Fun Science Experiment for Kids

Do you ever have trouble finding activities to entertain your toddler?

I know I do! I am always searching Pinterest, other blogs, and books for neat ideas. I try to find options that will teach her while she plays.

This is a simple, fun science experiment that kids can do, and is also kind of artsy at the same time. 

Showing me where to add more colour.

 We poured the milk into our bowl, added in the food colouring, and let Emily drop in the liquid dish soap (using a few cotton swabs, whatever you have handy will do!). We sat back and watched as the colours twisted together. It was quite mesmerizing, even for me. :)

Adding in more soap.

She enjoyed using the cotton swabs to drip in new drops of dish soap, after I added in more food colouring.

Since she's 2, it probably didn't do much good to explain what was happening. For older kids, this would be a great way to teach them about surface tension. The fat in the milk is being broken down by the soap, which is what makes colours blend together in front of your eyes.

Artsy Extra

The milk turned into one solid blue-green liquid. So, I separated it into a couple of containers, added a bit more food colouring to one of them, mixed in flour (cornstarch probably would have been better, but flour seemed to work too). When it was a good paint-like consistency, Emily dug in with some blank paper and her paintbrushes.

My Little Pony: A Dash of Awesome DVD Review

One of our favourite shows over here is My Little Pony. Emily and I love seeing all of the adventures that come out of Equestria.

We often stop for snack time and curl up with a good show. It's fun to laugh together and watch something both of us enjoy. In between all of the craziness and running around that goes on for the rest of the day, this was perfect for an afternoon or evening of relaxation and cuddles on the couch!

Emily focused on snacking and My Little Pony.

We like Rainbow Dash, she is always up to something interesting. I appreciate that this show encourages 'everypony' to use their imaginations and explore new things. In five exhilarating episodes, this DVD follows her and her best friends Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity.

The episodes that stood out the most to me were about Rainbow Dash's favourite book, and her hero. I felt like they had great messages to pass along to Emily, especially with her entering school in the next couple of years. They shed importance on being an individual, acceptance and friendship while still being fun, adding a touch of magic.

Rainbow's enthusiasm was very contagious. Emily mimicked her emotions, feeling sad, mad, and extremely excited as the stories continued on. She tried to sing along to the songs they sang, and when she couldn't quite figure out the words (she's 2.5), she would get up and dance instead. I could see a light come on in her eyes when the ponies were overjoyed about something, or when they figured something out, she would have her own "A-Ha!" moment.

Emily, having her own "A-Ha!" moment.

Overall, I thought this was another wonderful addition to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic collection. With new adventures happening all of the time, there's sure to be something that most children will enjoy in this series! I look forward to seeing what the next one has in store for us.

You can buy a copy of your own here!

Other My Little Pony Titles available:

My Little Pony Equestria Girls

My Little Pony: Classic Movie Collection

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Princess Twilight Sparkle

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party

.....Plus so many more!!! 

Find the rest of the My Little Pony Collection here!

I received a copy of this DVD in order to conduct my review. As always, opinions are 100% my own.

The Grimmtastic Girls: Review and Giveaway

About the Books: The Grimmtastic Girls

Book #1

Title: Grimmtastic Girls #1: Cinderella Stays Late | Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams | Publication Date: March 25, 2014 | Publisher: Scholastic Inc. | Pages: 192 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 Summary: The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda's totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome's ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!

 
   

Book #2

Title: Grimmtastic Girls #2: Red Riding Hood Gets Lost | Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams | Publication Date: March 25, 2014 | Publisher: Scholastic Inc. | Pages: 192 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 Summary: Red Riding Hood might have a terrible sense of direction, but her grimmtastic friends are always there to help! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... Red Riding Hood is thrilled to try out for the school play. Acting is her dream, and she's great at it--too bad she has stage fright! After a grimmiserable audition, Red decides to focus on helping her friends Cinda, Snow, and Rapunzel save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. But when Red gets lost in Neverwood forest and runs into Wolfgang, who might be part of E.V.I.L., she needs her magic basket and a grimmazingly dramatic performance to figure out what's going on!

 
   

About the Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated more than 130 children's books, including Little Red Writing (illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet) and Zero the Hero. She lives in NC and is online at www.joanholub.com

Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

       

Suzanne Williams is the author of nearly 50 books for children, including the award-winning picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg). She lives near Seattle, WA and is online at www.suzanne-williams.com
 

Author Blog | Goodreads

 


Co-authors Joan and Suzanne have written the Goddess Girls, Heroes in Training, and Grimmtastic Girls series. Though they live in different states and hardly ever get to see each other, they spend lots of time together in Grimmlandia.

Facebook (Grimmtastic Girls) *  Facebook (Goddess Girls Books) *  Online Author Visits

Review 

I read this book aloud to my toddler before bedtime, and during our spare moments throughout the days. She seemed to enjoy listening to Cinda's struggle with her mean Steps at Grimm Academy and Red's troubles with the E.V.I.L Society.

I liked a few things about this series. To start, it took me back to my own childhood. There are some similar (though not nearly as "grimmtastic") series that popped into mind for me right away when I started reading. I always liked the authors that could make you feel like you were somewhere different, and Grimmlandia certainly carried me away to an imaginative place.

I thought that the conflicts and solutions were well presented in both books for the age group it was written for. I also thought it was incredibly neat that the authors co-wrote this book from so far away.

I can see these books being fun to read with my niece, who is a little older and would probably take more away from the story. After reading through the first two books in the Grimmtastic Girls series, I am excited to see what happens next for them and which character the next book focuses on.

**$50 Book Blast Giveaway**

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: April 23, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received copies of both books in order to conduct my review. All opinions are 100% my own.
 

Good Night, Animal World Book Tour: Review and Giveaway

 

About the Book

Title: Good Night, Animal World: A Kids Yoga Bedtime Story | Author: Giselle Shardlow | Illustrator: Emily Gedzyk | Publication Date: September 20, 2013 | Publisher: Company: Kids Yoga Stories LLC | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 2.5 to 6 years Summary: Say good night to the animals of the world! Calm your mind and body before bedtime by taking a journey around the world with this kids yoga storybook. Join six Kids Yoga Stories characters as you perch like a bald eagle, crouch like a tiger, and curl up like a sloth. The book includes a list of Kids Yoga Poses and a Parent Guide with tips on creating a successful bedtime experience. Learn something new, explore movement, and unwind together before bedtime!

     

We loved this book! It was fantastic that Giselle takes you on a trip around the world one animal at a time. We had so much fun taking turns doing the different poses. It wound up being a fun activity to do before bed, and something a little different from just reading a book like we usually do.  

Emily's interpretation of the turtle pose.

I have been curious about us trying yoga together for awhile, so this was the perfect option to introduce it in a child friendly way. The illustrations were well done and clear for us both to see what the poses were and what animals were represented.  It seemed to work out any extra energy that she we had. As a parent, I appreciated that there was a list of the kids yoga poses after the story. There was also a lot of great tips for getting the most out of our yoga experience. 

I can see this becoming a regular routine for us. 
 

The Buzz

"This book has been so amazing for my 2.5 year old daughter! The illustrations are adorable! She is always so rambunctious at bedtime and this lets her get out some of that excess energy. She loves the book so much that this has been one we read every night. It helps my daughter fall asleep faster which means more time for mom in the evenings." ~ 5 Star Review, cwalt047, Amazon

"Another GREAT book!! I used this book for my kids yoga classes for ages 2-5 years old. After a very active yoga class, we read this book and did the yoga poses before the resting portion of the class. My little yogis loved the pictures and saying Good Night to all of the animals one by one. I played a calming song with some animal noises in the background and we were then able to quiet our minds and bodies for the pose of rest. I think this will become a regular pre-resting story for my classes with this age group. My 5 year old son loves to read this book again and again too! Keep the great books coming!" ~ 5 Star Review, Stacy Daniels - Kids Yoga Teacher, Amazon

"What a delightful book to get young children reading and moving in a wind-down, calming story about saying goodnight to the animals of the world. I am a k-12 Reading Certified teacher who blogs about parenting at The Educator's Spin On It. I am big fan of literacy activities that combine movement and geography in a loving parent / child interaction experience and Good night, Animal World does just that. This book would be a great addition to your book shelf." ~ 5 Star Review, Amanda at The Educators' Spin On It, Amazon

 

About the Author: Giselle Shardlow

 

Giselle Shardlow is the author of Kids Yoga Stories. Her yoga-inspired children’s books get children moving, learning, and having fun. Giselle draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom to write the stories found at www.kidsyogastories.com or on Amazon (amazon.com/author/giselleshardlow) worldwide.  

Book Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+

* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: April 8, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Giselle Shardlow and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of the book to conduct my review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

Disney's Frozen Activity Pages

Frozen is one of those movies that everyone is talking about! Though I haven't watched it (yet!), I can definitely see us enjoying it. For those who may not know what Frozen is about:

"Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey — teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven — to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom."

Take a peek!

Looking for some fun Frozen activities? There are lots of great activities available below!! Crafts, printable colouring pages and more.

Have you watched Frozen yet?  What did you think?