Simple Saturday: Find the Missing Quarter

Ready to bamboozle even the most die-hard cynic? You have the supplies, right? The 3 lids, the quarter, the tape, and your head? Actually, we only need a single hair from your head, not the whole bowling ball. 

Go head. Grit you teeth and pull out one of the longest hairs you can find. Oh, hush....it doesn't hurt that bad.

Here's the sneaky part...where the "magic" of the trick lies. Tape that strand of hair onto the quarter.

Shhh. Don't tell anyone. That piece of fuzz is the key to performing this trick. Here's how we'll do it.

Gather up some kids. Tell them to prepare to be bamboozled. Explain that you have x-ray vision and see through metal. Ask for a volunteer from the audience to assist you in performing this astounding trick. Lay the quarter, hairy side down, on the table.

Okay, listen up now. The next step is very important.

Cover the quarter with a lid, being certain that the strand of hair is sticking out from under it. You can see the hair. Your audience will miss it.

Tell your assistant that, after your eyes are closed, to gently shift the lids around, altering their placement.  Once that is done, open your eyes. Explain that, in order for your magical x-ray vision to be fully effective, you must peer very closely at the lids. Lean in and look for that strand of hair sticking out. Ta Da! You did it. You found the quarter!

That's all there is to it! Simple, huh?

Now, if only finding the ball under those whirring Jumbo-tron baseball caps could be this easy. Sheesh.

Simple Saturday Prep: The Lost Quarter

Have you ever been bamboozled at a major league baseball game when trying to keep your eye on the tiny red ball placed under one of those  three baseball caps whirring  across the  Jumbo-tron screen? You know...the game where you have to guess which hat the illusive ball is under? I swear, as hard as I try to keep my eye on the ball, I never guess it right. Those hats buzz by so quickly my baby blues get crossed!

Well, let's create our own bit of bamboozle-ation, shall we? Tomorrow gather up 3 small lids (I'm going to use baby food jar lids), a quarter, some tape, and your head. That's right. I said your head. However, if your hair style is that of the buzzed variety, we might need to borrow someone else's head, momentarily.

Until tomorrow...

Simple Saturday: Bird Necklaces

Oh, how our feathered friends will love you for making these. They truly will.

Remember what we need to make Bird Necklaces? Yarn, tape, scissors, and the oh-so-delicious-and-not-very-nutritious Froot Loops?

(I can't tell you the last time I have eaten Froot Loops. Too long, pal. Way too long. When I opened this box that amazing fake fruit smell assaulted my nose and made my mouth water like a summertime sprinkler. Yum! Yum!)

Your sewing tip should look something like this when you're finished. Well, all we have to do is cut a piece of yarn about 12 inches long, or so. Next, make a sewing tip with a piece of tape. Just wrap the tape around one end of your piece of yarn and you're golden.

And now, simply string Froot Loops until your piece of yarn is nearly full. Tie the ends together. Snip off the excess yarn and tip. Whalla! You have made a Bird Necklace.

 (If you're lucky, like I was, a  number of the Froot Loops will be stuck together and cannot be threaded onto the string. Oh, gee...there was nothing I could do but eat those, right?)

Make lots and lots of Bird Necklaces. Then simply step outside in your backyard and hang them on your trees. Trust me. The word will spread in the bird world. You'll have tons of feathered friends nibbling at those necklaces before long.

Tweet. Tweet.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I might make myself a little bowl of cereal for a wee midnight snack...

Simple Saturday Prep: Bird Necklaces

Ready for one of the absolutely simplest-yet-oh-so-much-fun-to-watch-once it-is-finished Simple Saturday activities? Now, when I say simple, in this case, I really, really mean simple. And this one is especially fun to do with a bunch of people together. So gather up a crowd and let's make a winter-time delight known as Bird Necklaces.

All you'll need tomorrow is yarn, tape, scissors, and cereal that has a hole in the center. Cheerios work well, but my most favorite is Froot Loops. Not only do Froot Loops make a fabulously colorful finished product, they taste so darned sweet and good.

See you later, Tweetie.

Simple Saturday: Sandwich a la Liquid

Today's activity couldn't be easier or more fun. You've got the goods, right? The clear bottle, water, funnel, cooking oil, glycerin, and food coloring?

To make a Liquid Sandwich use the funnel to fill the bottle one third full with water. Drip 4 or 5 fat drops of food coloring directly into the water.  Fill the bottle another third of the way with the glycerin and lastly with the cooking oil. That's it! What could be simpler?

Look at the way the liquids separate, will you? Like a liquid sandwich, wouldn't you say? The bottom layer is oh, so glycerin clear. The middle layer is oceanic blue topped of with sunny golden cooking oil. Kind of poetic, isn't it?

A word of warning, though. To keep these distinct layers separate you will need to handle your Liquid Sandwich with care. I wouldn't shake it up, if I were you. When it gets shaken the glycerin mixes with the water. The end result is something like the Ocean in the Bottle we made a few weeks ago. It's cool and still fun to play with, but the clear glycerin layer is gone...or is it? 

Where does it go? Why does this mixing of liquid layers happen, you ask? What is your hypothesis? Something to do with the molecular structure of the  liquids, I'll bet. You think?

You know, my Simple Saturday friend, this activity would make a dynamite project for your school Science Fair. Of course, you would have to do a wee bit of research to explain the scientific reasoning behind the liquid separation. Wouldn't it be fun to study the science behind an activity as fascinating as this one?

Isn't that what the scientific process is all about? To find out more about something that interests us? Don't we state our hypothesis, or our own reason why we think something is happening, and then set out to prove it?

Well, go for it, Einstein. Let me now what you find out!

Simple Saturday Prep: The Liquid Sandwich

A sandwich is all about layers, right? Yummy stuff layered between two or more slices of bread. Something hearty you can sink your teeth into...substantive, scrumptious, splendiferous.

Well, forget about a sandwich like that one. Tomorrow's will be one of the liquid variety. Liquid, you ask? How can that be? Gather up the following materials and I'll show you what I mean. You'll need a clear bottle, water, a funnel, cooking oil, food coloring, and some glycerin (You can buy glycerin at the pharmacy for cheapo. In fact, a while back we used some to make Monster Bubbles, remember? You might have a some left over from that project. I did.).

See you tomorrow! We'll have some simple fun then.

Simple Saturday: Anasazi Cave Art

Photos taken by Tony Kuyper A quote from Flood's Sand to Stone and Back Again,  "I shelter deer, pack rats, antelope, and bats. And hikers, like you, or long ago, the Ancient Ones. In my canyons the built their homes, painted pictures, carved messages, and left handprints."

Pretend that you are an Ancient One living hundreds and hundreds of years ago in a cave located in the great Southwest with a desire to communicate, to express yourself artistically, or to just have some Simple Saturday fun! Let's take our Styrofoam meat tray, scissors, tempera paint, small art brush, small something to carve with, and piece of paper and roll back the hands of time, shall we?

Here's what we'll do:

Cut Styrofoam meat tray into 3 X 5 in. pieces. Carve a petroglyph into one of the small pieces. (Petroglyph is another word for cave art.) Brush tempera paint onto the petroglyph stamp. Press stamp onot piece of paper.

Great Gods! You've created cave art!

Study the cave art in the photos above. What ones speak to you? What do you think the Ancient Ones were trying to say? Be a Anasazi and create your own image, you little Simple Saturday wise one.

Simple Saturday Prep: Cave Art

Tomorrow's Simple Satruday is inspired by Nancy Bo Flood's From Sand to Stone and Back Again.

In the book, Nancy speaks of the Ancient Ones, "...People who lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago," who "...painted or carved rock art on cliffs or in caves." Well, in true Simple Saturday form, why don't we make our own cave art prints. Sound like fun?

So gather up a styrofoam meat tray, some tempra paint, scissors, something sharp to carve with like a nail or a toothpick, a small art brush, and a piece of paper and let's step back into time and replicate the artistic wonders of the Anasazi...the Ancient Ones.

A Magical Simple Saturday: Water, Water, Where'd You Go?

Ready whip up some magic? To make Merlin proud? I am.

Nobody saw you getting the supplies, did they? The magazine, the Ziplock bag, a stapler, and a glass of water? Whew. That was close.

I opted for a measuring cup of water...easier to pour. And I have asked my dear friend Martha Stewart to be my assistant today. I thought the cover picture of her pouring water suits our venture perfectly, don't you?

So, in typical Simple Saturday style, all we are doing to make this trick is concealing the Ziplock inside the magazine. That's it! Simple, right? Las Vegas, here we come!!!!

Find the middle of the magazine. Open wide. Fit the Ziplock inside. In order to fit mine in nicely, I had to staple a little tuck on one side of the bag. You may need to do the same thing. Also, you might need to tuck the bottom of the bag up a little so that it can't be seen from the bottom edge of the magazine. 

Now secure the Ziplock to the inside of the magazine by stapling all around the top edge of the bag. We're making a plastic pocket inside the magazine, aren't we? Tuck the bottom of the Ziplock up to fit inside the pocket. Avoid stapling the bottom of the bag to the magazine. (Dribble. Dribble.)

Look at my final product. My sneakiness is concealed. I'm now ready to make a little "magic." Remember, my Simple Saturday friend, we mustn't tell a soul how we have made this trick. We want our audience to be spellbound...mermerized...bamboozled!

For demonstration purposes I have asked my hubby John to perform the trick for us. (I can't keep any secrets from him.) Watch what he does. This is how you will perform our trick. Be confident, now. Begin your performance by saying something like, Ladies and Gentleman! Today I shall astound you! Confound you! And so on...You know the magician lingo, right?

In this picture John is explaining that in his hands he holds an average everyday magazine. Nothing special here. (Heh, heh...we know differently, don't we?)

At this point you might like to wave your hand around the magazine while chanting your magic word a few times. We want our audience to think that the magic word has changed the Martha's magazine, not us.

Next, sneaky John forms an opening in the top of the Ziplock and then pours the water into the "magazine". See how dramatic (or silly) he is? You have to do the same thing. Convince your audience! We want them to be concerned that you'll spill that water all over Mom's kitchen floor. Yikes!!!

In this picture, John is proving his magical skills. He is faking a test, further baffling the audience. They're thinking, "How did he do that? Amazing...Water, water, where did you go?"

We know where it went...don't we? There's no real Hocus Pocus, right? But remember the Simple Saturday Magician's Code of Honor? We pinky swore yesterday...shhh.

Simple Saturday Prep: Hocus Pockus, Alakazam!

Do you believe in magic? If you don't already, you will tomorrow after I show you how to do the amazing, stupefying, mesmerizing, best-trick-of-all-time...Water? Water? Where'd you go?

Before I can go any farther with this trick, you and I need to have a little chat. Move in close. Come on. Close enough to hear my whisper. 

We magicians are a secret society. What happens under the top hat stays under the top hat. You see, I'm risking my Magician's Code of Honor by teaching you this trick. You  have to swear on a bushel of magic wands that you will not tell ANYONE the secret I'll be emparting to you tomorrow. Promise? Pinky swear? On your Bibbety-Boppity-Boo Honor?

I'm serious about this...really. You with me? Okay, then. Let's do it.

I'm not usually an advocate for sneaking around, but I'll make an exception in this case. We simply cannot get found out! Tippy-toe around the house to gather up a old magazine (Dad's Sports Illustrated? Hmm...not a good idea), a quart sized Ziplock bag, a stapler, and a glass of water.

Oh! This is important! Be thinking of a secret magic word. Something mysterious...mystical...marvelous... Email it to me. I'd love to hear what you come up with!!

Until tomorrow...Alakazam!!!

Simple Saturday! Toilet Paper Roll Kazoos

Wow! Check out this super nice, high-class kazoo. I'm asking Santa for one of these.I could barely get to sleep last night in anticipation for making a kazoo! Visions of sugar plums? Ha! I dreamt about getting a Kazoo Band together! I can see it now. First we'd play back up for Terri Hendrix. Then we'd get our own gig at Stubb's...Jay Leno...Oprah...Lights! Camera! Action!!!

Speaking of action, let's get with it. Shall we? Easy stuff. Here we go.

Got the supplies, right - the toilet paper roll, wax paper, scissors? Oops, yesterday I forgot to mention that you need a rubber band. Can you scare one of those up somewhere? Nab one of your big sister's pony tail holders, if you have to. Oh, she might get mad for a little while, but once she'll get over it once she hears your soulful sound.

 Tear off a piece of the wax paper that's about 6 inches wide. Use the scissors and cut it into a 6 inch square. It doesn't have to measure 6 inches exactly...just close enough for jazz.

A jazz band...that's what my band will play...smooth jazz.

This next step is very important because it affects your kazoo sound quality. Cut a hole midway on the side of the tube. I suggest making that hole about 1 cm in diameter. Honestly, the hole I cut in this one is a bit big. My kazoo still works just fine, but I'm making another one with a smaller hole for my upcoming New Orleans gig.

Now stretch the wax paper over one end of the tube. Secure it with a rubber band and you're in the music business. Put your lips inside the open end of the tube and blow! Feel the wax paper vibrate, man. Rock and roll, baby! Rock and roll!

To make these puppies ever jazzier decorate them. Make them golden like the snazzy brass kazoo made in New York City featured at the top of this post. There's a factory on the Big Apple that's been making kazoos since 1916!  

I'm ready to hit the big time.

My dream is about to come true!

All I need to do now is get my band together...

Go, John! Go, John! Go! Go! Go, John!

Simple Saturday Prep: Toilet Paper Roll Kazoos

Let's make a joyful noise tomorrow! This activity is incredibly easy and great fun - something that will ultimately drive your parents nuts!

All we need is a the cardboard roll at the toilet paper's end (That sounds like a poem title, doesn't it?), a rubber band, some wax paper (or some of that fancy-schmacy Glad Press-and-Seal stuff), and some scissors.

Now kiddies, I am not advocating that you rifle through an entirely good roll of toilet paper just to get a cardboard tube for tomorrow's craft. Nor am I suggesting that you TP your neighbor's trees. Just let your family members know that you have plans for that tube, ignore their questioning expressions, and be patient.

I wouldn't mention the "drive your parents nuts" part, though. We'll keep that quiet...for now.

Simple Saturday: The Magnetic Metric Worm - Converting Decimals to Percentages and Back Again

Got the goods? An index card, a Sharpie, pencil, paper, and something small that has magnetic appeal over you? Something that you just have to have. Something that you love! This messy girl pictured and I share the same lustful craving for something incredibly smooth, creamy, milky sweet and wonderful. Chocolate!!!!

Chocolate has a powerful magnetic pull on me. For a mouthful of that wonderful stuff I am willing to shift from place to place anytime. And, if you take it from me I will shrink back to where I began. Same goes for converting decimals to percentages using the Metric Worm. I'll show you what I mean.

This week's index card Metric Worm has only four place value marks on it; one for the ten's place, the one's place, the tenths place and the hundreths place. Note in the center of the worm there is a mark for the roving decimal. In addition, there are two opposing arrows, one pointing to the right toward a percentage sign and another toward the left toward a crossed-out percentage sign. Also note my magnet of choice...a Hershey's mini chocolate bar.

A slinky something to keep in mind: While we work with the percentage wiggler remember that, since there are only two zeros in the number 100, we're only going to be shifting two place value spaces.

Let's begin with changing a decimal to a percentage. Take, for instance, the number .25. How will the worm help us to change it to a percentage? Watch this.

Lay the worm on the paper. Rewrite .25 placing the decimal and the numerals in their proper places. Lay the percentage magnet to the right of the card (In my case, the piece of chocolate).  

Oooo! Oooo! I feel the magnetic pull one space to the right of the fat decimal. Notice that the decimal  has moved  between the number 2 and 5? To change the decimal into a percentage, AND to get my prize, let's move another space to the right. Remember the slinky something rule?

Ooooo. There's that pull again. Watch how we will move to right one more time. Think of the percentage sign as a magnet pulling the decimal toward it. All you need to do the change a decimal into a percentage is to move the decimal over two spaces to the right. That's all there is to it.

Yay! Not only have we changed .25 to 25%, the piece of chocolate is mine!

.25 = 25%

Easy, isn't it? Sweet, too.

All right, let's travel the other way. Let's change a percentage into a decimal. The same principles apply, only this time we will remove that magnetic pull of the chocolate percentage sign and will wiggle to the left through the two places.

How about let's transform 15% into a decimal. See how I have rewritten the numeral 15% using the Metric Worm as a guide? The number 5 is above the one's place and the number 1 is above the tens? Notice how my chocolate percentage magnet is holding things steady? Watch what happens when the percentage magnet is removed.

Without the percentage sign to hold it steady the wiggler begins to move to the left of the decimal. We're making a decimal out of a whole number, aren't we?

Here the decimal has moved between the number 1 and the number 5. How many spaces are we supposed move when working with percentages? Yeah! You're right! Two.

Here we go. Since we do not have that percentage magnet pulling on us any longer, the decimal is shrinking back one more space to the left.

Ta da! Look what we've done!!! Our number has now become .15!

So, without the magnetic pull of the percentage sign, or when we removed my chocolate magnet, the decimal shifted two place value spaces to the left changing 15% to .15. The marvelous Metric Worm does it again!!!! 

Enough of this decimal/percentage stuff. I can't stand it any longer.

Yum.

Yum. 

Simple Saturday Prep: The Magnetic Power of the Metric Worm

And...for my decimal transforming finale, I shall once again entertain you with yet another utterly amazing property of the marvelously mesmerizing magnetic power of our dear friend, the Metric Worm.

Ta Da!!!!!

Tomorrow I shall demonstrate the ease of converting decimals into percentages and back again, a fantastic feat you will not want to miss.

Supply list? An index card, a Sharpie, a pencil, and a tiny treasure of your choice. Something that you really like. Something you just have to have. Something that has magnetic power over you.

Intrigued? Good.

Simple Saturday: The Metric Worm vs. The Phantom Number

The Phantom Number lurks within any dreaded fraction just waiting for an opportunity to scare the bejeebers out of some unsuspecting kid learning how to change a fraction into a decimal. I ain't afraid of no ghost number, are you? Come on. With the Metric Worm in hand, we can do this together.

Uhh...you go first. I'm right behind you.

Whole numbersYou've got the supplies, right? Two index cards, tape, a Sharpie, a pencil, and some paper? To slay this creepy phantom let's tape the cards together and make long worm. We'll place the decimal at the center of the joined cards. The whole numbers go on the left, remember. We're going to stretch this brave wiggler all the way to the hundred-thousands place.

Going to the left away from the decimal we make a mark for the ones place, the tens place, the hundreds place, the thousands place, the ten- thousands place, and the hundred-thousands place. Hope this doesn't hurt the little fella.

Metric numbersNow the metric numeral places go on the right. We're doing to pull the little guy all the out to the hundred-thousandths place. This is the scary part. Hold my hand.

Make marks for the tenths place, the hundredths place, the thousandths place, the ten-thousandths place, and the hundred-thousandths place. Ouch!

Oh, my gosh! Will you look at the fraction? 579607 49/1000! I gives me chills to think where we'll place that ugly 49/1000 on the worm. Looks at those frightening zeros! Where will we put them?

We can do this. Breathe.

Lay the worm on the page. Remember the decimal separates the whole number from the fraction. Mark the decimal on the page. To the left of the decimal write out the long whole number by placing each numeral above the proper place value. 

The Phantom is trying to trick us here, but we won't fall for it. He is asking for 49 ten-thousandths. Let's give it to him. Put the nine over the ten-thousandths place. Put the 4 over the hundredths place.

Oh! Do you see him? The Phantom Number? There he is...howling above the tenths place.

Let's put an end to his haunting and write a zero above the tenths place.

There!

Take that Phantom!

BOO back at 'cha!

Simple Saturday Prep: The Metric Worm vs. The Phantom Number

(Cue  scary harpsicord music.) We are about to enter a realm few people have faced with confidence.

Just look at this poor fellow. See what converting fractions to decimals did to him? Too bad he didn't know about the Metric Worm. Tragic, isn't it?

For tomorrow's ghoulish pleasure you will need 2 index cards, a Sharpie, some tape, a pencil, and paper.

All for now. (Cue evil laughter.) Bwwaaa ha ha!

Simple Saturday: The Metric Worm

Here it is! The one, the only, the amazing Metric Worm!There are lots ways to use my versatile friend, the Metric Worm. This little buddy really helps to take the panic out of visualizing fraction/decimal equivalency. I've coached many a tearful student with this tool. Today I will demonstrate just one of the numerous ways to use the Metric Worm.

 Instead of high-tailing it to the teacher store and dropping close to $10.00 on the latest expensive educational gizmo, just get yourself a index card and a marker. I jazzed mine up with a picture. No need for that, however, as a bribe, I have been known to allow a student to jazz up their Metric Worms AFTER they have proven that they know how to use it! Alls fair in love and teaching.

Here's how it works.

Decide upon a very long number. I choose 92,743. Write it out.

Now, rewrite your number as a whole number and a fraction. I changed my number into 927 43/100. How in the world can we rewrite this number as a decimal?   

Let's look at the number. The whole number is 927, right? And the fraction is 34/100. 

Okay now, let's look at the worm. We know that a decimal separates a whole number from the fractional portion of the number, yes? So, we simply rewrite that big, scary fraction as a decimal by laying the worm on the paper and initially making the decision where the decimal should go. Then we write the whole number to the left of the fat decimal. I wrote my 9 about the hundreds place, the 2 above the tens place, and the 7 above the ones place. Now, the terrifying metric part. I simply put the 4 above the tenths place (decimeters) and the 3 above the hundredths place (centimeters). Easy.

Let's do it again. How about changing 92 743/1000 into a decimal? Here's where the tears begin to flow. Something about working with the 1000ths place always seems to unleash the waterworks. Take a breath. There are no worries with the worm, remember?

Just lay the worm on the paper. Where does the decimal go? Where does the whole number go? How about that nasty old metric number? Hey! Look at you! You've got it, smarty pants!

This Metric Worm illustrates whole numbers into the hundreds place and metrics into the thousandths place (millimeters). Once the kiddos understand this wee little worm why not branch out into the millions and millionths? The gazillions and gazillionths? Stretch that wiggler. This is the kind of mental-gymnastical thinking that creates enthusiam out of a concept that was once confusing. Kids love numbers. They really do. Once they understand, they love to think big or metric small. No limits! Have fun with this.

Give credit where credit where credit is due, right? I stole this idea from a good teacher my daughter Taylor once had. Though I cannot remember her name right now, her brilliance lives on.

Simple Saturday Prep: The Metric Worm

No, I didn't make up this stupid joke. I promise.Let's have some wiggly fun with decimal place value, shall we?

"What?" you ask. "How can working with metric place value be fun?"

When you know a cheater like the one I'm about to show you working with metrics can be a blast, especially when you're a geek like me.

Supplies needed are an index card, scissors, a Sharpie, and your brilliant self!

Simple Saturday: Ocean in a Bottle

Yo ho, matie! All hands on deck! Do you have the supplies? The clear plastic bottle, the oil, the blue food coloring, and some water? All right then, you scrubbie. Let's sail!

Oil in bottle.Pour the oil in the bottle.

Water, oil, and food coloring in bottle.Pour the water in the bottle. Add about 15 drops of food coloring. Screw the cap on the bottle tight, tight, TIGHT!

Oil and water separates.Shake the bottle. Mix the ingredients all up.

Let it sit for a bit. Have you ever heard the saying, "Oil and water don't mix?" Well, they don't and this project proves it. Notice how the food coloring has blended in with the water? Watch the color change from stormy green to clear blue, just like the sea!        

Wave action.Now let's make some waves! Hold the bottle sideways and gently rock it side to side, side to side, side to side...side to side.....side to side.....

Oooo...erp....where did I put that sea-sick bag?

Simple Saturday Prep: An Ocean in a Bottle

This week's activity has been inspired by the book-made-into-a-movie Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. (I hope this post isn't any kind of spoiler.) I recalled this activity when I watched Max in his boat thrashing about as he sailed to the land where the Wild Things lived. He braved some pretty violent waves, didn't he?

Let's see if we can recreate the wavey and wild thrashing about on a much smaller scale. Shall we?

Let's head back into my kitchen again to gather the supplies needed for tomorrow's rumpus. You'll need a clear plastic bottle, cooking oil, blue food coloring, and water. I added a funnel for easy pouring and a paper bag just in case the waves get too wild and your tummy gets upset.

Erp.