9x12 construction and 8.5x11 printer papers, I wish I'd had the bigger construction paper to cut longer strips from)
• glue sticks (liquid glue will not work as it doesn't dry fast enough)
• cardboard bases (I used thin cardboard from cereal boxes)
• scissors, in case they want to cut strips shorter or thinner
• pencils, markers, and/or crayons, to use to wind strips around for curls & spirals, writing names, or embellishing paper strips

How To:

1. I cut all the strips ahead of time, and made an example, both to use for promotion and to give them an idea of what we were doing.
   
   
2. I emphasized that there was no wrong way to do it, and that each person's piece would be unique and different, just like we were each unique and different. I demonstrated how to do some of the basic shapes (bridge, circle, accordian-fold, spiral, freeform twist), but encouraged them to experiment.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Shape a strip, anchor one end with glue stick and hold 3-5 seconds, then anchor the other end.
   
   
4. Keep adding paper strips until you feel your sculpture is done!
   
   
5. Each participant created their own sculpture which they took home with them, and each participant also added strips to the collaborative piece below that was put on display at the library.
   
   

   

   Collaborative Sculpture

   
   

How It Went:

I am at a small neighborhood library that usually does not get very large attendance at programs, so I was thrilled to end up with 3 participants, along with their caregivers. They all seemed to really enjoy the project, and were proud and excited with their finished sculptures. It was interesting to see that each child tended to gravitate towards a particular shape, though they all used multiple shapes, and even came up with shapes that I had not thought of. One partipant had the idea to embellish the strip, writing his inital on each section of an accordion-folded strip.

I really like collaborative art, and was glad I thought of having everyone contribute to a collaborative piece to put on display in the library. The kids really seemed to like being able to both take their sculpture home, and have one on display at the library. I of course loved the low-prep aspect, which really was fortuitous as we were extremely short-staffed this week, which meant I was on the service desk pretty much all day, every day, with no built-in set-up time. 

This was a fun, easy, and successful program that I will definitely do again in the future. I highly recommend it, even if you have a very healthy program budget, adequate staffing, and tons of prep time 😉.

Supporting STEM Learning in Young Children - Embracing a STEM Mindset

 

Images from freepik at Freepik.com

As many of us know, "STEM" programming for school-aged kids and teens spread from the educational system to libraries a decade or so ago (although science and nature programs have been a part of library program for longer than that), and it should be no surprise that now it has trickled down into programming for preschoolers, toddlers, and even babies!

But, does this mean we are having toddlers do full-on chemistry experiments and microscopy as the images above might suggest? Absolutely not! For one, there is the obvious safety issues, for another many advanced STEM activities are not developmentally appropriate for younger children for other reasons. In fact, you do not have to have separate, official "STEM" programs at all in order to support STEM learning in young children! Many of the things we already do in storytime or other programs for the very young support STEM learning; we may just need to be more intentional about it and adjust our mindset.

STEM for the very young is all about the mindset and approach, and the good news is that children are born scientists! Babies and toddlers are already hard-wired to explore the world around them, to be curious, and to experiment. When a toddler stacks blocks, they are learning about spatial relationships; when they knock them down they are learning about cause and effect. A baby explores their environment using all their senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell. Unfortunately, this natural sense of curiosity and wonder is often stifled rather than encouraged once they start school, where they are expected to conform, play is discouraged, experiential learning is less available, teachers are forced to "teach to the test", and science education often falls by the wayside, which is why it's so important to encourage it now.

A "STEM mindset" is a growth mindset. It is all about being curious and open to learning. By embracing and modeling a STEM mindset in our approach we are not only supporting and encouraging children's natural sense of wonder and desire to explore, but also *empowering the caregiver* to do so at home. Some characteristics of a STEM mindset are:

• It's the PROCESS, not the product! Repeat this often, as many caregivers become focused on the product and things turning out or looking "right".
• "Failure" is an opportunity for learning through critical thinking and problem solving! As Pete the Cat says, "there are no failures, only lessons". Repeat this often as well.
• Encourage and model curiosity, wonder, and exploration.
• Question everything! Model asking and exploring What? How? Why? Where? When? questions
• Let kids do as much themselves as possible! Another mantra to repeat often as caregivers tend to take over in their focus on doing things "right".
• Make sure you are presenting scientifically accurate information, no matter what kind of program or activity. So no 4- or 8- pointed snowflakes; no polar bears hanging out with penguins!
• Model making observations and noticing details, colors, shapes, patterns, etc.
• Activities for young children should be play-based. Play is how young children learn!

STEM elements that can be incorporated into storytime or any other programs, and for any age (also see my previous article specifically on incorporating math literacy):

• Counting up & down
• Sorting & grouping
• Shapes
• Measuring (rulers, tape measure, measuring cups & spoons)
• Estimating
• Graphing
• Making observations
• Making predictions
• Including factual information, introducing non-fiction
• Asking questions
  
• Finding or figuring out the answers
• Point out scientific process in art, cooking, other activities
• Stacking, building
• Blocks; foam, wooden, cardboard
• Magnatiles
• Bristle blocks
• Star builders
• Bricks
• Stacking cups
• Many others
• Sensory exploration
• Sensory toys
• Sand/water tables & toys
• Sensory bin
• Nature
• Open-ended activities
• Process art
• Small parts play
• Incorporate at least one STEM activity into multi-station or "party" programs
• Include STEM careers in "community helper" days, career fairs

And a few tips for STEM programming in general:

• Be sure you are highlighting and explaining the STEM principles involved
• Research in advance to be sure you understand and can present accurate information and explanations
• Test all activities in advance to be sure they work, look for difficult steps, safety concerns, etc.
• Basic science is the easiest, most budget friendly, and IMO the most fun.
• Invest in basic equipment and multi-use items
• Vinegar & baking soda are your friends!
• Only change one variable at a time
• Do your research before buying expensive gadgets, be sure they're appropriate for the intended age & goals, try to share with other libraries or schools
• Technology is often over-emphasized at the expense of the other three areas, and often most expensive (for more about this, see "STEM is a Four-Letter Word").
  

Here are a few resources for embracing a STEM mindset and STEM activities specifically in regards to younger children (see part 2 of my "STEM is a Four-Letter Word" series for more STEM resources):

• Let’s Talk, Read and Sing about STEM! Tips for Infant/Toddler Teachers & Providers, great for tips to pass on to caregivers
• S.T.E.A.M. for Infants & Toddlers!?! Slide show with info on development & several activities
• 
  Baby Steps to STEM: Infant and Toddler Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Activities - I HIGHLY recommend this book! Especially good if you do not have a strong background in child development. It provides a solid foundation in understanding learning and brain development, and how to support it with STEM concepts in mind, lists of supplies and materials, advice on modeling wonder, curiosity, & exploration, and more.
  
  This is followed by many activities, with clearly outlined concepts, learning outcomes, tips, materials, steps, questions to ask/model, vocabulary, ways to expand the activity, and children's books that relate to the activity/concepts. Though it focuses on babies and toddlers, many of the concepts and activities are good (maybe even better) for preschool and primary grades.

I hope this article helps you to be more comfortable and confident with your ability to support STEM learning in general and specifically with young children. I also hope that it empowers you to be able to demonstrate to your superiors, admin, community stakeholders, and caregivers how you already are supporting and will support STEM concepts and learning within the framework of storytime and other programs you already offer so you hopefully will not be pressured to spread yourself even thinner by adding yet another program to your roster! [Of course, if you have the time, desire, energy, staffing, and funding to add the occasional preschool STEM play program, go right ahead! Just know that it is not a necessity, and STEM can be supported within existing programs.]

And to close I will quote someone who truly embraces the STEM mindset, followed by photos of young children engaged in developmentally appropriate STEM activities:

"Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" - Ms. Frizzle

 

Images by (l to r) freepik, prostooleh, and freepik at Freepik.com

Related Post: S-T-E-M is a Four-Letter Word!

Shark Week! - Multiple Programs

Although I'm not particularly crazy about or interested in sharks, I did used to enjoy Discovery Shark Week back when it was still educational and not sensationalized crap, and I discovered when I did my very first Shark-themed storytime that it does make for some great programming. Last summer we did a whole week, and it was so fun and such a hit that we did the same this year, and for the first time in a while it luckily coincided with the Discovery channel Shark Week. 

I had the following shark-themed programs and passive activities (programs described below, with photos):

1. Display of shark & other ocean-related books
2. Scavenger hunt & coloring sheets
3. Family Storytime
4. Elementary Explorers (ages 6-10)
5. Tween/Teen Shark Tooth Necklaces (ages 11-18)
6. Newport Aquarium with Live Shark (all ages, best suited for ages 8 & up)

Family Storytime 
We sang "Slippery Fish", did "Two Little White Sharks" (modeled after "Two Little Blackbirds") with finger puppets, "Five Little Fishies Teasing Mr. Shark" with puppets, and read Shark In The Park (now available in boardbook, but I sure wish they would re-release in hardback!) by Nick Sharratt and Shark's Numbers by Harriet Evans. Afterward, we had a visit from Mr. Shark (a coworker in an inflatable shark constume), and I had a few activities: sensory bin with water beads and toy sharks, dot painting sharks & other ocean creatures, and walking the plank (balance beam) over shark-infested waters (cardstock fins taped to floor with waves drawn using chalk). The kids (and grown-ups!) had a blast.

Elementary Explorers 
This is the one I really wanted to highlight here, because it was SO easy and so much fun! It turned out to be my favorite program of the week. Knowing this would be the last week of summer and I would be running on fumes, I took the easy way out and ordered these cute "Pet Shark-in-a-Jar" kits from OT. They were a bit pricey ($2.84/ea), but so cute! 

I first booktalked a few shark-themed books, both fiction and non-fiction, then showed a short slide show with pictures and a few facts of around 8 of the more unusual shark species. I followed that with a brief shark trivia quiz. Then we began working on our pet sharks in jars. I supplemented what came in the kits with sand and some tiny shells I had leftover from making beach slime last summer, which really added a nice touch. I also offered shark origami corner bookmarks as an additional craft, with printed step-by-step instructions with photos and a QR link to video instructions. While they worked on their crafts I entertained/annoyed them with corny shark jokes. That morning before work a "What Shark Species Are You" quiz coincidentally (or not) showed up in my Facebook feed. I wasn't sure if the kids would be interested, but they loved it! As they finished up their crafts, they would come up one at a time, and I'd help them go through the quiz, then take their picture next to the TV screen with their result.

I didn't have a huge turnout, as our numbers always drop by the last week, but it was nice have a smaller group for a change, more relaxed and calm, and those that came really enjoyed it. I was surprised at how much they liked the "What Shark Species Are You" quiz; one boy even made both his grandparents come in and take it, LOL!

Tweens & Teens 
Another easy program, making shark's tooth necklaces using waxed braided cotton cording, wooden beads, and pre-wired shark teeth. I did this same activity last summer with the younger kids, and it was a hit with all ages. I noticed a few kids wearing their necklaces the next day.

Newport Aquarium - Sharks!
The week culminated with a shark program by the aquarium, complete with a live shark! I was a little hesitant to book them, because at a previous job when a coworker booked them we expected 200 people, and ended up with at least 600 and had to turn many away! I did advanced ticketing, with 125 tickets (the limit set by the aquarium) made available to be picked up started the Saturday before the program. Almost 90 tickets were given out that first day, with the last 37 going out Monday morning. We had about 20 no-shows, and 2-3 walk-in families we were then able to accommodate, so it worked out just right! 

Next year I'm going to have them bring sting rays!

And with that, my summer is done, other than doing the prize drawings and putting together some stats and a highlight video. I'm doing storytimes this week, then going on vacation and taking a programming break for the rest of August!

Bubble Science - STEAM Program

I did this fairly easy and relatively inexpensive STEAM program earlier this summer for ages 6-10, but some of the activities could be done with older or younger kids. 

Materials: 

• bubble solution (I really like the Joyin concentrate, especially if you ever use bubble machines)
• pipe cleaners
• straws
• skewers
• plastic dixie cups (do not use paper, the bubble solution goes right through them)
• small plastic plates
• plastic drink bottles with the bottoms cut off (doesn't matter what kind or size, or if they are all the same or not, though I wouldn't use ones with wider openings at the top)
• socks, or scrap pieces of fabric
• rubber bands
• food coloring
• paper
• bubble science kit (optional, but to me was worth the $10 to have a pre-made bubble cube and pyramid, and the booklet with suggested activities and other items came in handy as well); if you do not purchase the kit you would need to make your own bubble cube

Prep:  At each table, I placed 4 pipe cleaners, 4 straws of different colors, 4 skewers, and 2 small plates (I didn't have enough for everyone to have their own). Then I filled the small plastic cups with bubble solution, to be passed out once everyone was settled and ready to begin the activities.

Activity #1 - Surface Tension, Elasticity, & Shape 

1. I instructed them to use a pipe cleaner to make a bubble wand with an angular opening, such as a square, triangle, star, or heart - anything but round - and see if they could blow a square, etc., bubble. 
   
2. After determining that they could only make spherical bubbles regardless of the wand shape, I showed a brief slideshow about the science of bubble. I conveniently happened up one on the American Chemical Society website, saving me from having to make a PowerPoint myself.
3. This showed how the bubble wall is made up of a bilayer of soap molecules with their hydrophobic tails facing outward and their hydrophilic heads pointing inward, with water sandwiched in the middle. We also discussed surface tension, which is why the bubbles are always spherical; elasticity, which is why the bubbles can stretch and grow bigger; and how the iridescent colors are from light bouncing off the bubbles and bubbles not having a uniform thickness.

Activity #2 - Skewer Challenge 

1. I demonstrated how to use a straw to blow bubbles, and how to blow very gently to form a larger bubble that stays attached to the end of the straw, and let them practice until they got the hang of it.
   
2. Then I showed them that I could pierce my bubble with a skewer without popping it (after dipping it in bubble solution without them seeing), then challenged them to do the same.
3. Of course their bubbles all popped when pierced with a dry skewer.
4. Then I let them in on the trick, and demonstrated how I had dipped my skewer in bubble solution first, which will allow the skewer to pierce the bubble without popping it, and even pass through to the other side.

Activity #3 - Bubble Clusters & Bubble Inception

1. For this activity, I instructed them to pour some solution into the plate, then to blow bubbles using the straw onto the plate, and see what happens when bubbles connect. We observed that if the bubbles are very different in size, the larger bubble sometime absorbs the smaller one, making one larger bubble. But when bubbles are close to the same size, they attach, forming a wall in between. When many bubbles of similar size come in contact, the center one will end up in a hexagonal shape.
2. Then we tried to see if we could blow one bubble onto the plate, and then blow more air into it to make it big enough to cover the entire center of the plate (we could).
3. Next, we tried blowing a bubble inside of that bubble by dipping our straws in bubble solution, inserting it into the large bubble, then blowing. It was possible, but a little tricky keeping in the center so they wouldn't merge. Some of the kids were able to get one bubble inside, and I was able to go one more step and get a third bubble inside that bubble! 
4. We all played around trying different things before moving onto the next activity.

Activity #4 - Bubble Cube Demo 

So, we already determined that bubbles are always spherical, right? Well, not exactly. They are always spherical when a single bubble is floating in air, but when they contact other surfaces, bubbles, or films, they do form straight walls.

Initially, my thought was to have them make their own bubble cube to do this trick, but after I spent the previous afternoon testing everything, I realized it would take too much time and likely be too difficult and frustrating for this age, and better suited for middle school and up, so I did it as a demonstration instead.

1. Using the cube frame that came with the Bubble Science Kit, I dipped and rolled it in bubble solution until all 6 sides had soap films (or dunk it if you have a container of bubble solution deep enough).
2. It would sometimes take a few tries, but I would carefully jiggle or tap the cube until I could get the films to join in the center.
3. Using my straw dipped in bubble solution, I carefully blew a small bubble into the very center, resulting in a cube-shaped bubble! [Sometimes step 2 or even step 3 would happen spontaneously while rolling the cube in solution to coat.]

Activity #5 - Bubble Painting 

Since you can't put bubble solution in paper bowls and I only had four plastic bowls, I set this one up as a station that they would take turns doing while others worked on the next activity, or continued to experiment with blowing bubbles. I put some solution into four bowls, and added a couple/few squirts of liquid food color into each [It took a fair amount, you'll just have to experiment until you get it right], and stirred to mix.

1. First stir the solution well with your straw (the pigment tends to settle out).
2. Put the end of your straw to the bottom of the bowl, and blow bubbles until there is a mound of bubbles above the top of the bowl.
3. Carefully and slowly lower a piece of paper onto the bubbles, and continue lowering it until it almost touches the top of the bowl. Be sure to keep the paper taut and not let it sag in the middle or it will get down in the solution.
4. Repeat with the same or multiple colors on different areas of your paper, if desired, then turn over and lay flat to dry (if the paper comes away with bubbles attached, it's fine; they will eventually pop).
5. When dry, the colors are brighter and show up more, but if it's too light just add more color and try again. If the bubbles are popping too fast because the coloring has diluted the soap too much, simply add a spoonful or two of the concentrated bubble solution (or dish soap if making your own).

Activity #6 - Bubble Snakes! 

1. I gave each participant a (clean) plastic drink bottle that had the bottom cut off, a sock, and a rubber band.
2. I showed them how to cut the excess top of the sock off if needed, then to put the sock on the bottle, covering the open bottom.
3. Then we secured the socks in place with a rubber band.
4. To test them, we went outside!
5. I poured bubble solution in a deep tray, and they dipped the sock-covered ends of their blowers in the solution, letting it sit a few seconds to absorb the first time.
6. Then blow into the bottle!
7. This produces many tiny bubbles attached to each other, creating a column of foam (aka "Bubble Snake")
   
   You could also do this using different types of fabric and comparing the results.

I gave them ziplock bags to take their bubble snake blowers and wands home in so as not to drip soap everywhere, a small tube of bubbles, and a sheet with three different bubble solution recipes to try at home (one with glycerin, one with corn syrup, and one with sugar) and a picture of the concentrated bubble solution I buy.

How It Went 

I didn't get a huge turnout, likely because (1) our number always drop in July, and (2) I had done the very popular family craft "No-Sew Sock Animals" the day before that had a big turnout, but still a decent number. It was kind of nice to have just a dozen or so kids for a change, too, so it was less noisy and less hectic. Once we got going, they really started getting into it, and everyone loved the bubble snakes in particular! I had just the right number and combination of activities to fill the hour time slot. Now, to find a use for all the bottle bottoms I cut off!

There are several other bubble activities you could do, such as trying out different homemade bubble solutions, testing a variety of everyday objects as bubble wands/blowers (turkey baster, apple slicer, cookie cutters, colander, strainer, slotted spoons, etc), making giant bubbles, and more. I tried making an opening in a soap film using a circle of thread with the intention of doing it as a demo, but I couldn't get it to last long enough when I tested it [I could get it to work briefly, but the string would quickly fall out of the film; I think I needed a finer thread.], so I decided not to do it this time. It would be a good activity for older kids (12+). (Here's another cool variation of that trick: https://youtu.be/8sJ2tkCdqkg.)

Pictured below: The kids had a blast with their Bubble Snake blowers out on the patio, and I love this stair-step picture of some of them standing along the retaining wall (only about 1-2 feet high). There was just a slight breeze, which sometimes would blow their growing snakes away, but if they were standing in just the right direction, it would instead support their growing snakes, allowing them to grow to about 3 feet long!

Butter Making - Elementary STEM Program

June is National Dairy Month, which I used for the theme of our first week of summer programs. For the big family event I had a mobile dairy classroom come give a presentation on dairy nutrition and farm to table with a milking demonstration, along with a life-size fake cow simulator from our local extension office that the kids could try to milk. I also did dairy cow-themed storytimes and a book display with cow, dairy, and farm books.

For the elementary-aged program I decided to do butter-making, which is fun to do and I thought would appeal to our large homeschool population in particular. It would also be a program that any younger siblings tagging along could participate in. I've done this as a program once before, but this time I discovered a couple of tricks to make it go a little faster/easier (more on that below).