Adam has had a chance to participate in the experiments, but doesn't "Get it" like Reagan does. She got some science kits for her birthday, so we have been putting them to good use. First we did a "crystal growing" one, where tiny squares are places in water and absorb water until they grow into larger "crystals." It was a lot of fun for the kids to watch them grow, and then to watch them shrink back over time as the absorbed water evaporated. The other osmosis and evaporation experiment involved adding solution to a tray below a tag board tree. The children loved watching the osmosis process as the water was absorbed up the tree. Then as the water evaporated it created crystal branches on the tree from deposited salt. Very exciting!
Reagan also started learning how to make and break down contractions, and seemed to catch on right away. We've also started doing some syllabication games where we clap out the syllables of all kind of words. The favorite seems to be doing this with words read on signs while we are driving in the car. It's great because the names of businesses often have words that are not as familiar.
Yesterday for Groundhog Day we read a funny children's book "It's Groundhog Day." The night before we had read Bear Shadow in preparation as well. We've done some talk about shadows as well. It's a familiar topic for Reagan, but one that we haven't really covered with Adam yet. I'd like to do shadow pictures, but the weather has been way too cold. Hopefully we'll have a chance to go out and do it soon though. (Tracing around each others shadows in the morning, and then again in the afternoon and looking at the changes.)
We have been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, which absolutely fascinate Reagan. She's had an interest in Pioneers for well over a year now, and is loving seeing that life through the eyes of another little girl. Recently for her birthday we went to a museum with Pioneer things, including some frontier homes, and she absolutely loved it. She also asked to work on a pioneer style patch work quilt, and has already completed a 4 patch, and a patience 9 patch for her project. She insists on being authentic and has been sewing it all by hand. She seriously amazes me!
We also continue to play board games, from which the kids learn a lot! Crocodile Hunter (reptile facts), Addition War (addition), and Pizza Palace (listening skills, and memory) have been some recent favorites!
