Touch-a-Truck is practically here! I have a perfect, truck-themed, easy activity for children ages 4 to 11. We’ll use recycled materials, and toys practically everyone has around their home.
Items:
Toy car
Scissors
Cardboard
Construction paper
Tape/glue
Popsicle sticks
The goal for this activity for our kids 4 and up is to create a working ramp. I created my ramp with a few strips of cardboard and taped it to an old box to create a declining slope. I decorated my ramp to look like a road and my toy car did the rest! This is a great opportunity to practice problem-solving skills, lefts, and rights, and even to discuss simple machines. For the little ones participating, it’s an excellent time for fine motor skill practice and even learning about physics!
Vocab:
Simple machine: something that helps us do work. Simple machines are the building blocks from which all compound machines are composed. Examples: Lever, Wheel and axle, Pulley, Inclined plane (ramp), Wedge, Screw.
Ramp: A sloped, flat surface angled with one end higher than the other. It’s used for raising or lowering a load, in this case a toy car.
Dear Friends, It’s almost school time again! Starting a new school year is always full of mixed emotions. You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is winding down. Some kids (and parents) feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and maybe even a new school.
Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while. In September, many children will be “leaving the nest” and going off on their own for the first time. No, we are not talking about going to college. We’re talking about little ones going to Kindergarten! For many kids, this will be the first time they spend away from their parents for an extended period. At Explore & More, we’ve created a fun and educational program to help ease the transition for the youngest learners.
At Together to Kindergarten, young campers are set up for success by providing fun and educational activities based on the following Kindergarten Readiness Skill-Builders:
Fine motor skills (cutting, writing, using manipulatives for small motor tasks)
Large motor skills (large group games, balancing, climbing)
Social/emotional skills (socializing, making new friends, taking turns, sharing, good manners)
Language skills (speaking in a whole group setting, asking for assistance)
Reading skills (rhyming, recognizing patterns in stories, print awareness)
Math skills (counting, patterning, measuring)
Children will get used to “school” routines and separating from parents while playing and learning in the various Play Zones at Explore & More. Register today online at www.exploreandmore.org. Spaces are limited. Don’t miss out on the fun and learning!
AGES: 4 – 5 (entering Kindergarten in September 2022) DATE: Monday, August 22nd – Friday, August 26th TWO SESSIONS: 9:00am-11:30am / Cost: $150 OR 12:30pm-3:00p / Cost: $150
There is no doubt about it: COVID-19 presented a significant challenge for public education. However, as we have witnessed time and time again throughout history, our teachers are resilient; they are qualified; and they are doing one of the most crucial jobs in the world: preparing future generations of citizens to engage in an everchanging and evolving society. If you are a teacher, please know this: your community supports you. If you aren’t a teacher yourself, make sure a teacher gets the message: we have your backs, and we are in this together.
I hope to see you soon at Explore & More.
Best regards,
Lisa Chrapowicz Director of Strategic & Community Initiatives
We are thrilled to have ABLE Summer Learning AmeriCorps Members at Explore & More this Summer. Cassidy, Shaima, Laura, Wasiq, and Tim work hard to make our summer camps fun and interesting so that our campers get excited to come back each day! You may also see them working in the Art Studio and Tinkering Tank, as well as interacting with children and families in the exhibit spaces.
We asked them, “What is your favorite thing about working at Explore & More this summer?”
Cassidy: My favorite thing about working at Explore & More is the friendly staff, and their willingness to want to help others.
Shaima: My favorite thing about working at Explore & More is the welcoming environment.
Laura: My favorite thing about working at Explore & More this summer is being somewhere that values inclusive learning.
Wasiq: My favorite thing about working at Explore & More is the wonderful co-workers and the feeling that I’m making a difference in children’s lives.
Tim: My favorite thing about working at Explore & More is the joy we provide to children and being able to experience that with them!
For our kiddos August is the last full month of summer, with milder weather and long summer nights, this month is a great time to check off whatever is left on your summer to-do lists. This month’s Culture Corner is dedicated to loving everything our city has to offer and will hopefully have everyone feeling some Buffalove!
Buffalo has so much to offer to our kids and August is the perfect month to take advantage of our city’s resources. If you haven’t already, plan a trip to Canalside, visit us here at Explore & More, while spending time on the Carousel, at the Naval Park, and the Longshed. If you’re looking for free programming, join us on Friday mornings for “Free-Play Fridays,” on the Canalside lawn, and take a stroll along the boardwalk while you take in the sights of the Erie Canalway! Make a point to learn about a different neighborhood than your own. Exploring other neighborhoods will introduce other cultures and ways of life. Did you know that the West-side is the most diverse area of Buffalo? Take a trip and try a traditional restaurant that is reflective of the neighborhood. Did you know that many buildings and homes in the Elmwood Villages, are on the National Register of Historic Places? Take a stroll through the neighborhood to appreciate these historic buildings. These are just two of the many areas within the city of Buffalo! Take time to explore our city and I know you will learn something new and grow to appreciate your home even more, truly committing to Buffalove.
We are sad to say that June saw Dan Walsh’s last day with us at the museum! Dan has been the brains and fun behind all of our STEM-tastic events and experiments and we wish him nothing but the best in his next endeavor. Take a peep at some of the fun we’ve had behind the scenes.
