Virtual Activity: Mason Jar Experiments

It’s time for Sizzlin’ Summer Virtual Activity #3! Virtual Activities are challenges for you to complete at home with whatever you have around your house! We’ll be giving you activities all summer long, so make sure to check back on our website every week for a new challenge!

Break out your lab coat because we’ve pulled together some science experiments just for you! All these projects can be done with items around your house! Once you complete your experiments, take a picture of your results and send them to stephanie@eapld.org. Be sure to include the child’s name and if we have permission to post the picture on our socials.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here.

Don’t forget about your reading logs! If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.

Let’s do some experiments!

How Do Seeds Sprout?

Supplies: Zip-Lock Bag*, Paper Towel, Seed**, Water

Directions: 

  1. Put some water on the paper towel (make it damp, but not soaking wet). Fold the paper towel and put it in the bag.
  2. Put the seed in the bag so you can see it.
  3. Seal the bag. Put it in a sunny place like a window ledge or taped to a window or door that gets a lot of sunlight.
  4. Wait for a few days.

 

What happened to the seed? Write about what you see or draw a picture of what has happened to the seed.

*A jar or a clear cup can be used in place of the zip-lock bag. You will need to add soil to the cup. Place the seed in the cup along the outside edge so that it can be seen.

**You can stop in the library to pick up a seed if you need one.

Science Behind the Experiment

Will Water and Oil Mix?

Supplies: Jar with a Lid, Food Coloring, Oil, One Egg

Directions:

  1. Fill the jar half full with water.
  2. Put a few drops of food coloring in the jar.
  3. Fill the rest of the jar with oil.
  4. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar.
  5. Set the jar down and watch what happens. Write down your results.
  6. Open the lid, and crack open an egg in the jar.
  7. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar.
  8. Set the jar down and watch what happens. Write down or draw your results.

Are the results the same or different from from the first time that you shook the jar? Why do you think that happened?

Science Behind the Experiment

How Do Trees Breathe?

Supplies: Freshly Picked Leaves From Plants or Trees, Clear Jars or Cups, Water

Directions:

  1. Fill the jars or cups with water.
  2. Put the leaves in the jars or cups. Put some leaves face up and some face down.
  3. Put the jars in sunlight.
  4. Wait several hours.

Look at the surface of the leaves. What do you notice? Write about it or draw a picture.

Science Behind the Experiment

How Do We See?

Supplies: Jar or Clear Cup, Water, Colored Markers, Paper

Directions:

  1. Fill the jar or cup with water.
  2. Use the markers to draw a horizontal row of colors in a rainbow on your paper.
  3. Place the paper behind the jar or cup. Move your head around the jar until you can get the rainbow to flip. That means the purple line will be on the left instead of the right.

Science Behind the Experiment

Capillary Action

Supplies: Paper Towels, 6 Jars or Clear Cups, Food Coloring

Directions:

  1. Fill 3 jars full of water. Put red food coloring in the first jar, blue in the second, and yellow in the third.
  2. Put all six jars in a circle. Put one empty jar in between each full jar.
  3. Drape a paper towel between each empty jar and the full jar next to it. Make sure the paper towel is touching the water. Each jar should have two paper towels in it.
  4. Wait 24 hours.

What happened in each of the jars? Write down your observations or draw a picture.

Science Behind the Experiment

Want more experiments? We have a book for that!

                              

 

Take It, Make It: Chalk

Beginning June 22, 2020, the second Take It, Make It activity will be available at both branches! Take It, Make It activities are projects that can be done at home with materials you can pick up at the library! You can also request curbside pick up. Just call 812-926-0646 (Aurora) or 812-954-4151 (Dillsboro) and let us know how many of the activities you need for your family!

This week’s activity is sidewalk chalk! Stop by either branch to pick up your chalk to take home. Please ask an adult where the best place is to use your chalk. Use your imagination and create a picture! If you want your creation to be featured on our social media, send a picture to Ms. Stephanie at stephanie@eapld.org. Make sure to include if we have permission to share your picture and name on our socials. Pictures must be submitted by July 11, 2020.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here, or you can pick one up at either branch.

Haven’t started on your summer reading log yet? That’s okay! There’s still time!  If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.

 

It’s International Make Music Day!

June 21st is International Make Music Day! This holiday began in 1982 when France’s Ministry of Culture dreamed of a musical holiday. A day where free live music would be everywhere; street corners and parks, rooftops and gardens, store fronts and mountaintops would all be filled with the sound of music. And thus, Fête de la Musique, was born. A festival featuring free concerts in locations all around the city of Paris. Since then, the festival has become an international phenomenon. Make Music Day is now celebrated in more than 700 cities in 120 countries, including China, Germany, Greece, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Performers of any age and skill level are encouraged to join in on the music-making. The only caveats for these festivals are that the concerts must be free to the public, and all performers are to donate their time free of charge.

In North America

Twelve years ago, the Fête de la Musique crossed the Atlantic with the debut of Make Music New York. The event began as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers and quickly became a city-wide event. Today, around 5,000 New York musicians perform in more than 1,000 free outdoor concerts every year. The festival was so popular in New York that it soon spread throughout North America. In 2019, 85 North American cities organized free concerts at 1,862 locations. All on a single day.

Locally, the closest Make Music Day festival is located in Cincinnati. Last year, Make Music Cincinnati held concerts in over 100 locations throughout the city.

2020 Festival

Due to the threat of COVID-19, Make Music Day will look a little different this year. Make Music is exploring new ways to continue the tradition of making music, while also following all the appropriate guidelines. One of the ways they are doing this is by changing their Sousapalooza event (an invitation for hundreds of brass, wind, and percussion players to come together and sight-read the music of John Philip Sousa), to the World’s Smallest Marching Band. In this event, individual brass and wind players will parade through cities, by themselves, playing band repertoire to people listening from their homes or workplaces.

The organization is also encouraging musicians to utilize social media, and post videos of themselves making music. “In this time of social distancing, music’s powerful role to bring us together as a community is more important than ever,” said Make Music Alliance President Aaron Friedman. “While physical public gatherings may not be currently accessible, we can still stay connected and celebrate music with people around the world on June 21.”


Are you a musician? It’s your time to shine! You can participate in Make Music Day by posting a video or going live on social media with the hashtag #MakeMusicDay

Still honing your music skills? We have a book for that!

                    

 

Virtual Activity: Build a Scene

Virtual Activity #2 begins today! Virtual Activities are challenges for you to complete at home with whatever you have around your house! We’ll be giving you activities all summer long, so make sure to check back on our website every week for a new challenge!

This week’s activity is to build a scene from your favorite story! You can use legos, blocks, craft materials, or anything you have at home! Use your imagination and see what you can create! Ms. Stephanie used materials from around the library to create this scene from The Giving Tree. You can share your creations with us by emailing a picture to Ms. Stephanie at stephanie@eapld.org. Make sure to include the title of the book, as well as if we have permission to share your picture and name on our socials. Pictures must be submitted by June 27, 2020.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here.

If you haven’t picked up a reading log, don’t worry! There’s still time! If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.

It’s National Kitten Day!

When it comes to holidays, July 10th is the most puuurfect of all! It’s National Kitten Day! This holiday was created to raise awareness of the importance of spaying or neutering your pets and adopting shelter pets! Don’t know how to celebrate today’s holiday? Consider donating money or supplies to your local shelter! We’re celebrating with adorable kitten gifs!

Check out some of our books on cats and kittens right meow!

                       

 

It’s National Best Friends Day!

June 8th is National Best Friends Day! This lighthearted holiday began in 1935 when the US Congress decided to devote a day to close friends. National Best Friends Day has given rise to other national holidays such as Friendship Day, Women’s Friendship Day, and an entire week called Old Friends, New Friends Week. The holiday has gained popularity over the last 5 years due to the rise of social media, and even has its own hashtag to go with it. Don’t forget to show your friends some love on social media today with the hashtag #nationalbestfriendsday

 

Check out some of our books on friendship!

                                  

Take It, Make It: Shapes

Beginning June 8, 2020, the first Take It, Make It activity will be available at both branches! Take It, Make It activities are projects that can be done at home with materials you can pick up at the library! You can also request curbside pick up. Just call 812-926-0646 (Aurora) or 812-954-4151 (Dillsboro) and let us know how many of the activities you need for your family!

This week’s activity is shapes! Stop by and pick up your bag of paper shapes, take them home, and let your imagination run wild! What can you create? You can check out this picture for inspiration, or you can make something totally original!  If you want your creation to be featured on our social media, send a picture to Ms. Stephanie at stephanie@eapld.org. Make sure to include if we have permission to share your picture and name on our socials. Pictures must be submitted by June 20, 2020.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here, or you can pick one up at either branch.

Don’t forget! There’s still time to get started on your summer reading log! If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.


 

Virtual Activity: Favorite Story Book Character

It’s time for our first Sizzlin’ Summer Virtual Activity! Virtual Activities are challenges for you to complete at home with whatever you have around your house! We’ll be giving you activities all summer long, so make sure to check back on our website every week for a new challenge!

This week, your Virtual Activity is to dress up as your favorite book character! Check out Ms. Stephanie’s example! She dressed up as the kitten from Kitten’s First Full Moon! Her nose and whiskers were made with materials we had in the library! Use your imagination and see what you can create! If you want your creation to be featured on our social media, send a picture to Ms. Stephanie at stephanie@eapld.org. Make sure to include the name of the character represented and the title of the book, as well as if we have permission to share your picture and name on our socials. Pictures must be submitted by June 13, 2020.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here.

Don’t forget about your reading logs! If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.