Posts tagged backyard
Where Art Is Child’s Play — Children’s Museum of Arts
Children’s Museum of Arts in the South Village focuses on making art, not just 
drawing and sculpture but also sound and stop-motion animation. It is also the only institution in New York City collecting international children’s artwork which includes 40 pieces from Harlem in 1963, children’s paintings made during the Works Progress Administration, and art from African villages.
The opening exhibition “Make Art (in) Public consists of
October — National Popcorn Month
Considering that Americans consume 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually it 
is no wonder there is a National Popcorn Month. Even though popcorn month has been celebrated for more than 25 years, it was not until 1999, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month. Popcorn harvest takes place each fall in the Midwest so what better time to celebrate popcorn.
Amazingly 70 percent is eaten in the home while the other 30 percent is outside the home (theaters, stadiums, schools, etc.). While popcorn is consumed world-wide, most of the corn is grown and consumed in the United States. The average American eats about 54 quarts each year.
Popcorn has a long history. The oldest ears of popcorn dated at about 4,000 years were discovered in a cave in New Mexico in 1948. Aztec Indian ceremonies included a popcorn dance in which young women wore popcorn garlands.
Popcorn is a great between meal snack low in fat and calories and it satisfies but doesn’t spoil the appetite. Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservatives, and is sugar-free.
Get poppin’ and enjoy October as National Popcorn Month.
Resources:
Popcorn http://www.popcorn.org/
Popcorn Poppin’ Month http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/tabid/72/Default.aspx
Popcorn Trivia http://www.popcorn.org/EncyclopediaPopcornica/Trivia/tabid/69/Default.aspx
What Makes Popcorn Pop? http://www.popcorn.org/EncyclopediaPopcornica/WelcometoPopcornica/WhatMakesPopcornPop/tabid/105/Default.aspx
Photo courtesy of Popcorn Board. This link will also take you to a list of unique recipes using popcorn.
September - National Honey Month
In celebration of National Honey Month, I thought some interesting facts about honey bees might be in order -
- To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 300 bees.
- Honey bees never sleep!
- Honey bees will visit between 50-100 flowers during one nectar collection trip
A great Backyard Adventure — listening to and identifying the sounds of a summer night. One last adventure before heading back to school and early bedtimes.
Okay, so most of the country has snow and plenty of snowmen and snowballs to keep the kids busy during the holiday break. For those of us getting rain or just cold, here’s a inexpensive Japanese kid’s craft. Shiny mud balls! Check it out. Maybe something the kids will want to try when “there’s nothing to do!”
Here is a video link showing the process.
Enjoy!
Saturday Afternoon Football
Living in Alabama you have to choose a team — Alabama or Auburn. In the 1960’s I married into an Alabama family. Beginning in September, Saturday afternoons were set aside for football. We all gathered in the patriarch’s family room around a small TV screen. Thank God it was in color. I flipped through magazines and observed the ritual.
Kinetic Sculpture
I’ve always been a big fan of wind chimes — a soft tinkle in the wind or the louder melodic sound of tuned pipes that play their own song. Here are three artists that have taken it a bit further.
Celebrating the 4th with Fireworks
Did you know that fireworks have been around for over 2,000 years? Originating in China, they are still widely used in many Chinese celebrations. In fact to this day, the world’s main production of fireworks is in China.
Marco Polo is generally credited with bringing the black gun powder west. The Italians are credited with the first European country to manufacture fireworks.
In Philadelphia, a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and with the encouragement of Congress, Philadelphia lit up the sky with a “grand exhibition of fireworks which began and concluded with thirteen rockets …” Boston also celebrated that first year with fireworks.
This weekend we are celebrating 234 years of independence. How is your family celebrating this Fourth of July?
History of Fireworks
How Fireworks Work
The First Fireworks on the 4th of July
Fourth of July Celebrations - James R. Heintze
Kids complaining that it’s too hot and there is nothing to do? Check out craftzine.com’s blog with instructions for Painting with Ice Cubes. Cool craft in more ways than one! Be sure to come back and share your creations.
