A time capsule is a container that you fill with items from the present day, such as school work, newspaper clippings, or small toys, and hide away to open on a predetermined future date. Putting together a time capsule is the perfect way to spend a cool evening or rainy day with the family. Read the details below to create your own time capsule.
First choose a time capsule container. A shoe box or large mason jar work great! Once you have your time capsule container you’ll want to figure out what you include. Consult the checklist below with your kids to help spark some good ideas. Make sure your kids choose items that won’t be missed too much. Remember, you’ll be hiding away the time capsule for some time.
Next have your kids write a fun note to their future selves! This can be a great way for them to capture their present interests and aspirations. The template below makes writing this letter easy. Just fill in the blanks! You can always add additional details.
Finally, you’ll want to set a date for when you plan to open the time capsule. This is completely up to your family! You can wait a few months, a year, or even a decade! Keep in mind the longer you wait, the more entertaining the reveal might be!
I remember watching Sid the Science Kid cartoon with my son. We watched the “Sid Wings It” episode where he and his classmates learned how people were exposed to flying by observing birds in nature. They also explored a special exhibit showcasing gliders, flying contraptions, and jet planes at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
At the end of this episode, Sid and his father make a paper airplane. After watching this, my son wanted to make one. We got one sheet of paper and started making a paper airplane like the one in the cartoon. My son flew this airplane and had a blast.
Curiosity is growing
Pretty soon, he started getting curious about other paper airplanes we could make that would fly higher, faster, and longer. We watched some YouTube videos but couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for.
Making paper airplanes is a fun DIY STEM project where you can discuss with kids the scientific law of aerodynamics. The law has three basic components: thrust, which moves the plane forward, draw, which holds it back, and lift which keeps it airborne.
My son wanted to share his favorite airplane, which is the glider, with you. He loves this paper airplane because it loops and has a lot of air time. Plus it is easy to make and only requires one item, which is paper.
How to Make a Glider with Paper
In the video below, my son will show you how to make the glider.
This video comes from my son’s YouTube Channel called, Corban’s Fun Learning Adventures. This channel has science experiments, DIY projects and learning games for kids. Please subscribe and share if you like what you see.
We used the classic chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar. However, we added an element of surprise by adding some color to our magic potion. We found a way to hide the color so a person could not see it until the baking soda and vinegar reacted with one another.
This Magic Potion activity reminded me of something a magician or wizard would do in a fairy tale story. Once the potion came together, my son was happy with the results. I think your child will have the same reaction if they did the experiment as well.
The results were a colorful mini explosion that overflowed out of the glass jar. Another benefit in doing this experiment is that you can explain the science behind the mini explosion.
Why it works?
As the baking soda mixes with the vinegar, it creates bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.
The mixture creates a lot of gas, which results in the chemical reaction.
One day during snack time, I saw my son, Cory, put a spoon on the edge of his plate. On the spoon was one of his crackers. He took his finger and pressed the handle of the spoon causing the cracker to fly in the air. My first thought was to tell him to stop and eat; however, this time I realized he was doing a science experiment.
I told my son that he made his own catapult, which is used to throw objects over a far range. This is a great STEM project for kids to do. Afterwards, I went to the kitchen and gave him a cup. I challenged Cory to get the cracker in the cup with the catapult he created. He did that for about 20 minutes and then ate the rest of his crackers.
Whenever, Cory has an interest in something, I try to use it as a fun learning opportunity for him. The next day we went to the library and checked out the book called, Make a Catapult by Meg Gaertner. This book explained the science of catapults, how they work, and its various types. At the end, it showed us how to make one with materials we had at home.
The book grabbed Cory’s attention! He was most excited about making his own catapult. After creating the catapult, we played a competitive game to see who could get the cotton ball in the cup the most times.
Below we will show you in a video how to make a catapult.
My son learned the alphabet at an early age. However, we still love to create games that are based on the letters. One activity we created is called the ABC Hide and Seek Game. The game will help children learn and review their letters in a fun way.
We incorporated one of my son’s favorite toys, the Geo Safari Walkie Talkie.We used it to communicate various clues to one another during the ABC Hide and Seek Game. Don’t worry if you don’t have walkie talkies, each player can give clues by simply talking in a normal voice.
Remember the alphabet is one of the first steps to teaching a child to read. If a child does not know the alphabet first, it will be hard for them to connect letters to make words. Therefore, play this game so they can get the fundamentals of reading and literacy in a fun way!
My son and I love to do DIY projects around our home. There is something special about taking household materials and creating something that is fun to play with. At first, we decided to make a Cable Car Toy so that we could send messages back and forth to one another.
However right before making the Cable Car Toy, my son decided he wanted it to transport his toy cars to race on this Hot Wheel track. This ended up being a fun activity to do.
The best thing about making it is that you most likely have all the materials in your home. Below is what you will need….
Watch the video below to learn how to make the Cable Car Toy. The video comes my son’s YouTube channel, Corban’s Fun Learning Adventures. Please like the video and subscribe if you like what you see.
Once you have made the Cable Car Toy, have your child move the string in various directions. This is great time for them to make observations about how the string and the sandwich bags can move forward or backwards.
You may use this toy to send messages, toys, and small household objects etc. Next time, we will use it to pass math problems to each other. This will incorporate fun learning. The sky is limit with this project.
Are you looking for the perfect activity to do in the final weeks of summer? This DIY chalk paint activity is great for the whole family! Younger kids can enjoy using this decorative paint (that easily washes away!) to create sidewalk masterpieces, and older kids or adults can use it to make fun or inspirational chalkboard signs to display around the home!
Check out the step-by-step guide for DIY chalk paint below and also be sure to download some or all of the three awesome stencil packs that both kids and adults can use to elevate their chalk paint art.
Guide to DIY Chalk Paint
The process of making your own chalk paint is simple! You just need water, cornstarch, and food coloring. Once you mix together these three basic ingredients, you’re well on your way to creating masterpieces at home.
To help guide your artwork, download these stencil packs:
My son was first exposed to a simple circuit for kids as a three-year-old. For his birthday, my brother brought him the Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100. I thought this toy was too difficult for my son to grasp. As I was looking at the front cover of the Snap Circuits Jr box, feelings of intimidation came over me.
However, because this toy was for my young son, I was determined to figure out how it works. After reading the directions and doing three of the projects, I started to like this toy. It was a fun puzzle.
That evening I showed my son the circuits and he liked it. He liked the result of flashing lights, space sounds, and fans blowing.
Let’s Get More Exposure
The second time my son built a simple circuit was at our public library. They had a STEM program for kids where they participated in fun scientific projects. My son was a little young for the program but because we knew the librarian, she decided to let him (as long as I helped him).
We made circuits out of coppper wire and graphite. These projects were amazing and fun to do.
Covid-19 Changed Everything
Now that Covid-19 is here, the library is not doing the STEM program anymore. Therefore, my son and I have decided to do STEM projects like creating simple circuits for kids at home. Today we will show you one of those projects.
We called it the Play-Doh Circuit. It is fun and easy to do. The best thing about this activity is you don’t need many materials. While doing this project, your child will be amazed to learn how Play-Doh can create electricity.
I love finding materials around our home to make toys and use for science experiments. It is an excellent way to recycle and make good use of what you have. My son has adopted the habit of recycling items like water bottles, plastic tubes, paper towels and toilet paper rolls. He puts them in our science drawer. Surprisingly, we don’t have trouble finding fun projects to do with these materials like the DIY Boat for Kids.
This week we are showing you how to use household items to make a DIY boat for kids. The best thing about this project is it involves water and balloons, which are two of my son’s favorites. The DIY boat for kids incorporates the science of using wind to make the boat move.
While doing this experiment, my son and I discussed how the air in your lungs is used to provide energy for the boat. You may also introduce your child to Newton’s third law of motion which states for every action, there is an equal and opposite action. Our DIY boat for kids is a great example of this law because it moves forward by the air pushing the water backwards.
This boat also makes a bubbly motor sound in the water, which your kids will love. The best part of this activity is it is easy and fun to do.
If your child is like my son, they will want to activate the boat repeatedly.
Watch the video below to see how it is done.
The video below comes from my son’s YouTube Channel, Corban’s Fun Learning Adventures. Please subscribe to the channel IF you like what you see.
Want a fun numbers activity for kids? Look no further, I will share one with you in this post.
My son and I love to make up games to play. I personally like adding an educational component to these games to make learning fun. While playing games, my son loves to compete and it creates motivation for him to understand new concepts.
Games also accommodate the three basic types of learners which are sight learners, audio learners, and kinesthetic learners. Kids are often using sight, hearing, and touch when playing games.
This week we played and created the Slime Hide and Seek NUMBERS Challenge.
This game is great for teaching and reviewing number recognition and place values with your children. About two weeks before playing this game, we found an easy three-ingredient slime recipe that my son loves. Therefore, we thought it would be fun to incorporate it into our game.
We love this activity because it includes the science of making slime from scratch and the mathematical concept of numbers. Additionally, the friendly competition games encourage is always exciting!
The video below shows you how to play the game. We played three rounds and each one gets harder as you progress. Watch the whole video to find out who won (my son or I).
Your kids will have a blast playing the game! We hope you enjoy it!
Fun Numbers Activity for Kids – Slime Hide and Seek Challenge