All of these resources below are free to use, knock yourself out!
I am sure that I am not the only person looking forward to spring with a nearly psychotic fervor. What can we do other than comb through our dog-eared seed catalogs one more time?
Well, 19 back issues of Organic Gardening have been posted online for us to comb through, for free! Without getting out of your jammies, you and your kids can learn how to bring ladybugs, butterflies, and bees into your garden, grow orchids or water lilies, reduce your carbon footprint, grow the perfect tomato, or how to reduce the amount of water your garden requires by planting hardy natives.
The photos are amazing and sing to me of warmer days and dirt under my nails. They don’t even whisper about the cheatgrass or the wasps!
Next up is a whole site of science projects you can make at home, in a flash, with materials you have in a drawer or box somewhere. There are so many great ideas here, and science fair projects for a lifetime. Here’s the main link, and I’ll list some of the extra exciting pages that I found, because the site is HUGE.
Got a budding spy in the house?
Got some magnets that need a reason for being?
Got a little one to distract in the kitchen, while you cook?
These are all full of short and sweet projects to do while it’s still too bitter to play outside!
Now THIS! This is a truly amazing resource that I’m sad I am only now discovering!
GEM, the Gateway to Educational Materials is a website sponsored by the US Department of Education. It is a huge catalog of educational materials in almost any subject you can think of. Comets, butterflies, water cycle, everything I searched came up with multiple lesson plans for wide age ranges. Their search function takes some time to get used to, I would just go back to the start page with every new search to stay sane.
Lastly, some videos on YouTube that are not to be missed. Have you been taking advantage of our economic situation to talk about the Great Depression or the value of a dollar? These charming videos mix simple cooking skills with history. 93-year-old Clara teaches us Depression Era recipes while giving us low-key history lessons. Everyone I showed them too agreed that we are very lucky today, compared to what people went through in the Depression. Can you imagine not being able to send your children to school because you couldn’t get them any socks, or clothes to wear? Can you imagine eating pasta, plain, with boiled potato and peas? These would spark some fantastic conversations.
And check and see if your local library has Potato: A Tale From The Great Depression
February 24th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
i want to make the honeycomb!
February 25th, 2009 at 6:59 am
Those are great resources and lucky for your kids, you are creative. I’m all ready to bring out my gardening books and with Emil’s help, we plan the vegetable and flower garden. He laments the entire time but gardening has so many lessons to teach.
The video of Clara is wonderful. 91 years old with so many stories to tell. It’s wonderful that the neighborhood kids come to her place to eat and mingle. How grandmotherly of her!
The other day, I was cutting up chicken for the cats and it struck me how very very fortunate we, some people have no hope of even eating chicken.
Thanks for the insightful post and I’m all over an email to you!
February 25th, 2009 at 10:28 am
These are great ideas! Thanks! Not as good as spring, but they will have to do until then.
March 5th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Mannequin (I know your real name of course, but I can’t help but call you “Mannie” in my head when I see your nickname!) it really is amazing isn’t it, when you have a bit of perspective?
When I think about it, we really don’t have it that bad. It could be MUCH much worse. I’m holding out hope that it won’t be, positive energy and all that.
Clara makes me miss my own grandmother very much.
Anne, nothing is as good as spring. It needs to hurry the heck UP!
Charm, you NEED to make the honeycomb! (so I can live vicariously through you! lol)