Homeschool Hour - Clay

Yesterday, we had an extremely successful (read: record numbers... 37 in attendance!) Homeschool Program about CLAY.

Unfortunately, I was too busy to take pictures. I did collect photographs taken by other library staff members though, so we have a few!

Our primary product for the clay program was Minnesota Clay Company Rainbow Air-dry Clay (purchased here ). We didn't have the time or funding for kiln work here at the library, but this clay was perfect for what we needed. It comes in a variety of colors (so the kids all got to pick their favorite), and dries within a few days. The clay itself is a good quality, heavy material. It doesn't feel like play-dough or polymer clay... it feels very close to a typical sculpting clay.

The kids rotated between four stations for the program.

STATION ONE: COILS

The kids used clay to make a coil pot. They rolled ropes ("snakes") of clay between their hands, and then coiled it around in a circle to form a container. the bottom of this bowl was made with a flat circle of clay, or with a tightly coiled spiral from one of their ropes.

STATION TWO: THROWING

We used some banding wheels that we bought from Amazon, so the kids could get a chance to try working clay on a wheel. Without access to a pedal wheel, these actually worked very well. It isn't too hard to spin the wheel with one hand, and hold a tool to the side of your clay with the other. It was also very helpful for doing a 'pinch-pot' style bowl, keeping fingers steady to pinch as the project rotated. The banding wheels we got are very sturdy and solid. They spin very cleanly, and cost about $35. For cheaper alternatives, a plastic cake decorating wheel would probably work for smaller/lighter projects.

It wasn't quite 'throwing' in the traditional sense, but it did work nicely when combined with pinch pot directions. The kids made a ball of clay, setting it in the center of the wheel. They pressed one finger into the middle of the ball, and then pinched the walls as they spun the wheel with one hand. After they got the basic shape down, they could make designs along the sides of the bowl. If you dip a fingertip into a bowl of water, it's easy to smooth out the sides. We were also able to create curves in the pottery by holding a finger (or tool) in place while spinning the wheel. After the pot was finished, we slid a bit of fishing line underneath to separate it from the wheel.

STATION THREE: GLAZING

We knew the projects wouldn't be dry by the end of the program, but I still wanted everyone to get a chance to "finish" a piece of pottery. Since everything was air-dry, I created a bunch of clay pieces in the week or two before our program. They were all some form of small bowls, but each one had different curves and shapes to it (32 in all, made from the Minnesota Clay Company's air-dry white). At this station, each kid got to pick a piece of pottery that was already hardened so that they could glaze it.

For a cheap air-dry 'glaze,' we used Glossy Mod Podge. We mixed in liquid food coloring so that there were color options. When this is applied in a thin, smooth layer, it creates a somewhat translucent, glossy, hardened shell (seriously... you would have sworn some of those projects were glazed and fired).

STATION FOUR: FREE SCULPT

At this station, kids were able to try their hand at sculpting anything they wanted. There were dogs, houses, caterpillars... a turtle, a snowman, and even a dojo. We provided blocks of rainbow clay and tons of tools. We used Rubber Tipped tools, wooden ribs, and this awesome set of 38 wooden clay tools we found online. A few of these were spread out to other stations (especially the throwing station), but most of them were available for the kids to use as creatively as they wanted. We had a few books set out with pictures of famous artwork in pottery and sculpture that they could use for reference.

NOTES:
A few things that helped us out...

• We used wax paper to cover a couple of the tables, and pre-cut chunks of clay with fishing line to set out for kids to pick up as they needed. This was much easier than digging out handfuls as they were needed.

• We used squares of card stock for the kids to place their projects on, with sharpies so they could include their names. This helped us keep track of whose projects were whose, and allowed the kids to carry the (still wet) projects without accidentally smashing them. 

• Instead of letting each kid get a brush to paint on their mod podge, we had brushes for  specific colors. When they switched colors, they switched brushes too. If the brush was not in use, it was on a piece of paper labeled with its color. This way the colors didn't mix.

• PARENTS. As I stated earlier, we had more kids than we anticipated (most months we get about 12). The parents who came to the event were awesome about helping to cover the stations, and running to get things from the desk for me. This was super helpful, and I can't thank them enough. 

Snow

Wallace (the desktop pygmy puff) 

is celebrating our first substantial snowfall of the season 

by dressing up as a snowman!

Don't forget! Winter is the perfect season to snuggle up 

with cocoa and a soft blanket to read something you've picked up from the library.

Homeschool Reminder

Gearing up for our December Homeschool Hour with 

EIGHTY-FIVE lbs

of  rainbow  clay!

We stocked up on tools (at least 45 options), and even have two hand wheels we'll get to work with.

Students will get to try a few different pottery techniques, paint with an air-dry glaze, and take their projects home with them. Stay tuned for details and pictures after the December 21st program!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wallace The Desktop Pygmy Puff is thankful for all of the cool stuff he gets to do at the library

(and for the fact that he isn't a real turkey).

Enjoy your holiday!

Home School Hour - Fungus

Our November Home School Hour covered one of my favorite subjects... 

Fungus!

I took an Intro to Mycology class in college that I found surprisingly fascinating, and I've had a special interest in fungus ever since. It's pretty cool stuff!

 We started out with a very basic question- What is a mushroom?

We worked our way through the first few answers (plant, vegetable, etc.) Then we learned about the separate Kingdom for Fungi, and the fact that it ISN'T a plant after all!

I gave them a trick question... Are mushrooms and toadstools the same thing? We did a class vote (raise your hand if you think they are... raise your hand if you think they aren't) and discovered that everyone was right. ¹

We talked about the purpose of fungus as an important decomposer, and about how we wouldn't like it very much if all the leaves and dead bugs continued to pile up for thousands of years until we were all buried in it. Then we talked about uses.

This is my favorite part about fungus. We talked about what people can do with fungus. We talked about eating mushrooms, making medicine, and all the many cool things we get from mycology. At Ecovative Design you can purchase samples of MycoFoam and MycoBoard. We discussed the ability to grow 'Styrofoam'  in whatever shape you need for packing, and how strong plywood is when it's actually grown together instead of glued. We discussed Muskin, and Quorn, and Mycoprotein. We all decided it's pretty cool that fungus can be used for so many different things.

We learned a little bit about mushroom history, and about Fairy Rings. Waaaaay back in the old days, people suspected that mushrooms were magical because they sprouted up quickly over night, and formed in circular shapes (so logically, it had to be a result of the fairies). What the people back then didn't realize was that the mushrooms are only the fruiting body of a fungus, so a ring of mushrooms is connected. Like how an apple grows as the end of different branches on a tree, mushrooms grow at the end of different mycelial 'roots.' Plus, the mushrooms that grew so quickly were already fully formed under ground. They absorb water and spring up over night (which happens a lot faster than the growth of most plants).

We illustrated this point with grow capsules. We got magic grow capsules. It was a pretty good deal online with 72 capsules for about $9. We mixed ours together in a jar, so each kid got a mystery capsule and a bowl of warm water to watch how this works. As the outer shell dissolves, the spongy animal bursts through, fully formed, and filled with water. It's a pretty good comparison to a mushroom growing out of its cup.
(We also had a pretty good photo to show the different stages of mushroom emergence)

We went over the basic growth cycle of a mushroom to understand more about how this works (and we got to learn some cool vocab like 'mycelium' and 'germination'. 

Our vocabulary lesson continued with the main parts of a mushroom. We used a few goofy hand motions to help us remember these... wiggling our fingers for the mycelium, clapping our hands together for the cup, holding up one finger for the stipe, wrapping our finger and thumb around that finger for the ring, hands on top of our head for the pileus, down our necks for the gills, and tapping the tops of our heads for the UVR. It's definitely silly (especially for the older kids), but it can really help with memorization.

For our snack, we had these Shiitake Chips.

They tasted a little bit like Funyuns, and were adorable, tiny, crunchy little mushrooms. The kids also got to sample Mushroom Jerky. Now, I didn't care much for this one (the aftertaste stayed with me even through dinner that evening), but it was a different way to eat mushrooms, and the kids that liked it really liked it. They kept asking for second helpings of it... thirds... and if they could take some home (I eagerly obliged...  I certainly wasn't going to take it home). It has roughly the same texture as beef jerky, and a very strong, woodsy flavor. We also had bananas for the less adventurous eaters, and talked about the impact of fungus on banana plants (why doesn't banana candy taste like bananas?)²

Our final activity for our fungal fun day was mushroom stamping. We didn't have enough time to make Spore Prints, so we opted for a different way to study mushrooms on paper.

Each kid got a few fresh mushrooms (just a grocery store white variety... most of our local fruits are out of season). They were instructed to cut the mushroom in half, and then stamp it into and ink pad and on a piece of paper. We were able to identify different parts of the mushroom on paper (marks of the gills and ring, the stipe, the pileus... etc.) and we were able to locate some open spaces in the mushroom where water was absorbed and held.

We cut the mushrooms at different spots for different angles (gill prints were harder to get, but they looked pretty cool). 

I was pretty excited about this Home School Hour. The program ran very smoothly, and I think the kids had fun. Hopefully they learned something too!

1. They technically are the same, but most people use 'toadstool' to refer to a poisonous fruit, and 'mushroom' to refer to an edible one.
2. The Gros Michel banana used to be the major import fruit, before 1965 when the Panama Disease (a fungal disease) wiped out most of its commercial plants. We now use a different species of banana. Candy isn't necessarily based on the Gros Michel, but it does taste more similar. 

After School Crew - Week 6

After School Crew - Week 6

90's Craft Night!

I looked forward to this one for a long time. 

For our last meeting of the Autumn session, I wanted to do something fun. So... we based our night on the 90s, and got to make some of the crafts I used to do as a kid. 

Our snack was a knock off of Dunkaroos (teddy grahams with rainbow chip frosting), and Hi-C Ecto Cooler (which luckily is back for the Ghost Busters reboot). 

What the pictures here can't capture is the 90s music playlist played from Spotify (complete with all the classics I made a fool of myself dancing to).

Also not captured is my denim on denim outfit, and the bobble knots I wore my hair in.

We started out with standard bead animals. 

If you didn't have a neon lizard hanging off of your backpack in the 90s, you're lying.

I printed out a bunch of patterns before our meeting, from pictures I gathered online. If you do a search for 'pony bead patterns' or 'beaded keychain animals' you will find dozens. Or, you can steal the file of ones I collected here.

After I explained how the beading worked, I also gave the kids the option to create their own designs. I was pretty impressed with what they came up with. Look at how awesome this Leonardo turned out!

If you've never made a beaded animal before, I'll let you know right now that they're very easy to do, and very hard to explain. You'll start out with a long string and a keychain. fold the string in half, then thread it through the keychain, and pull both of the loose ends through the loop of the string. Pull this tight, and it will be attached to the keychain 

Following whatever pattern you choose, string the correct number/color of beads onto one side of the string (string A). Thread the other side of the string (string B) up through the beads in the other direction. Pull both strings tight until the beads run horizontally under the keychain. Continue working down the pattern, adding beads as indicated. 

Occasionally there will be a break in the pattern for non-vertical pieces (such as legs or beaks that stick out from the sides). These will use only one side of the string (string A OR string B... not both). In this case, you will thread the beads onto one string, then reverse that same string through the beads in the other direction. Typically, you will thread four, then skip three and revers through only the top bead.

The patterns are usually fairly easy to follow, and there are dozens of tutorials online if something doesn't make sense.

Our other craft was the stretch choker (except, we made them into bracelets, due to our short period of time for two crafts). 

 Almost everyone I knew wore one of these things on a daily basis. Mine was black with blue beaded stars on it. They're pretty easy to make once you get the hang of them, but the first couple usually turn out pretty rough. My current system isn't foolproof by any means, but it has certainly improved since 1998.

All you need for this one is stretch cord. These are usually done with a thin cord (either stretch or a solid plastic), but we used a bulkier cord to speed things up. Fold the cord in half, and tape it flat to your table, or other flat surface. You will have two strings, A, and B. In these examples, A is on the left side, and B is on the right. 

The steps for this pattern are pretty simple if you don't overthink them. Cross, Through, Up, Down, Switch. You will only be moving one side of the string at a time. This will be the 'active' string.  Begin by crossing one side (A) over the other (B) to make a '4' shape. Loop the horizontal (A) part of the 4 through the loop you have created by going around the stationary vertical part (B) like the first step in tying your shoes. Pull the active string (A) up (away from you, toward the tape), then down (toward you, away from the tape). After you have a loop, switch your attention to the other string, repeating in the opposite direction.

It sounds complicated, but if you focus on just a few things, it should run smoothly. 

• Pay attention to which string is 'active.' It can be easy to accidentally use the wrong string. With the younger kids, I have found it useful to tape down whichever string is stationary. If you do this, the 'switch' step refers to switching your tape to the other string. 
• Focus on keeping the cord flat. If the cord rotates, the directions get off very quickly,  and the whole craft may have to be undone to fix it.
• Don't skip the 'up' step. It seems unnecessary, but it really helps to even out each loop on the cord. Without this step, the loops come out lopsided, and sometimes twisted.
• Recite the steps. I find it a lot easier to keep track of what I'm doing by simply repeating what needs to be done with the strings. Cross, Through, Up, Down, Switch.'

 In this image, you can see the tape keeping the stationary string in place. The tape holds the left string down in the first four images, and then is switched to the right string as it becomes stationary for the next loop.

I know these directions don't make a ton of sense, but hopefully the pictures help. I also made this quick video to show the basic steps that are repeated in the pattern. At the end of the cord, simply tie a knot through the top (taped) loop. Voilà! You have an authentic 90s style choker!

After School Crew - Week 5

After School Crew - Week 5

Magnet Boards

For our fifth week of After School Crew, we made magnet boards. This is one of my absolute favorite projects. The kids get to be super creative with what they make, and it's a craft that can be used (rather than a picture that hangs on the fridge for  few weeks before getting tossed). The magnets can be moved around on the board, or can be used to display pictures, notes, and papers.

 

Something else I love is that Magnet Boards are crazy simple.You just need a pizza pan (we got ours at walmart for 88 cents a piece), tissue paper, paint, craft foam, glue, and magnets.

Draw a circle on the tissue paper (it's easiest to just lay the paper on top of the pan, and trace around the bottom portion). I usually use two sheets of tissue paper for a little added thickness. Use tacky glue to attach the tissue paper to the pizza pan. I typically create a spiral pattern from the center of the pan to the edge so it's attached securely. 

Give the tissue paper time to dry. I usually do this the day before... or at least a few hours in advance.

The tissue paper is just there to give you a paintable surface (acrylic paint peels off of the pan pretty easily). Once the paper is dry, it can be painted in any fashion you would like. Make sure to instruct children to paint gently, as it is possible for the paper to tear (which can be easily repaired with a little more glue, should it happen). 

My space board has splotches of black, blue, and purple, with gold and white speckles for stars. The fun of this project is that kids can create whatever they want. We ended up with a Minecraft board, an underwater scene, a rainbow, a forest, a face, a pizza... basically anything you could think of. 

The magnets are just made by cutting craft foam and attaching it to button magnets or magnetic tape. Allow the glue on the magnets and the paint on the board to dry... and you're done!

The magnet boards can be used to play (moving cars or people of other figures across them), to tell stories (you can easily throw some together with characters from picture books), or to decorate (we have one holding up notes about After School Crew right now).

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Wallace the desktop Pygmy Puff! He hopes you're all having a wonderful holiday!

Wallace is dressing up as Harry Potter this year. He had so much fun at our Newt's Magical Mapquest program that he just had to carry on with the same theme!

Newt's Magical Mapquest

Newt's Magical Mapquest

Halloween Family Fun Night

Post in progress... more pictures coming soon!

Our Halloween Family Program was dedicated to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. We had a lot of fun with the variation on a Harry Potter theme. 

Each child started out with a map that led them around the library, introducing them to different creatures they would encounter. 

Each section of the library was labeled with the creature for that activity... including their Ministry of Magic classification, and information from the Fantastic Beasts book.

The dragon tail decoration was created by taping newspaper into a curved cone

shape, and using hot glue to attach halves of metallic muffin liners so that

they overlapped to create scales.

The dragon area was our craft for the night. TP rolls were wrapped in green sheets of paper. Pom-poms were glued to the top (small for the nose, slightly larger for the eyes) with googly eyes added to the front. Each dragon had red, yellow, and orange streamers glued around the inside of its mouth. When you blow through the roll, the streamers at the end move as though the dragon is breathing fire. After completing the craft, kids received a 'D' stamp on their map.

The Pixie station had a 'plinko' board. We modified this with a printed title and printed pixie images taped to the coins.
The station's decor was completed with two caged pixies. One made of modeling clay and attached to a decorative birdcage with fishing line, and one a simple silhouette in a fairy jar.





The Acromantula area was completely decked out in large spiders (which were easy to find around Halloween). This was a pretty fun game. We filled a tub with green water beads, and a few plastic spiders of different shapes and sizes. There was a scoring system where each spider was worth a different number of coins.