The great volcano experiment: Part Dos

The kids have been working so hard on this and so excited to finally watch it explode!

There was some more work to get it ready and make it look like a mountain from the grey blob of cardboard and glue it started out as. The kids got creative in creating black rock from previous explosions, green grassy areas showing fertile volcanic soils, and planning the lava explosion with food coloring. 

But best of all, they finally watched the volcano erupt!

Nahuel also had a good project or two of his own. He is making progress on his train table, inlcuding understading what pieces he is missing and what he needs them for. he visited a train shop for the first time! But what I was most impressed with was his natural sense of order when he was preparing a pancake breakfast for the family. 

Also this week: Ada has taken on learning how to crochet. 

Leonardo and Astor spent a whole lot of time playing in the snow!!!

 

Volcano Part 1

The Long Awaited! Highly anticipated! Volcano Project!!! 

It started out as quite a mundane project, actually, that's kind of the point! We've been talking about geology and how the earth was formed. Of course volcanoes were a highlight. 

 

Our Volcano started out as a bunch of cardboard boxes from Amazon. Everybody helped rip them into pieces. 

This was everyone's favorite part! When they questioned Papa's sanity and felt they were doing slave labor...

Then we put all the pieces in a bucket and filled the bucket with water. 

It took a couple days to locate some glue, and that's how long it took to soak the cardboard so when we started to build our volcano it was all just wet fibers. 

We Added Flour. 

Then we added glue.

And more glue!

And we molded ourselves a volcanic mountain! Complete with valleys and pathways to imitate the natural pathways lava makes when a volcano is flowing after errupting. 

Then we put it under out woodburning stove to dry. As you can see, this was a long process! To be continued in next weeks addition. 

Words of the day included: hydration, dehydration, fibers, absorption, explode etc.

Other fun Schooly things happening at our house:

We're currently listening to the Chronicles of Narnia

The Christmas Tree is full of all sorts of handmade gifts from the kids to everyone they ever knew...

Nahuel finished reading Crenshaw, got much awaited foam for his table to make the landscape of his                  train set and is thoroughly enjoying learning Christmas songs on the piano.

Ada has rocked her Math and getting lots of assignments done! Factoring and multiplying complex                     fractions. 

Astor has been working on Zoey and Sassafras and learning lots of new words.

Leonardo has been enjoying lots of reading time with Papa and doing math games.