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By Mom Unplugged, July 15, 2007 8:58 am

I am sure you have all been dying to know how our Sea Monkeys are doing. Well, they are just fine thank you! At left is a bad picture of their tank. The little beige things swimming around are the Sea Monkeys who are now about 1/4″ long from head to tail. They are just a little over one month-old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE GUYS!!!

I am supposed to be packing for our big trip tomorrow but I hate packing and have found the ultimate form of procrastination: attempting to photograph a 1/4″ long, rapidly swimming Sea Monkey using only a mediocre digital camera.

After about 25 attempts, I finally got it just right and snapped a Sea Monkey portrait to be proud of!

Here it is:

Isn’t he cute? His name is Squiggles 7, or maybe Squiggles 23, I am not sure since they all have a very strong family resemblance.

To read about the process of hatching Sea Monkeys, see my June 18th, Perfect Pet post, or click on the label “sea monkeys” in the right sidebar.

Now, back to my packing. Big sigh. I will be away for about three weeks and will have computer access, although my posts might be a bit less frequent.

I advise everyone to stay off Southwest Airlines on Monday, as you risk meeting my screeching 18 month-old in person. I plan on passing out ear plugs.

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By Mom Unplugged, July 5, 2007 9:02 pm

I sent my husband (aka. Mr.-These-Children-Have-Too-Many-Toys) to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed in the car, and he came home with this puzzle. What a cool find it was!

This is a 100-piece United States map puzzle by National Geographic. It is made of rubber and is in relief, like some globes. Each state is labeled, as are the state capitols. Elevations are color coded (and bumpy), with a key to the elevations and their colors on the edge of the puzzle.

Although it is 100 pieces, the puzzle is quite small (I measure 12″ x 8.25″). After assembly, it slips right back into its box for easy storage (always a plus with puzzles, they can be hard to store and make a big mess). The rubber pieces fit together easily.

The box says that it is for ages 6 and up. My 6 year-old could probably do this by herself given a lot of time and patience, but so far we have done it together twice as a family. My 5 year-old enjoys helping and is excited when he figures out a fit.

Both my children are in awe of the fact that there are 100 PIECES!!! Wow! The topographical aspect also sparked an interesting discussion, begun by my 5 year-old, of mountains and valleys. Plus, by buying the puzzle, you are supporting National Geographic.

This is a wonderful find that the we all enjoy - adults included!

Now, what I really want to know, is how many times can a grown-up play Candyland without going completely crazy?

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By Mom Unplugged, June 18, 2007 8:09 am

On International Sea Monkey Day (May 16th - mark your calender for next year) I revealed my secret fascination with the sea monkey concept. So, during one of my as-infrequent-as-possible trips to Walmart, how could I pass up the $6.00 Sea Monkey kit that I happened to see!

Despite my warnings that the “Sea Monkeys” (aka. brine shrimp) would definitely not be as cute and cuddly as the picture on the package, my kids were thrilled with this experiment.

It was really quite simple. First we had to fill the tank with tap water. Then we put in the powdery contents of packet Number 1, a water purifier, and let it sit 24 hours.

The next evening was the fun time. After insuring that the water was the recommended temperature, my daughter poured in Packet #2, the eggs! My son stirred, and voila!

The results? Well, not much that we could see. Perhaps our water was a little colder than recommended (means a longer hatching period).

By the next morning however, three almost microscopic little squiggles were visible (sort of). The children christened them Squiggles, Squirmy, and Wiggles. By that evening we had such a colony that naming them was impossible (how about Squiggles 1, Squiggles 2, Squiggles 3… Squiggles 142, etc.). Such excitement! You’d think we were hatching chickens or elephants or something.

On day 5 we gave them a bit of food from Packet #3. They seem pretty happy. I guess I don’t see why brine shrimp can’t be happy.

We have had them a week now and I must say they are growing rapidly. You can now make them out easily, and if you look closely, you can even see their little waving legs (arms? fins? cilia?). Still too small for a photo though, so I will post this dramatic closeup from Wikipedia:

Try this project with your kids. I would say that we have definitely had our $6.00 worth of fun already!

Plus, maybe they are not so cute, maybe they are not so cuddly but - they don’t yack up furballs on your new sisal rug, need a walk in the middle of the night or shed fur all over your favorite little black dress.

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By Mom Unplugged, June 7, 2007 6:55 pm

My 6 year-old daughter is obsessed with rocks. I find rocks in her pockets, in her little purses, in jars on her desk, in her nightstand drawer, and once, even in her bed! She even likes to look at and read books about rocks. I list her favorites below.

We got started on geodes when one of her school book fair books came with a small, uncracked geode. She brought it to school on her “Sharing Day” and cracked it in front of her class, a performance which was, apparently, a big hit with her classmates.

In case you have never encountered one, a geode is a very unimpressive looking rock on the outside, as you can see here:

Geodes form in porous rocks such as limestone or lava. If a hollow cavity exists in the rock, water containing dissolved minerals can seep in through the rock’s pores and crystallize on the inside walls of the cavity. If the crystals do not completely fill the cavity, then a geode is formed. The type of minerals in the water determine what type of crystals form inside the geode.

Geodes are a fun surprise of nature. You can’t know what you will find on the inside of a geode until you break it open!

During our trip to Phoenix we visited the Arizona Science Center. My daughter was very excited to find a large unopened geode in the gift shop. Here it is in its package:

The instructions said to keep it in its bag and bash it with a hammer. Here is my mini-geologist giving it a whack:

Well, it took a lot of banging and I was the one who had to deliver the final, fatal blow. I am not sure we centered our hammering too well (apparently it works MUCH better if you use a chisel first to score a line around the “equator” of the geode - see here for good instructions), but the crystalline interior is clearly visible:

Here is a close up of the surprise contents of our geode in the sunlight. Looks like lots of quartz and chalcedony:

You can find geodes in many science and museum stores, or order small and large geodes online at stores such as The Geode Gallery, The Desert USA Store or Mama’s Minerals.

My 6 year-old daughter’s favorite rock books:

Some good DK Publishing books for older children (9-12):

If you get REALLY into this geode-thing, here is a fascinating-sounding book all about geodes (written for adults, but mini-geologists might enjoy the photos):

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By Mom Unplugged, February 27, 2007 7:20 pm

Cranium games are fun and educational, although some of them do require batteries and make noise. Cariboo is a quiet one that seems to be quite fascinating to preschoolers and young children.

Kids must match cards to the flaps on the game, then open the appropriate flap with the “magic” key in the hopes of finding a ball. Once all six balls have been found, then the treasure chest will open.

Teaches letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. Play time is short enough for little attention spans and no reading skills are required. It can also be played as a cooperative game if you prefer.

My kids even enjoy just sitting and opening flaps for fun. Hey, anything that keeps them occupied, right?

A multiple award winner. Check out the Cranium website for more info on their award winning games as well as some great family fun ideas.