Village Parkdays 12:00 pm – 4pm (or sundown)

Upcoming Events
Aug 13 - Venia's Vacation: Belarusse, Vienna, and..

Aug - 6 Topanga Beach Day (boogie boards and sandcastles)

July 30 - Summer Parkday

July 23 - Leather Stamping

July 16 - Ancient Rome

July 9 - Japan Past & Present

July 2 - Independence & H2O

June 25 Beach Day

June 18 Tenzi Frenzi

June 11 - Juggling Craft and Fun

June 4 - Stokes Theater & Plays

May 28 - Christina's Family Yogatime

May 21 - Bring your crafty projects & Potluck

May 14- Career Day

May 7 - Mother's Day Tea

April 30 - Art Show & Painting

Apr 23 - Earthday Show & Tell and Planting

Apr16 - 19 Joshua Tree Annual Family Campout

Apr 9 - HexiFlexigons - rescheduled

Apr 2 - Magic Tricks & Juggling Sticks

Mar 26 - HexiFlexigons - Geometry Gone Wild

Mar 19 - Potluck & Nat Amer Kid Presentations

Mar 12 - Nat Amer 2: Plains & Tipi's

Mar 5 - Native American 1: Inuit & Carving

Feb 28 - The Art of Debate

Feb 19 - Potluck & Chinese New Year & Korean, Vietnamese

Feb 12 - Valentyne's Day exchange

Feb 5 - Favorite Books

Jan 29 - Build an African Kalimba

Jan 22 - Patents and Inventors

Jan 15 Potluck, Patents and Inventors

Jan 8 - Boardgames and Beginnings

Jan 1st New Year's Playday

Dec 25 Merry Christmas No Parkday

Dec 18 Kwanza; Hannukah; Xmas; Solstice Celebration & Lunch Potluck

Dec 15 Caroling at Retirement Homes

Dec 11 Holiday Craft Day

Dec 4 Idioms by Maria Wheee!

Nov 27 Happy Thanksgiving No Parkday

Nov 20 Venezuela by Enrique & Potluck

Nov 13 Science Bloopers

Nov 6 Inside a Courtroom

Nov 4 Take your Kid to Vote

Oct 30 Costume Halloween Party

Oct 23 Bring a Poem

Oct 19 Campfire Potluck &Talent Show

Oct 16 Poetry Play Day & Potluck

Oct 9 Save Big Cats & Habitats

Oct 2 Making & Launching Rockets

Sept 28 Watts Tower Drumming Festival 10-4pm

Sept 25 Basket Weaving with NewsPaper

Sept 18 M&B Family Campout @ Sequoia Nat'l Park (No parkday)

Sept 11 OuterSpace Aeronautics or
Sustainable Farming & Husbandry (if cool enough for goats to visit)

Sep 10 M&B Free @ LA County Fair

Sep 2 Amazing Aeronautics

Aug 28 Beach Day

Aug 21 Pioneer Day

Aug 14 Five Year M&B Anniversary

Aug 7 Solar Ovens Part III

Jul 31 Solar Ovens Part II

Jul 24 Solar Ovens Part I @ Beach

Jul 17 Balloon Fun/Physics

Jul 10 Blind as a Bat (Braille & Sonar)

Jul 3rd (No Parkday Independence)

Jun 26 Tal Family

Jun 19 Kinetic Ball Run & Squirt bottle motion & Potluck

Jun 12 Summer Festival & Games

Jun 11 Full Moon Hike

Jun 5 Let's Get Tiny - Cells (Animal & Plant)

May 29 Lets get tiny - Cells (Animal & Plant)

May 22 Famous People

May 15 Beach Day & Potluck

May 8 Celebrating Mothers

May 1 Secrets of Water

Apr 24 Earthday & Planting

Apr 17 Games & Crafts Bring Your OWN

Apr 10 Nat'l Poetry Month

Apr 3 Cotton Magic

Mar 27 Bacteria Fun

Mar 20 Potluck & Organ Day!

Mar14-16 Joshua Tree Annual Spring Family Campout

Mar 13 - No Theme due to weekend Campout

Mar 6- Birdwatching & Nesting Day

Feb 27 - Physics of Bowling due to Rain

Feb 20 - The Winter Olympics

Feb 14-17 Backyard Bird Count

Feb 13 - VOLUNTEER PLEASE. Valentines Day

Feb 6 - Taxonomy & the Darwin Challenge

Jan 30 - Lunar New Year of the Horse

Jan 23 - Simple Machines II - Pulleys & Levers

Jan 16 - Habitats & Keystone Species & Noon Potluck

Jan 9 - Cogs & Cams: Simple Machines

Jan 2 - Reconnecting after holidays & New Year's Celebrations

Dec 26 - No Parkday Happy Holidays

Dec 19 - Celebrate Holidays: Winter Solstice, Kwanza, Christmas & Hanukkah

Dec 12 - Solar Fun & Mask Making with Michelle

Dec 5 - Monarch Magic & Eucalyptus

Nov 28 - Happy Thanksgiving - No Parkday

Nov 23 - Fieldtrip to Monarch Groves in Goleta

Nov 21 - Monarchs & Eucalyptus Trees postponed

Nov 14 - Atoms, Protons, Electrons, Oh My!

Nov 7 - Autumn Leaves & Sewing with Heather

Oct 31 - Halloween Festival

Oct 24 - Spooky SeeSaw Algebra

Oct 17 - 3 City Geography & Int'l Potluck & 6:00pm Talent Show

Oct 10 - 2nd M&B Bug Faire

Oct 3 - Abacus Math Magic

Sept 26 - Bark Painting & Spirit Animals

Sep 19-23 Annual Sequoia Family Campout

Sep 14 Fieldtrip to Point Vicente

Sep 12 - Lighthouses & Prisms II

Sep 5 - Build Splash Toys @ Pool

Aug 29 - Lighthouses & Light I

Aug 22 - DeSalination @ Beach PD

Aug 15 - Weaving yarn or old clothes

Aug 8 - Hula Hoop II

Aug 1 - Hula Hoop I @ Beach A

Jul 25 - M&B's 4th Anniversary
All ages Talent Show

Jul 18 - Hawaii Day & Potluck

Jul 11 - Bubble Science Fun

July 4 No Parkday HOLIDAY

Jun 27 No Parkday HOLIDAY

Jun 20 - Crafts Free for All

Jun 13 - Gold Mining & BoomTowns

Jun 6 - Anyone? Or Lemonade Stands

May 31-Jun 2 Family Campout at Montano De Oro

May 30 - MayDay PlayDay II

May 23 - MayDay PlayDay

May 16 - Bats, Owl Pellets & Potluck

May 9 - Primitive Arts & Indian Trading Blanket

May 2 - Painting & Poems

Apr 25- Help Our Wildlife Thrive

Apr 18 - M&B Earthday & Potluck 5pm

Apr 11 - Missouri Day / Bees Part 2
HoneyLove.org

Apr 4 - Bees ($3/kid for candlemaking)
Ula's Birthday

Mar 28 - Feathers, Microscopes & Origami Cranes

Mar 21 - History of Sugar; Plant own sugarcane

Mar 14 - Robots & Circuitry $3/kid

Mar 7 - Rainy Day @ Skirball Free

Feb 28 - Felting & Fiber Arts

Feb 21 - Morocco II
and Islamic Prayer

Feb 14 Valentines & Asian New Year Traditions

Feb 7 - Huichol Yarn Paintings
& Esme's Bday

Jan 31 - Birth of a Nation

Jan 24 - Cancelled
due to RAIN

Jan 17 - Craft parkday

Jan 15 - USA Tour @ Skirball

Jan 10- Morocco Senses & Allah

Jan 3 - Free for All Playday

Dec 27 - Free For All Playday

Dec 20 - Xmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Divali & Winter Solstice (Carols & Potluck)

Dec 13 - Morocco, Art & Mint Tea

Dec 6 - Pompeii Part II & Archeology

Nov 29 - Let's BOWL
due to Rain

Nov 22 - Thanksgiving - No Parkday

Nov 15 - Duct Tape Crafts & creations by C & C
and Lunch Potluck

Nov 8 - Ancient Pompeii & Mt Vesuvius

Nov 1 - Election & Voting Debate:
More trees or Waterslide

Oct 25 - Trunk or Treat; Dress-up
Halloween

Oct 18 - Peace Building &
Anger drop

Oct 11 - Superhero Rain

Oct 4 - Inks from Nature

Sep 27 Ireland Fun & Culture

Sep 20 -Sequoia-sized Boardgames

Sep 13 - 3rd Sequoia Campout

Sep 6- Heroes and Heroines - Kids Presentations

Aug 30 - Simile, Metaphors & Figures of Speech

Aug 23- Letterboxing II

Aug 16 - Letterboxing I

Aug 9 - Beach Day

Aug 2 - Modern Olympics II

July 26 - Ancient Olympics I

July 19 - Paper Arts: Bowls, Books & Beads

July 12 - Beach Day

July 5 - Statue of Liberty - 4th July

June 28 - Storytelling & Aussie Rainsticks

June 21 - Fun Games Field day

June 14 - Mystery Math = Algebra Fun

June 7- Silly Summer Day Fun

May 31 - Build Miniature Golf

May 24 - Sewing & Haiku Part II

May 17 - Haikus & Drums & Evening Potluck

May 10 - Rock Hunter Guest Speakers

May 3 - May Day Celebrations

Apr 26 - Fibonacci & Nature

Apr 19 - Thai New Year -Songkran & Potluck

April 12 - Spring Bling & Night Crawlers Planting season

April 5- Easter /Passover Crafts

Mar 29 - Ethics & Fairytales

Mar 22 - Detective Fingerprints & Crafts

Mar 15 - Prep for Joshua Tree

Mar 8 - Marbles & Physics

Mar 1 - Make Real Dream Catchers

Feb 23 - Pirates, Sea Captains &Tall Ships

Feb 16 - Wilderness Survival - guest Speaker

Feb 9 - Anatomy Guts vs Feeling Guts

Feb 2- Gravity Fun Games

Jan 26 - Cement Bridges Part Two

Jan 19 - Kids first Rock & Gem Show

Jan 12 - Global New Years Celebration

Jan 5 - Rockets-Aquarius M&B helped launch

Dec 29 - Cement Construction hand print tile

Dec 22- Kwanza, Hannukah, Bodhi Day stories & games 12/8

Dec 15 - Amy's Anatomy Obstacle Course

Dec 8 - Painting so it POPS! w/ out wind

Dec 1 - Painting so it POPS!

Nov 24 - Happy Thanksgiving - No M&B Parkday

Nov 17 - Fun with Manners & Empowering Etiquette & And 3rd Thurs Potluck (lunchtime)!

Nov 10 - History of Photography - Make Pinhole Cameras

Nov 3 - Butterfly & Bug Faire & Poems & Riddles

Oct 27 - Pumpkin Festival *Dress UP!!

Oct 20 - Empathy & Empowerment

Oct 13 - Braille & Visually Impaired

Oct 6- Atoms & Cool Molecules

Sept 29- Black Bears & Sequoias

Sept 22 - Sequoia Fires & Cones

Sept 15- Clay Creatures & Open-ended ?s

Sept 8- Beat the Heat Beach Day

Sept 1 - Lemonade Stand Commerce

Aug 25 - Back to Homeschool Play

Aug 18 - Saw Safely & make a Jacob's Ladder

Aug 11 - Biomes, Habitats & Soda Bottle Terrarium

Aug 4 - M&B 2Year Anniversary Party

July 28 - Finger Knitting & Natural Fibers

July 21 - Stone Soup Potluck & Storytime

July 14 - CrazyFun ScienceLab Experiments

July 7 - Independence Day Celebration @ Zuma Beach

June 30 - Nocturnal Creatures & Owl Pellets to dissect

June 23 - Book Exchange Circus

June 16 - Lewis & Clark, Quill pens from feathers & Potluck

June 9 ATC- Making Artists' Trading Cards

June 2 Petraglyphs, Pictoglyphs & Rafting the Grand Canyon

May 26 Historical
Figures that changed the World
all Kids Perform

May 19 Pharoahs, Pyramids & Crafts
And Potluck 5pm-sundown

May 12
Mars & Space Travel

May 5
Mother's Day
High Tea

Apr 28
Physics & Imagination=
Future Travel

Apr 21
Mask Making & Storytelling

Apr 14
Sound Waves

Apr 7
Geodesic Dome

Mar 31
Earthquakes & Tectonics

Mar 24
Show & Tell & Games

Mar 17
Family Campout Joshua Tree

Mar 10
Mardi Gras

Mar 3
Africa & Wangari Maathai

Feb 24
Brains: the Inside Story

Feb 3
Chinese New Year

Jan 27
Pioneer Parkday Part 2

Jan 20
Days of Yore

Jan 13
Fun & Safety
with Germs

Jan 6
Chess by Jahan

Dec 31
New Year's FreePlay

Dec 23
Kwanza, Hannukah
& Christmas

Dec 16
Engines & Cars
& Alternative Power

Dec 9
Microscopic World

Dec 2
Cartoon & Collage

Nov 25th
Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov 18th
Nature Crafts & Yoga

Nov 11th
Wind Turbines

Nov 4th
Indian Diwali Celebration

Oct 28th
Spooky Obstacle Course

Oct 21st
How Songs are Born

Oct 14th
Build a
Weather Station

Oct 7th
Prisms, Vision & Zoetropes

Sept 30th
Spanish CultureFest

Sept 23rd
Russian Culture & Potluck

Sept 17
Family Campout @ Sequoia Nat'l Park

Sept 9th
Chemical (molecular) Reactions

Sept 2nd
History of Flight

August 26th
Light, Refraction & Rainbows

Aug 19
Potluck

August 12
Turtles, Tortoises & YOU

August 5th
Honey, Bees & Wasps

July 29th
M&B 1 year anniversary

July 22
Inuit Culture & Games

July 15th
Bastille Day - French Independence

June 17th
Swedish MidSummerFest

June 10th
Catapults & Parachutes
Gravity & Lift

June 3rd
Our BodyGuards
Snot & Scabs

May 27th
Pollination, Fruit & Seeds

May 20th
Hawaii & Potluck Luau!

May 13
Ladybugs, Silkworms & Praying Mantis

May 6th
Knots, Pirates & Explorers

April 29
Earth Day Part 2

April 22
40th anniversary of Earth Day

April 15th
Japanese Girls' & Boy's Day

April 8th
Bridges, Cantilevers & Treehouses

April 1st
Magnetism part II: Physical Force of Nature

March 25
Magnetism part I: I'm attracted!

March 18th
Desert Life

March 11th
Global Timelines

March 4th
Spring Bling:
Worms, Dirt & Seeds

6,000 Bagels & Blue Bonnet Tour

Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to a tour of The Western Bagel Company in Van Nuys.  The Bagel that Won the West!  In order to protect all company techniques and recipes,  photos were not allowed

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after we passed the front room.  So you won’t see much of the Factory’s machines and bagels.flour towers

In the parking lot, the kids first learned the four ingredients that go into every batch of bagels – Flour, Water, Yeast and Sugar (just enough sugar to activate the yeast). Two giant tanks stood in the parking lot, filled with flour that we would see piped in to add to the batter.  But as we stood there we could smell bagels – yum and the trash bin -  not so yum.

Once in the building, our first order of business was to don the attractive blue bonnets to ensure our hair, if prone to flying free from our heads, did not make for a future lawsuit.  This was an adventure in itself.  Click on each image below for fun videso of the action.IMG_3311

Then the tour inside the factory began.  We first witnessed a batch of dough that would make 6,000 bagels being mixed by blades instead of giant wooden spoons.  Ingredients beyond the FAB Four were meaIMG_3299sured and added.  Steve Ustin -After a few moments that batter was cut free and dropped with a heavy thump into a big bin that was raised slowly, like a roller coaster reaching the top of the ride.  And at the top it was dumped into another machine which cut it up into palm-sized pieces.  Still, nothing looked like bagels.

hand made bagels

CLick here for Home Bagel Recipe

But once these squarish pieces went through the next machine, the dough came out round like bagels.  Once formed by hand like Original Western bagel man – Steve Ustin in photo, now much of the process is automated.  The rest of our tour was about following our bagels on carts or  conveyor belts enjoying toppings, moisture, heat, cold, rejection, and bags.

We were happy to learn that the bagels that didn’t meet company standards were not tossed into a dump, but instead become part of the diet for nearby farm animals.IMG_3318

As the tour ended and we returned our blue bonnets for another tour’s use, we all mobilized for a group walk to the nearest Western Bagel store a few blocks away.  Each child received a mini-bagel and the rest of us with cash bought our favorites.  YUM!

If you would like to make your own bagels at home I found a great recipe.  Click on this four part picture for the blog/website that will walk you gently through the steps.  If you do try your hand at it, would you bring me one to try?

Wanna visit Mars? Well your name can!

What a turn out! We had 33 kids and 18 parents at M&B today!  Really, who doesn’t want to be an astronaut?IMG_3429

Click on the image above for a video of one of our synchronized Rocket Launches.

Would you like your name to travel on a rocket to Mars?  Well log on here to submit your full name and join thousands of kids (and adults) whose names will be imprinted on a microchip that will travel to the surface of Mars in 2011.  Our parkday was dedicated to SPACE fun in preparation for the one weekend a year that  NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena opens its doors to the public (May 14-15, 2011).  At the open house, you can see Untitled-1 Curiosity - a roving vehicle going to Mars to collect specimens and take photos while driving about the surface of MARS.  Your family will learn about missions to Jupiter & Saturn, planet-finding research, the moon, asteroids and way cool NASA equipment.  All this is awaiting your “oohs” and “ahs” this weekend (Deltac family is going Saturday).

In addition to discussing inter-planetary space travel and what we would or shouldn’t bring if we were to live on the Int’l Space Station (ISS) for a few months, everyone made their own flying rocket and a 2nd rocket ship with launcher.  Images are at bottom and you can see a video if you click on image above for a video of one of our launches.

rocket

Interested in real rocket launches?  This Monday, May 16th, the 2nd to last Space Shuttle launch will take place at 8:56 am EST.  That’s live coverage @5:56am PCT.  Or on June 9th near the Vandenberg Air Force base,  join us at a campout the night before to ensure we see the launch at 7:20 am.  The  ULA Delta II 7320 rocket will be safely seen near Vandenberg Airforce base from Corral Road in Lompoc CA, north west of Santa Barbara.  The purpose of this launch is to send the satellite – Aquarius into orbit around Earth so that it can observe  the way water, our most precious resource (2nd to kids) is moving on our planet.  With the help of a lot of scientists and brilliant calculations, Aquarius will collect date on ocean surface salinity to determine so much more.  Aquarius is a partnership between NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina.

Wanna get more involved and help NASA with the Rover?  Send in a rock from your area to NASA to help the rover identify rocks from around the world in practice for Mars.

For some online fun go to NASA’s Space Place or NASA’s Kid’s Club with fun interactive computer games.  Or read Lucy’s Planet Hunt online.

DIGIPIX

Click here to see the images and footage of the World's first amateur Space Program!

Incidentally, the first two Mars rovers were named by a a 3rd grade Russian-American student who entered the NASA essay contest.
“I used to live in an orphanage. It was dark and cold and lonely. At night, I looked up at the sparkly sky and felt better. I dreamed I could fly there. In America, I can make all my dreams come true. Thank you for the ‘Spirit’ and the ‘Opportunity.’”
Sofi Collis, age 9

Remember the Dad and Son who made a homemade spacecraft that made it to OUTERSPACE back in October? You don’t have to work at NASA to send something into outerspace, just be2011 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair persistent!  Mudpies & Butterflies are these kinds of families!  Get creative and believe in your dreams and ideas.

And if that is not enough for you this Thursday May 12, 2011 from 9:00am – 9:00pm at the LA convention center downtown will open it’s doors to the public for the Premier International Science & Engineering Fair with projects and students from 65 countries from around the world.  Companies and military figureheads from many nations are scouting this fair for future projects to fund.  This could be YOUR future.IMG_3418IMG_3428IMG_4953IMG_3425

Magna Carta reborn 700 yrs later

Magna-Carta

The Magna Carta on Display @ LACMA May 2011

If you thought waking up at 3:00 am Friday morning in order to witness Prince William and Kate wed was the closest you could get to the Royals this week, well guess again!  The 700 year old Magna Carta is/was visiting LA for 2 weeks @ the LACMA (thru May 5th, 2011). Thank you LACMA!

But how do you make a piece of paper that is older than most trees – come to life for kids age 4-14?  Even if it did inspire our nation’s Constitution.  Hmm…

First I dressed up as a commoner from 13th century England and then added an accent and VOILA!  “I’m on me way to wash the soilageIMG_4822 from me dirty clothes, but I’ll take a squat and tell you homeschoolin’ bairns all about me family’s life.  Me husband and boys slave all day workin’ in me Lord’s fields.   And in der “spare-time” minds ya, me menfolk trek half a day’s length to plow the tiniest bit uh land we be allotted.  And even though we be starvin’ and I ken make nor more than a scant drop of milk for my wee ones, I won’t let me husband trap a rabbit or bird from the Lord and King’s woods.  Cause if he be caught, ooh well, then the law round here will cut his hand plumb off.”

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Rustling up Coin from Commoners

“And now, wicked King John be trying to raise men and coin for yet another pricey war.  Mind you, horses, ships and weapons ain’t cheap, so he be sending tax collectors to our township yet again.  We already gave ‘em all our bounty nigh this fall. And boy, those tax collectors are a rough lot.  If you hide your money, they find it.  If you don’t cough it up, they might take ye man and sons and then who will till the fields?   And if you have no coin, they will take your livestock. Dem dirty rascals took my pig last time. And I had her real plump-like.  Look out, here come the tax collectors now!  Hide your coin and your sons.”

IMG_4831

Oversized coins

A few children acted the part of Tax Collectors and the Lord’s Guards.  They effectively harassed coins, apples and livestock from us commoners.  I had handed out fake coins and stuffed animals out earlier to the kids and parents.  We all stood by as one poor woman pleaded to keep her favorite barnyard friend.  The guards took the little piglet anyhow.  When the tax collectors returned to the castle and emptied the coins and goods before King John (me behind a mask), he IMG_4833threatened to lop off their heads if they didn’t return to the villages and collect more.

Then the King threw Nobleman Ryan (our 14 yr old) into prison so he could steal all of his land and wealth.  It seemed that no one could stop King John from abusing his power.  The people of England, rich and poor, needed a way to keep the King in line.  They needed more than a law – they needed the MAGNA CARTA. In Latin Magna means BIG.  Carta means LETTER.  So the Dukes, Earls, and Counts (like Robin Hood) joined forces and wrote a BIG LETTER and forced King John to sign it.  The Magna Carta says that the King is not above the laws and can’t break them.  And he could no longer secretly throw anyone into prison. There would have to be a public trial to see if the person was guilty.  This is still used today – called Habeus Corpus.photo

Just before entering the museum, I handed out “memory” books I made with staples and newsprint (Ikea paper for photo-2wrapping breakables).  Every time my girls and I go to a museum, we make these books to record items of interest as they feel moved.  It increases the length of our visit, sharpens the skills of observation as well as makes for a very special sharing in Daddy’s lap.

posing

Posing like Henry Moore's Reclining Figure

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Copying the letters in their books

discussing

Discussing the art as well as any critic and creating a new Reflections game!

After viewing the Magna Carta (which was a copy made in 1217 only two years after the original) and drawing it in our memory books, I took everyone to IMG_3128see a few of my Family’s favorite art pieces in the museum.IMG_3131IMG_3124IMG_4847

Another way to make art more fun, is to get your family to pose like the sculpture or try to match your face to the sitter in the painting.  To do this you have to really investigate the artwork.  This facilitates great left-right brain interaction!  For more museum fun with your kids go to a previous blog of mine… Make a Solo Date with your Kids.