GPS Dad : Salk Institute

Dad has traveled to the Salk Institute!

It is located in La Jolla, California, on the Pacific Ocean. It's one of the worlds top research institutions, found by Jonas Salk, a scientist.

For the last 50 years Salk Institute, has focused on tomorrow's scientists, training and researching for cures on Cancer, Genomic Medicine and Plant Biology.

The Salk Institute, was designed by Louis Kahn, an artist and architect.

This glass work of art is called "The Sun" by the Artist Dale Chihuly. He gave this to Salk Institute as a gift for their 50th Anniversary on April 14, 2011.

Big words :

institute - a group of people working on the same goal
research - work to learn more about something
artist - a person who makes art
architect - a person who plans, designs and builds buildings

GPS Dad: Washingtion D.C.

Dad has traveled to Washington DC! the capital of the United States of America!

The Washington Monument stands 555 feet (169 m) high... which is about 42 African elephants if each one was 13 ft to the shoulder. It was built from 1848 to 1885 in honor of the first president  of the United States Gen. George Washington.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial was built from 1938 to 1943 in honor of the third president of the United States who wrote  the Declaration of Independence. A bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was built for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He believed that everyone should be treated fairly, no matter what they looked like or believed in.

The National World War II Memorial was made so that we could remember the people who fought in World War II.

BIG words:

capital - a city where the leaders, law makers and government of a state or country do their jobs.

monument - a stone, statue or building that is used to remind us about someone or something.

memorial - something that helps us to remember something or someone.

Backyard Safari: Official Froggy Hero Vest

This has been a long time coming but we have finally decided on the perfect avenue to display our badges from our Froggy Hero adventures....

The Backyard Safari Cargo Vest available at ToysRus for $19.99! It has more than enough pockets to carry all the essentials for our exploration and it is very easy to apply iron-on patches to the back. However, it only comes in one size... a child-size that fits most 3 to 8 year olds.

... so on your next adventure be sure to check the gift shop for a patch or pin for your Adventure Vest!

Georgia Aquarium: an Underwater Adventure

The Froggy Heroes are out and about again! but this time we are traveling underwater in the Georgia Aquarium for a science lesson in marine biology.

Aquariums allow children to experience all the wonders of the ocean without even getting wet... well, you may get a little wet if you decide to touch a sting ray in the "water-petting zoos"...

The Georgia Aquarium is a world of marine biology in a controlled environment (my favorite kind when dealing with children)... and most of the staff can't wait to give you fascinating tidbits of information like how it is the home of the largest tank in the world... the size of a football field!

...and if you are over the age of 12 you can even set up an appointment to scuba dive in the tank! talk about field work!

Toy Review

We love brain-building toys! So we checked out a few that your little adventurer may be eyeing at the toy store.

the Ultimate Spy Watch by Spy Gear looked so cool! with its ability to decode secret messages, tell time in different time zones and stop watch capabilities!!!! Sounds Cool, Right?! ... but we could not get it to work :o(

Elenco EDU-37329 T-Rex Skeleton Kit is AWESOME!!!!!  It is 3 ft long when fully assembled! it looks like something right out of a real dinosaur museum... a must have for the dino-enthusiast!

The Smithsonian Microscope is a lightweight beginners microscope for the budding scientist. It comes with all the equipment needed to start micro-exploration... and we found it at Michael's 50% off :oD

The Sonic Sleuth is not just for ease dropping on your big sister's conversations... it can be a great tool for listening to all the little creatures on your afternoon nature walks...and this is really cool too!

Legos are the ultimate brain workout for any kid, it builds math skills, creativity and just may turn your kid into the biggest pint-sized architect on the playground.

Museums :The Cosmosphere

"Museums, how I love thee, let me count the ways..."

What better way to have an adventure than in a climate controlled, information saturated, visually stimulating museum?!

  

We took a Froggy Hero field trip to the Cosmosphere: Space and Science Museum. The kids were able to see and stand in real space equipment!

 There was a rocket and launch pad outside that sparked the imagination of my little ones... who knows, there may be a budding astronaut in the house :oD

Astronauts:
There is more to being an astronaut than just walking on the moon. Some astronauts repair spacecrafts and equipment while others work on science experiments and study the stars. Math and Sciences like Chemistry (the study of matter), Meteorology (the study of weather)  and Geology (the study of rocks) are important for this job.

for more information check out NASA and look over their missions... they'er really cool!

Easy Science Projects for Kids : How plants absorb water

This is an oldie but goodie! ...and it will be new to your preschooler.

I showed my preschooler how plants take water up their stems through little tubes and deliver it all the way to the tips of the leaves with this easy project.

I just took and old jar and let him fill it with water about 3/4 of the way, then he added "A LOT" of food coloring and a stalk of celery.

... we started to see a slight change in just a few minutes...

... and the next day they had completely changed color. My preschooler loved it and it remained a centerpiece on the kitchen table for the rest of the week, and sparked many conversations about the science of plants :o)