The Denver Art Museum on one of its dozen free days a year is about what you’d expect: wall-to-wall families and happy young faces. The difference between this kids’ scene and many others around town is that here, family fun involves making, or learning about, art. James and Becca Dwyer of Englewood recently visited the museum with their families two weekends in a row. While James, 7, was fiddling with shells matched to artwork in the museum, Becca, 3½, was gluing colors to a drawing of a camel. “Then I’m going to color some black on a teapot,” she explained, not looking up from her work. Here is a sampling of similar family destinations where kids can learn to make art — or simply revel in art- related fun. 1. The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities The...
Scientifically Speaking is Colorado’s largest round-up of science and nature programs for adults and children. Be sure to checkout the list of ongoing children’s workshops. WEDNESDAY Meteorite program “The Scientific Utility of Meteorites and the Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program,” a talk by Brian Hynek, University of Colorado, Boulder, will be at 4 p.m. at Benson Earth Sciences lecture hall (380) on the CU Boulder campus. Info: colorado.edu/GeolSci/. THURSDAY Live astronomy talk “Science On, From and Of the Moon,” a program by Eric Hallman, will be at 7:30 p.m. at Fiske Planetarium on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Cost is $6 adults, free for students with valid ID, $3.50 child/senior. Info: 303-492-5001, e-mail [email protected] or v...
The Science Secrets of Leprechauns Revealed Do the leprechauns visit your home every year on St. Patrick’s Day? Those mischievous leprechauns break into my house every year and wreak havoc. And yes, the leprechauns bring a little science with them. What would St. Patrick’s Day be without a little leprechaun science? When the leprechauns break into my house, the first thing they do is turn the water green. Green water flows out of every faucet on St. Patrick’s Day. Then they open cabinet doors, overturn chairs and lay eggs. That’s right. They lay eggs. And not just any eggs…magical appearing eggs. The leprechauns don’t stop there. They leave my girls a special mix of leprechaun soup to mix up for dessert, color changing rainbow beads, green worms for fishing, snow that turns leprechaun gree...
Science Fairs are held year round, but February is a very popular month for schools to hold a science fair. Have you signed up for your school’s science fair but haven’t picked a science fair project? Or are you thinking about joining your science fair but don’t know where to start? Participating in the science fair is an amazing opportunity to learn about the scientific method, ask questions, explore, make new discoveries and gain an understanding of how science works. If you are excited about your child’s science fair project, they will be excited too. Use this opportunity to teach your child the importance of building life long learning skills. Conducting science experiments and teaching process skills take time, and the unfortunate truth is that teachers may not have the necessary time...
It might have been a wonderful experience at age 10, hiking or acting or painting and, most important, bonding with a handful of great friends. Or perhaps it was a memorable moment swimming, splashing and laughing with buddies when life’s future seemed as brilliant as the sky overhead. For some camp directors, childhood experiences at summer camp affected them so deeply they moved into the field, often from counselor up the ranks to director. For others, the fact they weren’t able to attend camp was a strong incentive to reach out to kids. We spoke with the directors of five summer camp programs to find out what inspired them to a job that requires long hours, a ton of patience and a whole lot of love. (Photo: Horseback riding is among the activities at YMCA Camp Shady Brook in...
Santa, or St. Nick, visits our house early each year. It is a tradition in my family to celebrate St. Nicholas day on December 6th. Jolly Old St. Nick visits overnight and fills our stockings. Santa comes and just leaves a present under the tree on Christmas Eve. It’s a nice way to split up all of the loot and gives my girls a little holiday preview. I decided this year with all the snow on the ground, to have a little extra fun. I made St. Nick footprints from my front door (we don’t have a chimney) to our gas fireplace and stockings. To do this activity, you will need fake snow, or Insta-Snow powder found at SteveSpanglerScience.com, craft stores and all over this time of year. Imitation snow comes in a dry, powder form. It fluffs up and becomes wet and cold when water is added. It feels...
Looking for some fun, inexpensive, easy and quick holiday crafts to do with the kids? One they’ll love and you’ll all remember for years to come? How about an ornament to adorn your tree? What You’re Making: A Tree for your Tree. What You’ll Need: Popsicle sticks Glue Hot glue gun if you have one Adornments to glue (options are endless) Ribbon (wrapping ribbon is fine) Green and brown paint (washable is great, with applicator) or green and brown crayons, markers Newspaper Scissors What To Do:
Recently, we visited the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys. The kids were very skeptical because how can a museum about miniatures, dolls, and toys be very cool? Seriously? This is how we are spending our Sunday afternoon? I think they pictured a sterile, roped off environment and not a hands-on and up-close experience. They loved it. Each of them studied the intricately detailed rooms in several amazing dollhouses. The painstaking work it took to create tiny, tiny, tiny tacos in the Sante Fe adobe homestead makes my eyes cross. I pictured squinting people with tweezers and impossible steady hands building many of the rooms, towns, and railroad villages we admired. Many of the dollhouses are replicas of actual stately and historical homes. The most talked-about display on our tr...
Theresa Nuber can’t sing. Fortunately, her duet partner hasn’t noticed. Every Thursday morning, Nuber and her 18-month-old daughter, Eva, attend The Music Train, a family music class in their neighborhood. From sign language to tumbling, family classes aren’t just for Type-A competitive parents. Some stay-at-home moms relish the social benefits of a scheduled group activity, and working parents appreciate outings that optimize precious time with their kids. Nuber sought out The Music Train despite the indignity of being released by her own grade-school piano teacher for lack of “ear.” “Honestly, I was thinking music class would be grueling, listening to baby music constantly,” says the Denver mom. “But I knew it would be good for Eva, so I fo...
It’s sunny 300+ days a year here in Colorado. When my husband and I moved to this state in January of 1999, we covered our eyes and begged the locals to explain to us what this massive, bright ball in the sky was. I mean, it couldn’t be the sun! This was JANUARY. We’d just battled a blizzard and trekked across the plains, leaving the gray, sunless skies of a Typical Midwestern Winter to start our new lives in Colorado. But, it was the sun. The locals thought this much sun was normal, even in winter. Clearly, we’d moved to a magical land. (The above photo was taken in January 2009, ten years later.) Whenever I admit out loud that I actually like a cloudy day every now and then, I get strange looks. Yes, most everyone in Colorado thinks I’m crazy. The residents of Denver go a bit stir-crazy...
Sometimes a beloved tradition has roots in sheer necessity. For small children, Thanksgiving Day can be very long. Adults are flurried with the feast. It’s difficult for kids to find their niche amongst long-lost relatives and the unceremonious sucking noise cranberry makes as it slides out of the can. We found a way to capture the kids’ imaginations, allow them into the kitchen, and teach thankfulness. This year will be our ninth year observing this home-grown tradition. On Thanksgiving day, at about 11 am, our family celebrates Snoopy Thanksgiving. I knew it was officially a tradition when our daughter announced at dinner when she has kids, they will celebrate Snoopy Thanksgiving too. The origins of Snoopy Thanksgiving are simple and born out of necessity. The inspiration is ...