Group Blog Home
Group Blog Home

Recent Posts
1  2  3 
HELLO

HELLO stands for Hand-on Early Literacy for Little Ones. In this program children will sing songs, work on fine and gross motor skills, learn about letters, numbers and science and develop early literacy skills. Ages 0-6.

This week's video is all about the letter D, as in for dog!

Posted by [email protected]  On Nov 05, 2020 at 12:07 PM
  
HELLO

HELLO stands for Hand-on Early Literacy for Little Ones. In this program children will sing songs, work on fine and gross motor skills, learn about letters, numbers and science and develop early literacy skills. Ages 0-6.

Posted by [email protected]  On Oct 22, 2020 at 9:55 AM
  
Making Magic: Crafts for Kids

Rainbow Paper Windchime
by Tessy

Can you make a rainbow? Create rainbow paper and string it together in a homemade windchime to catch the summer breeze!



Thank you to The Science Kiddo for letting us share their rainbow paper craft.
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 22, 2020 at 10:10 AM
  
by Julie & Ben

Making Magic: Crafts for Kids

It's Making Magic Monday!

Join us each Monday during the Summer of Imagination for a new kids's craft! Today we're making scented playdough! There are two recipes you can follow. Show us your playdough creation in the comments!

Supplies (Recipe 1):
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup salt
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup warm water 
- Essential oil
- Food coloring
- 2 bowls
- Mixing spoon

Supplies (Recipe 2):
- 3/4 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup scented conditioner
- Food coloring
- 2 bowls
- Mixing spoon



Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 02, 2020 at 8:21 AM
  
Learn It!
 
Makey Makey with Brandy Brandy (formerly known as Mr. Brandon) 
 
Have you ever stopped to think: “Jeeze, I wish I could combine my love of science with my love of fruit”? No, neither have I…but still wouldn’t it be cool if our fruit could make music? Well thanks to the lovely folks at Makey-Makey, you can now make that happen, along with a wide variety of other awesome activities! You can even play 2D platformers similar the style of a classic Mario game with your kit! If something requires a few simple controls, Makey Makey can probably make it work, pun intended! For the kiddos out there reading this, please make sure you receive permission from your parents before playing, creating music or performing mad science with your food.  
 
So what is a Makey Makey? 
Makey Makey
What it is, is a small circuit board that can turn some of your household objects, such as an apple or banana, into buttons for your computer! It works by creating electrical circuits which you play a part in making! Your computer first provides the initial power source which then flows into the item such as a banana. We need to complete the circuit though, so a person must be holding the ground wire which works as the return route for the electricity! 
 
 
Do I have Superpowers? 
lightning

So why is it that the electricity can flow through you as well? Why are you conductive? Are you a child of Odin? Well no, but the answer is quite ionic…I am sorry. Really though, your body is full of ions! Flow of charged energy and ions creates an electrical current and you currently play host to sodium ion, potassium ion and so much more! Thankfully though, your epidermis (surface of your skin) keeps you from becoming a human lightning rod. Your skin helps provide resistance to becoming too conductive and keeps potential electrical flows at a very minimum level. This is a reason why the low energy that flows into a Makey Makey kit is completely safe for you. In fact, if your hands are too dry, you might have some difficulty completing the connection so please keep that in mind. Alright, you got the details and now it is time for some fun! If you want to see Makey Makey in action, you can check out Mr. Brandon’s video below or you can pick up one for home from makeymakey.com. You also have the option of reaching out to us on this blog and we will get back with you to help guide you on your way.



Thank you so much for taking your time to learn with us at Aurora Public Libraries and we hope you are doing well! 
 
Makey Makey at MLK
  
 
 
Posted by [email protected]  On May 05, 2020 at 5:34 PM
  
Create It!

Stomp Rockets
by Adam




Supplies Needed
· 2 liter or similar-sized plastic bottle
· Bike tire inner tube (demo one is 26 inches but most sizes will work)
· Small piece of 1 inch PVC pipe (Size can vary)
· Duct Tape
· Scotch Tape (Masking and electrical will work as substitutes)
· Scissors
· Paper
· Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils

Launcher
1. Take out the inner tube and cut it with the scissors just above the valve. Do not cut off the valve.
2. Pull one end of the tube over the mouth of the bottle and use the duct tape to anchor it in place.
3. Pull the other end of the tube over one side of the PVC pipe and duct tape in place

Rocket
1. Personalize a sheet a paper by drawing a picture, writing your name etc. Roll the paper around the pipe, making sure that it is snug but not tight. Tape the seam.
2. Slide the paper up and down the pipe to make sure that it moves freely and adjust tightness as needed.
3. Make a cone by cutting out a baseball diamond from a different sheet of paper and joining the straight edges with tape. Use additional tape to seal the cone as airtight as possible.
4. Place the cone over the rocket body. It will overhang so taping will be easier if you reinsert the pipe to give yourself a solid surface to tape on to.
5. Tape down the edges of the cone.
6. Create fins by cutting out triangles and then taping them to the body of the rocket.

Launch
1. Place your rocket on the pipe and aim it skyward away from people, animals and trees. Never launch directly into a tree, you will have a hard time getting your rocket back in one piece 😉
2. Stomp on the bottle to launch the rocket. 
3. Retrieve the rocket and re-inflate the bottle (either with a bike air pump or by blowing into the pipe – if you use this method, be sure to sanitize the pipe!)
4. Have fun!

Tips & Tricks
1. Fins help with stability and aerodynamic flight. Consider different numbers of fins and shapes of fins. Notice how each combination affects the flight of the rocket.
2. Change the launch angle of the pipe. Track how far each launch goes and see which angle is the best.
3. Do not underestimate the range of your rocket. It will go farther than you think.

Tell us how your rocket flew in the comments below! How far did it go? What type of fin worked best?

Posted by [email protected]  On Mar 27, 2020 at 8:56 AM
  
1  2  3