.: March 2014

Earth Hour 2014 -- make it a family affair!

With April just around the corner, many families and educators turn their sights toward Earth Day (April 22). But have you ever heard of Earth Hour?

What is Earth Hour?

Celebrated in March every year since 2007, millions of people across the world switch off their lights for one hour to celebrate their commitment to the planet. While largely a symbolic gesture, it provides a great, tangible teaching moment for children and an opportunity to bring environmentalism into your home.

Earth Hour 2014 will be held on Saturday, March 29 from 8:30-9:30 p.m. in your local time zone.

When it started, participants were asked to simply turn off their lights for the hour, but the movement has expanded in recent years. Their website now includes a platform to encourage community building and to allow environmental projects from around the world to seek needed donations.

They've also recruited Spider-Man as their first Superhero Ambassador:

Make a Difference

If you’d like to get involved in Earth Hour or environmental activism with your children, there are several simple ways you can get started:

Pledge to turn off your lights tonight and spend that hour plotting how you can help better the earth. Or join a planned event in your city!
Search for an environmental project your family would like to support with a monetary donation.
Join Earth Hour’s Instagram Challenge and show how you’re a superhero for the planet.
Stop by your local library and borrow some new books for the family. Pick up tips for things you can do and draw inspiration from others. Here are a couple of recommendations to get you started:

Books For Kids

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr. A simple picture book for young children that stresses the importance of taking care of our planet and small efforts we can make to make a difference.
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson. A story honoring Wangari Maathai’s legacy of environmentalism and activism in Kenya. Maathai was the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet by Harriet Rohmer. Short, inspirational stories of 12 modern conservationists making a difference across North America.

Books For Parents

Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder and Learning in Natural Environments by Richard Louv. Learn for yourself why direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development.

With Spring officially under way, there's no better time than now to get outside, get your hands dirty, and start teaching your kids how to care for our planet. Why not start tonight?

Today in Science: Spring Equinox

What is the Spring Equinox?

Technically stated, equinoxes occur when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither away from nor towards the sun and happens once in the spring and again in the fall. Unlike the winter and summer solstice when we see our longest and shortest days, the equinoxes are special in that our day is split evenly between dark and light.

This can be a hard concept to illustrate to young children, let alone adults, but this graphic from Our Amazing Planet provides an easy-to-digest visual of what's really going on.

Culturally, today's equinox also marks the first official day of spring!

For many in the U.S., this has been a long, cold winter (hush, Florida!) and today is a reason to celebrate, even if you're one of the unlucky few with snowflakes swirling outside your windows this morning.

Whatever today's forecast is where you live, the equinox provides a good excuse to get outside, get some fresh air, and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Below is just a brief list to get you started.

If you have other ideas, join our Facebook community and share them there!

Ways to mark the Equinox with young children

Go on a nature walk. Dust off your hiking boots, grab a jacket, and get outside! Take along a notebook and plan a quick scavenger hunt. You could encourage your kids to find items matching all the colors on the rainbow or ask them to listen for sounds -- a bird chirp, an insect buzz, moving water. If your children are old enough, consider handing them a small camera or camera phone for a couple of minutes and allow them to capture their finds with photographs. This is an easy way to make the scavenger hunt more fun for today's tech-connected youth, while also teaching your children that one way to respect nature is to leave it untouched.

Balance an egg on its end. Wait, can you really do that or is it an urban myth? Set up a science experiment on your kitchen counter and find out! Walk your little ones through the scientific method and discover the truth together. Parents, has it been a while since you've thought about the scientific method? No worries -- here's a quick cheat sheet.

Ask a Question -- Can you balance an egg on its end on the equinox?
Do Background Research -- If you have time, swing by your local library and ask your librarian for help. It's never too early to teach kids about the value of their library staff. If you're short on time, pull out your smart phone and do some quick internet searches with your kiddo in your lap.
Construct a Hypothesis -- What does your child think? Ask them to make a guess on whether it will work.
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment -- Try it for yourself! Try balancing the egg on its large end and small end. Try different sized eggs (if you have them) and try it on different surfaces.
Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion -- What happened?
Record Your Results -- Draw a picture to record what you learned!

Plant something! What kid doesn't love dirt? Swing by your local garden center and pick up some seeds. Your local grocery store may even stock some at this time of year. You can go fancy or simple on this one, but all you'll really need are a couple of seeds, some soil, and a container. You can use en existing window box or indoor herb garden or empty an egg carton from your fridge and start your seedlings there. You can grow something decorative like a flower or something edible like an herb or vegetable. It's up to you! Talk about the process with your children -- explain that plants all start from seeds and that they'll need food, water, and care in order to grow strong and healthy. Much like them! If your child is old enough, put them in charge of their new plant. You can create a simple chart to hang on the refrigerator, reminding them to water the plant and make sure it's in a sunny place. Each time they complete their task, they can check off the day or add a sticker. You can also track data, measuring the plant's growth as it starts to sprout.

Whatever you do today, make sure you step outside and take a good, deep breath of fresh air. Spring is on its way!

Kiddie Science Tote Bags

Support Kiddie Science in style! This heavy duty tote bag features a 33" strap and velcro closure. Bag measures 14" x 12" x 4" and is made from non woven polypropylene. The tote bag is washable and durable. Although these bags won't be in stock until mid-May, you can pre-order your bag today for a special price.