Blog Archives

Collecting, Grouping, Sorting, Naming, math & the museum

5/27/2020

Collecting and museums go hand in hand.

...wouldn't you say? No? You don't think so? I do. Think about it... The Strong National Museum of Play for example. What are some things you think of right away? I think of toys! The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site: Theodore Roosevelt, History. The Buffalo Museum of Science: Science. The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum: Carrousels, Amusement, Band Organs.

Those museums are homes to collections and collect the things they embody. But what do they do with them? Museums groups them, sort them, preserve them, research them, display them, share them. But wouldn't it be silly if you went to... let's say The National Cowboy Museum, excited to see things all related to cowboys in history and today. You pay for your admission tickets and you walk in and it is just one big room. In the center piled high to the ceiling is a mound of cowboy boots, spurs, posters, film reels, photographs, horse shoes, a random alarm clock that says "GO GET'EM COWBOY". Why is that there?

Museums need to Categorize, which means to place in a particular class or group, their collections. But then what? They probably place them in subcategory, which means a category within category. For example the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is home to a collection of Amusement. We have Kiddieland inside and outside. Inside is a small collection of examples of parts from Kiddieland rides, an Allan Herschell category of rides designed for small children. But outside we have the Kiddieland Testing Park - four functioning complete rides for small children to enjoy as they were originally made. Kiddieland is the category, working rides and parts of rides are the subcategories.

Now you try!

Get out in nature and collect a bag full of items you find on the group. Make sure they are safe to take first. If you are unsure of what a plant might be, leave it. Once you have your items ready, dump them out on a sidewalk, patio, or driveway. Something that will be easy to see all of your collection. Next break them up - what are your categories going to be?

Next break each category up even further. What are your subcategories going to be? How many are you able to make?

Once you have sorted all of your collection in their categories and subcategories, what are they? How many subcategories do you have?

You can take this a step further and make your own nature museum, how will you display your collection?

Simple art bouquets

5/20/2020

This is such a fun and simple craft to do with any age

and a great opportunity to explore and discuss the elements and principles of design!

Elements of Design: space, line, shape, value, texture, Form, and color

Principles of Design: balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity and movement

All you need is some colored paper, sticks (I used skewers), clear tape, black marker, and scissors.

I went to town making some fun weird shaped "n's" and domes for leaves. I filling in some with black shapes, lines, dots, dashes, etc. I cut them out not really minding how much of the green was showing around them as I went.

Similar with the flowers. I made some scribbly circles, chunky tulips, and lots of petals. I Cut them out leaving a gap as I went roughly cutting around the shapes of my imaginative flowers. This was so much fun experimenting with the thick and thin end of my maker and making fun patterns.

I taped the pieces to my skewers and tossed them in a toilet paper roll vase I sketched over with some blue markers. I even stuck a few in some pots around the house that didn't have flowering blooms to add some color.

Also a good opportunity for those practicing scissor skills because you do not need to worry too much if you are a on a line or not and just cut the shape that feels best for them. No fear of "messing up"!

Can you spot some of the elements and principles of design on one of our carrousel horses?

Recycled paper beads!

5/13/2020

Children's book week recap

5/11/2020

Thank you

to everyone who joined us and celebrated Children's Book Week 2020 (at home!). We hope you all enjoyed it and continue to read even more stories. Don't forget that if you complete the Every Child a Reader Challenge Sheet and bring it into the museum, we will give you a free ride token!

Here is a link to to the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature from the University at Florida with over 6,000 historical children's and young adult books to read for free from cover to cover. Happy reading!

Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature

Friday: Children's Book week #bookweek2020athome

5/8/2020

Personally though, I love to scribble. Even more than just scribbling in the corner of notebooks (while I work out ideas) - I love to INVENT and MAKE. Can you you invent a machine that will make a scribble? I tried! It was so much fun testing out different ways to use potential energy to propel my marker about a blank page. Thinner rubber bands, bigger markers... so many possibilites! Check out my video below of me making my final version of a potential energy drawing machine. This took about a week of playing with different materials, supplies, sizes... one thing is for sure: PUT YOUR DRAWING MACHINE IN A BOX TO TEST IT. It was MESSY!

Thank you Ms. Megan

for reading "Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble" words and art by Diane Alber. Sometimes you need to just start somewhere, even with a scribble, and watch it turn into something beautiful.

Have you ever painted a rock before? Or just made a scribble for no reason? Both of these are great ways to express ourselves. Rock painting has really taken off in the last few years and I love going for a hike or walk and finding painted rocks along the way. Some have messages, others have bright pictures. It is such a wonderful way to spread a little bit of cheer.

Why not try to paint your own rock like our volunteer Ms. Cindy? Ms. Cindy sometimes uses different sized rocks and glues them together to create even more elaborate designs. Like smaller round ones for bees and ladybugs, and bigger oblong ones for leaves!

Thursday: Children's Book Week #bookweek2020athome

5/7/2020

Thank you ms. marissa

for reading "The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family" words by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali and art by Hatem Aly.

This book is so inspiring for any of experiencing something new. I love how Asiya handles bullies! You can make your own paper boat today like Faizah sails in when is dreams of her sister's "hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky."

Write a message of positivity, something that makes you proud in your boat. Set it sail or keep it as a reminder when you face bullies.

Wednesday: Children's Book week #bookweek2020athome

5/6/2020

thank you ms. lauren

for reading "A Book For Escargot" story by Dashka Slater, pictures by Sydney Hanson! What will you go pick out from the library when they reopen? A book about snails? A new cookbook? Not a french one I hope! No, nothing against french cookbooks - we just love beautiful snails.

You can make your own bookmark inspired by the handsome, beautiful, Escargot for your next read. You can download the PDF below.

download "a book for escargot" bookmark template

may 2020 Vol. I Iss. VIII

5/6/2020

Download vol. I Iss. Viii

Tuesday: Children's Book Week #bookweek2020athome

5/5/2020

I hope you all enjoyed "The Very Lonely Firefly" today by Eric Carle. No one should have to feel lonely, especially right now. See you tomorrow for Ms. Lauren, our STEM facilitator, who will be reading "A Book For Escargot" words by Dashka Slater, Pictures by Sydney Hanson.

Make your own fireflies

You can make some fireflies of your own for your home to hang in the windows for you and firefly friends

You will need:

Scissors
Orange & yellow tissue paper
Contact paper
Black paper
Glue
White pencil

Check our these other great Eric Carle animated classics

Monday: Children's Book Week #bookweek2020athome

5/4/2020

Thank you Mr. Ian

for reading "Strictly No Elephants" story By Lisa Mantchev art by Taeeun Yoo today for our first day of celebrating Children's Book Week! Did you like the story?

You can make your own pet elephant out of paper and a toilet paper tube too! You can download the PDF of our elephant template below to get you started. Happy crafting!

Download "Strictly No Elephants" Craft PDF

win a book week swag-bag

Don't forget to share your elephants with us on social media using #HCFM and #BookWeek2020atHome if you want to be entered in to win a free Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum Children's Book Week swag-bag! Details below: