50% of Memebership sale at the Alligator Sanctary!!

As some of you know by now, we here at MAD love going to Critchlow's Alligator Sanctuary. It is one of those hidden gems of mid-Michigan. If you live in mid-Michigan I have the best deal ever for you! Mr C. (who owns Critchlow's) is offering 50% of all their memberships till the end of November. That means you can get a 1 year family membership for just $25!!!!

Not only do they have alligators, but they have so much more. And you can get hands on with many of the animals (including the alligators.)  And trust me, this is the type of place your kids will ask to go to again and again.You can even get your membership over the phone! How easy is that!!! Check out their website.

Go down under......no not Australia!

Through out time there has always been something magical and mysterious about caves. I personally LOVE going in caves and have been in quite a few all over the country. I don't know what it is about caves, the beautiful formations, the wildlife, the adventure, but something draws me underground time and time again.

On a vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a few years back, we had a chance to take our son underground for the first time at the Iron Mountain Iron Mine. We suited up and road the mine train down. We toured the mine and got to see some bats! We had such a wonderful time and since then my son wants to go underground again. Sadly there are not many natural caves to visit in Michigan. And money is too tight to travel to say Mammoth Cave in Kentucky or Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico. So how do I keep this burning interest alive in him?

 

Well thanks to the USGS web site I can not only keep his interest alive, but take it further then before. This site is jamed packed with all sorts of wonderful nuggets of information, mounds of entertainment, and vast chambers of activities. Okay, I'll stop with the attempt at cave humor. But honestly, this site offers more then you can dream of! It has everything you would want and need to teach a child all about caves. Check it out!

 

 

 

How much fun can you have for $2.52?

Time and time again I tell people, it doesn't take a lot of money to have fun. It really doesn't! And to prove my point, I am going to show you what we did this past Saturday and it cost us a just $2.52.!!!

Our first stop for fun was at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic. I have mentioned this before (like a million times) but I will say it again because this is a great program. The clinics are FREE and run about every two week on Saturdays at 10am. Children get to build great things like this Monster Box the oldest Fun Tester made this week. Children get an apron and for each thing they build, a patch to put on the apron. They also receive a certificate and get to take home their project at NO COST. How can you beat it!?!?

 Our second stop of the day was at Michael's craft store for their Make It, Take It event. This event cost us 52 cents to purchase a pail (which was on sale.) The children cut out designs from duct tape with the help of stencils to create their own trick or treat bucket! How neat is that? The Fun Tester made a face on one side and a bat on the other. These events are either free or with a purchase which always seems to be a low cost item.

Our final stop of the day was at an event called Spooky Science Saturday. It was being held jointly at the Children's Garden and the Kingman Museum. They had all sorts of education (science) activities set up. The Fun Tester had a wonderful time learning about surface tension, making animal tracks, learning about the technology that led to modern films and much more! It was all hands on and he had a wonderful time. The cost of this event was free but they were asking for a $1 donation per person. $2 for all that fun and learning was a steal. Not to mention, the next day in the paper was the Fun Tester's photo!!! Now there is a memory he will have forever.

See, having fun does NOT have to cost a lot. And finding events doesn't have to be impossible either. Check out our Cruise Directing 101 to learn how to find events. Now get out there and find some fun!!

Voices from the past

Cemeteries are amazing places full of wonderful people who have lived interesting lives. It seem around Halloween the living tend to take notice of cemeteries with "haunted" walks or on sad occasions, bad behavior. But cemeteries are not just for Halloween, ghost, or vandals, they are beautiful and full of educational opportunities! Check out what kind of GOOD fun you can have in a cemetery!

"Mom, can I bring it home?"

Children are notorious for wanting things, candy, toys, and in my son's case....bugs. He is always bring new "friends" home an asking if they can stay. I usually don't mind as long as their stay is only overnight.

On a day out a few weeks ago he found a catapillar he wanted to bring home. We placed it in a fast food cup for the hour drive home. Upon arrive we set the catapiller up in a "home" with leaves and such. The container was placed on a shelf and he forgot about it. I admit, I too had forgotten about it till one day our cat took great interest in the container. Our catpiller had turned into a butterfly!

 

I quickly placed a Q-tip soaked in sugar water in the container so our little friend could get something to eat. That afternoon when my son came home from school he was thrilled! We poured through our bug books trying to identify the little guy (or girl) and we learned it was a Buckeye butterfly. Again, as with most bugs, my son asked if it could stay. The weather was in his favor as it had turned very cold and the rain was intense for a few days.

 

When the rain finally broke and the sun peeked out, we decided it was a good time for the butterfly to go back to nature. We had an amazing time watching him before he left. We even got to see his tounge a few times! The joy and amazement my son showed for this winged friend reminded my why it is so very important to let children "bring it home" every once in a while!

 

 

Make your own flashcards

Do you home school? Does your child need help with learning to read or spelling tests at public school? Why not make your own flash cards? They are cheaper then the pre-made packs you can buy at the store and so simple to make.

The oldest Fun Tester is in 1st grade so I made him up some Dolch List words to help him get some review. I took a pack of colored index cards and wrote out the words. I then used a hole punch and put a pipe cleaner through to connect them. Easy, colorful and DONE at a fraction of the cost of store bought flashcards!

This would be great for just about anything! Like math problems on one side with the answer on the back, states and capitals, etc.

 

 

 

 

Be positive with your children

Click the photo to get yours!

When our youngest was born 7 months ago, our oldest, who is 6 years old, did NOT take it well... AT ALL. He was jealous, refused to go near him and just flat out resented him. It drove me nuts because the baby had nothing but smiles for his brother. But what was I to do?

I was looking for some way to use positive reinforcement with our oldest son and then I came across a blog called Erica Bohrer's First Grade. There, I found these wonderful cards you can print out! Every time our son did something even remotely nice for his brother, like grab me a diaper, I gave him a card.

I also used the cards for other nice things too. I honestly don't think as parents we acknowledge our children doing positive things enough. After a while my son started ASKING me to catch him doing nice things! Why not catch your kids..... it will make everyone smile!

Umi Off to School Coloring Pack

Fall is here and school is upon us. Parents cheer, children, well, let's just say they may not be as happy about it is we are! Build some back to school excitement with this coloring pack from Nick Jr.

Unplug and go outside

I am sure we all have heard that kids today spend way to much time plugged in and not enough time playing outside. I honestly hate our television. If I would let him (which I will not) my oldest would sit for ours watching mind numbing cartoons. But as I said, I don't let him. I make him go out and enjoy the day, hunt bugs, and dig in the dirt. And when he really doesn't want to, I set an example by going out with him, even if I have other things I need to do

If your child is like most, they just want to sit. So what can a parent do. Well I have one friend who literally send her kids out and then LOCKS the door so they have to stay outside. While it makes me laugh, I can't see doing that to my son. The last thing I need is the neighbors calling to tell me my sound is in the yard "watering" the tree.

I saw this image posted online, and for the life of me I can't remember where, but I clicked on it and read it. It had some very interesting information..... go on, click on it and read it..... I'll wait.....

I know, your sitting there going, yup, those darn children need to get outside, but how do I get them outside. I may not have the best answer to how to get your kids outside but I do have a fun one from the Children and Nature Initiative by Nation Environmental Education Foundation. Write them an Rx like a doctor would with these handy script forms.

 

 

Be creative with this...tell them they have to go find 5 ants and write what they were doing, spot three different species of birds and draw pictures of them, or collect 5 types of leaves and ID them. If you have a pool, tell them to do laps. Do they have a bike? Tell them to ride around the block so many times. You never know, they might just enjoy what you prescribed!

 

If you need a few more ideas, check out our post of outdoor activities for people who don't like camping.

 

 



To see the stars....

Did any of you make it out for the Perseids meteor shower last night? When I went to bed we had heavy cloud cover. But thanks to my sweet little six months old waking me at 2 am I was lucky enough to see it! As he sipped his bottle I wandered into the backyard and saw 5 or 6 meteors streak across the sky. The last actually made me gasp out loud to no one but the night. It was so bright and went right over our house.

I toyed with the idea of waking our six year old but then thought better of it. I mean really do I want him awake at 2 am? And would he go back to sleep? Or would he fall asleep on a blanket in the yard and I would be unable to carry him back in!

The meteor shower will continue tonight and if he can stay up and the clouds stay away, we will try again to see the stars and maybe a few meteors!

The Perseids (Meteor Shower) is here!

ATTN: MAKE your children take a nap this afternoon so they can stay up late for one of natures great shows. The best meteor shower of the year is in full swing!

Grab a blanket and head out into then night for the Perseid meteor shower. When I said to grab a blanket and head out to watch the shower, I didn't say that just as a cool cuddly way to share this with your children. If you stand with your neck tilted up, you will have neck issues in the morning.

The "shooting stars" you will be looking for are actually pieces of debris left over from the comet Swift-Tuttle, hurtling through space at 37 miles per second! This year's peak comes the evening and late night of Saturday into the wee hours of Sunday. The meteors tend to streak across the sky, but you will want to look toward the Perseus constellation, which is in the northeast part of the sky and forms an inverted "Y" shape.

Experts say we can expect about 25 to 60 meteors per hour during the peak, but don't expect to see the meteors evenly spread out over time. You may see nothing for five minutes and then four or more in a row a minute later. See just how many shooting stars you can count!

Here is a great video from NASA to tell you all about this event.......

Reptile Weekend at Binder Park Zoo 8/4-5

The Michigan Society of Herpetologists and Binder Park Zoo Are Proud to Present Reptile Weekend August 4 and 5, 2012!

This is a great chance to get out and meet (touch) some very interesting reptile friends. It is included in your zoo addmisiion which is

Adults: $12.95
Seniors: $11.95
Children (2-10): $10.95
Children (under 2) FREE

We love going to this event year after year! Check out some of our past fun:

Alaska bear cam

Who doesn't love watching bears? I remember as a small child my grandparents took us "down south" to visit relatives and going to the open air dump in the evening to watch black bears from the car. It was a local attraction you could say. Those days (thankfully) are long gone with better waste disposal.

But who doesn't love seeing beautiful majestic bears? What if you could do it from the safety of your home? The Explore site is amazing! It has a live bear cam and you can watch the bears fishing! It is located at the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The best viewing is from 6:30am - 11:30pm (they are on Alaska Standard Time)

Right now I am watching three bears at the falls fishing! I could watch these guys for hours. I know I can't, just saying I could! They have a variety of other cams and I am now off to watch belugas! I love cams.

World Tiger Day

Today is world tiger day! Head on over and check out the Tiger WWF facebook page. And check out this amazing information from the WWF on tigers!

Amur (Siberian) Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris altaica

IUCN Listing: Endangered

Habitat: Coniferous, scrub oak and birch woodlands

Location: Primarily eastern Russia, with a few found in northeastern China

Interesting Fact: In the 1940s the Amur tiger was on the brink of extinction, with no more than 40 tigers remaining in the wild. Thanks to vigorous anti-poaching and other conservation efforts by the Russians with support from many partners, including WWF, the Amur tiger population recovered and has remained stable throughout the last decade.

 

Bengal (Indian) Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris

IUCN Listing: Endangered

Habitat: Dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests, mangrove forests

Location: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal. India is home to the largest population.

Interesting Fact: Some Bengal tigers are cream or white in color instead of orange, due to a recessive gene for this coloration. These "white" tigers are rarely found in the wild.

Indochinese Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris corbetti

IUCN Listing: Endangered

Habitat: Remote forests in hilly to mountainous terrain, much of which lies along the borders between countries

Location: Widely dispersed throughout six countries: Thailand, Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

Interesting Fact: Access to the areas where Indochinese tigers live is often restricted, and biologists have only recently been granted limited permits for field surveys. As a result, relatively little is known about the status of these tigers in the wild.

Malayan Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris jacksoni

IUCN Listing: Endangered

Habitat: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Location: Southern tip of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia

Interesting Fact: The Malayan tiger was only identified as being a separate subspecies from the Indochinese tiger in 2004. It is very similar to the Indochinese tiger, but is smaller in size.

South China Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris amoyensis

IUCN Listing: Critically Endangered

Habitat: Montane sub-tropical evergreen forest

Location: Central and eastern China

Interesting Fact: It is estimated that the South China tiger is functionally extinct. Currently 47 South China tigers live in 18 zoos, all in China. If there are any South China tigers in the wild, these few individuals would be found in southeast China, close to provincial borders.

Sumatran Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris sumatrae

IUCN Listing: Critically Endangered

Habitat: Montane forests, the remaining blocks of the island's lowland forest, peat swamps, and freshwater swamp forests

Location: Exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra

Interesting Fact: Sumatran tigers are protected by law in Indonesia, with tough provisions for jail time and steep fines. Despite increased efforts in tiger conservation, including law enforcement and anti-poaching capacity, a substantial market remains in Sumatra for tiger parts and products.

So you wanna be a zoo keeper when you grow up!

In honor of National Zoo Keeper Week, we thought you might want to know what it takes to be a zoo keeper. Let me tell you there is A LOT. A WHOLE LOT! But, thanks to the St. Louis Zoo we can tell you that if you're in Elementary School here are a few things you should do to get started on the right path. And the best part of this info, is that all this stuff is FUN! Okay maybe not the work hard in school part but hey, anything CAN be fun.

Go on nature hikes

Take trips to zoos, parks, and natural history museums.

Read books and magazines on wildlife and related topics.

Watch nature shows on TV.

Keep a pet. Taking care of a pets will teach you a lot about responsible animal care.

Join science clubs and volunteer to help with fieldwork projects in your community.

Observe wildlife and bring along field guides to help you better appreciate what you're seeing.

Keep a nature journal.

Take a class on animals or nature at your local zoo, animal sanctuary, or park.

Work hard in school, not just in classes on science and nature but in all subjects.

Plaster Tracks

Have you ever found an animal track? You might be surprised if you look closes just how many you can find! Here is a fun project that not only will get you out in nature looking for tracks, but will allow you to bring those tracks home! All you need is:

• a soda bottle (cut into rings)
• plaster of Paris mix
• water
• plastic spoon
• something to mix in 

Look for tracks on damp ground and soft mud. The best place to look is where animals go to get water. Check out the bank of a creek or lake. If you are walking in a field or wood keep your eyes on paths as animals like to use the easiest way to get around too! Once you have found a good track that you want to keep, clear away any leaves, small stones or twigs without disturbing the track.

Now it is time to make a plaster cast of your print. Place one soda bottle ring around the track so that the track is centered, and press it about 1/2 inch into the ground. This wall that will keep the plaster from running out. Follow the directions that came with the plaster and mix up enough to make a cast of the track..



Now you are ready to pour the plaster into the circle you made earlier. Do NOT pour the plaster directly on the track. It might ruin it. Instead, pour to the side of the track and let it run into the track. Fill the circle to the top. Now you have to wait. No kid enjoys waiting so you can look or other tracks, have a pic-nic, or just go for a walk.

After about 30 minutes the cast should be set enough to remove (Parents use your judgement if you think it needs more time.) Do NOT try to pry the track out, instead dig around and under it and lift it out. You can clean the extra dirt off after it is finished setting. Plaster is warm as it sets, so once it is cool you can clean it off with a brush.

So what did you find? Need some help identifing your tracks? Check out these examples from the USGS website:

Odd Plushes

Here at MAD our Fun Testers are blessed with the coolest Great Aunt ever! Out of the blue, packages of joy arrive, and today was one of those days. Usually it is an awesome book or an amazing new stuffed friend. Well today, something odd came. Something my child LOVED. What did she send him this time? She sent him Head Lice, a Dust Mite, a Bookworm, and a Bed Bug!

Each critter came with a tag that not only told what it was (with scientific name) but showed the actual size and gave a great narrative of the "thing" in question. I died laughing at the gift because it was so perfect for our little scientist. And I am sorry, but when has a bed bug been so darn cute!

These plushes were such a hit they earned instant "bed privileges." If a plush makes it into bed, that means our son LOVES it. Yes, my son went to bed with lice and a bed bug! That cracks me up. I was curious after he went to bed so I looked at at the tags to see where these awesome guys came from. I typed in the address and I was soon thumbing through GIANTmicrobes.

They have everything you never thought could be a plush! Black death anyone? How about some giardia? I am telling you the E. coli is cute. Prices range between $8.99 and $9.99 for the plushes but they have more.... there are vinyl toys and other merchandise too. I tell you, the guy who thought up these products is a guineas because I have NEVER seen anything like this.

Maybe your child would not want one of these. Maybe your child is not as weird as my son. But maybe your pediatrician is awesome, one of these would be a very unique gift.  If you have a friend with chicken pox or hey fever, what would be better as a gift. This is defiantly a site to peek around for what ever ails ya!

Thanks again to Aunt Gloria for send a bundle of fun to brighten the day!

"Lava Lamp" Oil and water don't mix

Here is a neat craft/experiment where not only will your child end up with a fun item but they might just learn something in the process, like the fact that some things don't mix! All you need is a bottle, vegetable oil, water and some food color.

First put in the vegetable oil about half full in your bottle. Next mix food coloring with the water in a separate cup. Carefully add the colored water to your bottle. A funnel is very helpful for this and you can usually pick up a set of funnels at the dollar store.

Now for the science! Once the lid it tightly on, have your child gently lay the bottle on it's side. What happens? Slowly move it back and forth to see how the oil and water stay separated. Next shake the bottle up hard! What happens? Let the bottle sit to see how the oil and water separate again. Now just let the kids have fun watching the "lava" flow!