WonderWorks: Air Movers (Technology) and the Bernoulli Principle (Science)

Let's explore a variety of tools (technology!) that help us to move air or at least focus the stream of air more effectively.

Today's Topic: Air Movers (and the Bernoulli Principle!)
Supplies:
plastic drinking straws
hair dryers (make sure they have a cool setting or at least a "cool shot" button that can be taped down)
round, lightweight balls (ping-pong, styrofoam, even plastic eggs work in a pinch)
a variety of things that can (and can't) be pushed around by air blown through a straw (we used pom-poms, rubberbands, toy cars, drink bottle caps, shapes cut out of foam sheets, bouncy balls, feathers, wooden blocks, buttons, packing peanuts)
buckets (optional, but as you'll see later, they can be lots of fun!)

Book: 
  One winter's day / Butler, M. Christina

The Supper Club Presents: Night-Time Apps

Although screen time right before bed isn't generally recommended, there are a few apps that I believe are soothing enough for bedtime and a few others that are best used at night.

This month, I'm trying something a little different.  Instead of including a quick blurb about each app, I'm just going to list the titles we used and link to either the app's webpage, the itunes listing, or my own review on Madison Public Library's website.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton (Loud Crow Apps)

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker  Oceanhouse Media)

PanPaShake (Mosster)

My Teeth (Vogelbusch & Co.)

Bedtime Math

Nighty-Night (Fox & Sheep)  This is my favorite app to wind down with. It is so well-designed to be soothing and sleepy!

StarWalk Kids (Vito Technology)

After the app, we all made "Star Jars." We used this recipe, but added some teeny star glitter from this set and used black glitter and black glitter glue to make it look more like the night sky. Probably should have glued the lids on, but didn't have superglue at work and didn't trust hot glue to keep a baby food jar on when water is present.

In addition to demonstrating the apps above, I also included these night-time apps on my printed handout (these are all only available on iOS devices):

Free Apps

Pete and the secret of flying (Shape)

It was a Cold, Dark Night (Collins Big Cat)

Once Appon

A Story Before Bed (Jackson Fish Market) [contains in-app purchases] [see me reading you stories using this app here!]

Goodnight, Safari (Polk Street Press) [contains in-app purchases right at the end of the story, which sort of interrupt that lovely, quiet bedtime atmosphere they've just created throughout the story, so just beware and turn it off before it gets to the ad for buying more features.]

Paid Apps

Llama Llama Red Pajama (Penguin) [$4.99]

Sleep Tight, Kit! (Bellamon) [$1.99]

Astropolo (3 Elles) [$2.99] [note: this one somewhat randomly includes Santa Claus]

WonderWorks: Pete the Cat Math

Everyone's favorite cool cat teaches some excellent math lessons and has a fun DIY game tie-in.

Note: this idea was taken directly from the blog Buggy and Buddy. I loved the whole concept and wanted to try a little something different in WonderWorks (everyone playing the same game) and the simplicity plus the math AND literacy combo was irresistible. Go to the original blog to see much more well-styled photos and the original explanation for the game.

Today's Topic: Pete the Cat Math
Supplies:
Buttons
Shirts cut out of felt (or just printed onto colored paper. Printable template available here)
blank wooden cubes (one for each game set you're creating)
Sharpie

Book:
  Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons / Litwin, Eric

WonderWorks: Straw Flyers

this simple "paper airplane" has so many design variations and possibilities -- plus, scissors are fun!

Today's Topic: Engineering a "straw plane"
Supplies:
drinking straws (we used plastic, but paper would probably also work.  Bendy and not-bendy are both fine)
paper
tape
scissors

Book:
  Higher! higher! / Patricelli, Leslie