Ring out the year

 

Bells have been used for centuries to sound out important events – as well as be used to enhance dance and music. There’s no time like now to ring in the new year with these online activities about bells. 

CONNECT:

• Get the facts about bells at https://kids.kiddle.co/Bell
• Find out about the most famous bells at https://www.historyofbells.com/famous-bells/notable-bells/
• See 9 types of bells at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVtfZXDRNpU
• How large can a bell be? See the possibilities at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9YydhLiU8I

 

CREATE:

• Jingle bell away with these fun activities at https://handsonaswegrow.com/jingle-bell-activities-kids/
• The National Bell Festival suggests kid-friendly bell activities at https://www.bells.org/activities
• Create your own secret ball sound system with a coat hanger and a string at https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/secret-bells
• Make jingle balls dance and jump at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI2aKCtbBe0

 

CARE:

• The Salvation Army rings bells to help raise money to help families in need. Find out about this strategy – and how to become a volunteer bell ringer – at https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usa-central-territory/bell-ringing/
• Get sound advice about caring for bells at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly43Q-8lQ24
• Ben’s Bells are colorful ceramic ornaments hung in communities throughout the world as symbols of kindness for people to find and take home. Get the details at https://bensbells.org/

CAREERS:

Do bells sound like music to your ears? You could make a living with them as a musician, a manufacturer or vendor, a dancer, or even a sound engineer. Maybe these sample job facts will resonate for you.

• Bell-ringing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9P5O4Myfxk
• Making church bells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBQkLAWDIio
• Handbell ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FanxHK61Cg

Ring Out the Year!

The holidays often proclaim the news via bells. Classical piano composers often use the piano to mimic church bells, chimes, or even the rhythmic tolls of alarm bells for dramatic effect, as noted in these famous works.

• Liszt's "La Campanella" (from Grandes études de Paganini) is a virtuosic showpiece famed for its bell-like, high-pitched passages.
• Debussy’s "Cloches à travers les feuilles" (from Images, Book II)) paints an impressionistic soundscape that suggests distant bells.
• Ravel’s  "La vallée des cloches" (from Miroirs) is a shimmering, evocative piece capturing the sound of bells echoing in a valley.) musically paints an impressionistic soundscape that suggests distant bells.
• Alkan’s "Carillon" (from Trois pièces dans le genre pathétique) imitates the sound of a bell tower.
• Mussorgsky’s "The Great Gate of Kiev" (from Pictures at an Exhibition) features powerful bell sounds, often transcribed for piano.
• Rachmaninoff's "The Bells" (Choral Symphony) was inspired by Poe's poem and captures bell themes; his piano music also has bell-like textures. 

 

Chill Out In the Arctic

Chill Out in the Arctic

 

The North Pole is more than a Christmas fantasy. And what about all that land surrounding it? It’s more important than you might realize. Discover the Arctic with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Check out the facts about the Arctic at https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/geography/general-geography/ten-facts-about-the-arctic/
• What is the North Pole really? Get the answer at https://www.ducksters.com/geography/north_pole.php
• Walk in the Arctic to see the animals that live there: at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-9xDztBhzE
• Discover the Arctic’s importance at https://arcticopportunity.org/arctic-importance/

 

CREATE:

• Engage your senses with these Arctic activities: https://www.mamashappyhive.com/arctic-activities-sensory-play/
• Get crafty about the Arctic at https://www.kiwico.com/diy/lists/10-arctic-animal-crafts-activities-for-kids?srsltid=AfmBOooEhB8EcimwQ92QD6V-iJ1tvBhZOKFKQT8Uf-4uFWURXrlV_-Kt
• How do arctic animals keep warm? Experiment how at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk4Z-2tdN48

 

CARE:

• Learn how to save our polar habitats at https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/home-is-good/save-our-polar-habitats/
• Find out how to protect polar bears’ future – and yours – at https://polarbearsinternational.org/act-now/
• Watch how the military helps people in the Arctic through Operation Arctic Care: at https://www.google.com/search?q=artic+care&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS922US922&oq=artic+care&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDU2MjNqMGo3qAIIsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ec593d4b,vid:XpMJ5BRhRpY,st:0

 

CAREERS:

Do you have a warm spot in your heart for the Arctic? Warm up to a job in the far North such as a scientist, a doctor, an environmentalist, a meteorologist, an engineer, a photographer, even a tour guide. Here are some possibilities:

• A day in the life of someone who works in the Arctic: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fzqmieQdKF4
• https://alaska-wildlife-guide.com/blog/what-its-like-living-at-the-arctic-circle/#:~:text=Industries%20such%20as%20oil%2C%20fishing,promise%20of%20high%2Dsalaried%20work.
• https://arctic.noaa.gov/research/
• https://arctic-russia.ru/en/article/working-in-the-arctic/

 

 

 Schools often teach about the Pilgrims, but that’s just the start in terms of these early settlers in America. Explore more about them with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch the history of Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBjqrKyfRnA
• Read five surprising facts about the first Pilgrims in America at https://worldstrides.com/en-us/teachers/how-it-works/blog/5-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-pilgrims
• The pilgrims, puritans, and Quakers all came from England in the 1600s; what is the difference between them? Get the answer at https://13colonies.mrdonn.org/pilgrims-puritans-quakers.html

 

CREATE:

• Get crafty at Thanksgiving with these fun activities and crafts: https://www.honest.com/blog/baby/fun-and-crafty-thanksgiving-activities-for-kids/2020111804.html?srsltid=AfmBOorczW4YlmGqgfw0WySJjoPnqWca9UnO4m4V1Z5ID76l5MjrueTe
• Imagine the life of Pilgrims with these activities: https://howtohomeschoolmychild.com/5-fun-activities-to-help-teach-your-kids-about-the-first-thanksgiving/
• Get authentic with these activities –talk like a Pilgrim and play like one –from the Plimoth Museum: https://plimoth.org/for-students/activities-games

 

CARE:

• Make a Thanksgiving care package for friends and community members at https://themondaybox.com/thanksgiving-care-package/
• Participate in Operation Turkey to help feed families in need at https://www.operationturkey.com/
• Try some of these ways to Give Thanks at this time of the year (and the rest of the year): https://simplepurposefulliving.com/thanksgiving-gratitude-activities-for-families/

 

CAREERS:

The term Pilgrim is often associated with a past English religious sect – and you could make a career learning and teaching about them as a historian, a museum expert, an educator, or a religious leader; you could also reenact being a Pilgrim at an event or historical site. Make history come alive! Here are some possibilities.

• Pilgrim Progress reenactment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNXOsUn486E
• Museum careers: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyonholiday/video/7173821844812827947
• Career options in history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQ57I_y9kg

Stand Up for Muscles!

 

You couldn’t stand up without muscles; bones are not enough. And not all muscles are created equal. Build some brain muscles (figuratively, because there are no muscles in the brain) with the following online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch the muscular system at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emox3Uo01C0
• Get more facts about muscles at https://www.coolkidfacts.com/muscle-facts/ ;  older kids can get more details at https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/muscles.html
• How do snails and cockroaches move with their muscles? See the answer at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGrIRUUaxzI

 

CREATE:

• Use your animal muscles by walking 10 different ways at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14BjRxE7f1o&t=48s
• Name that muscle – and exercise – at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypgzYzJbm14
• Get scientific with these muscle experiments: https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/muscles-science-projects-for-elementary/

 

CARE:

• Try these strengthening exercises for kids and teens: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=strengthening-exercises-for-kids-1-4804
• But don’t strain your muscles! Find out the amount and types of physical activity recommendations by a child’s age at https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html
• Get tips on preventing muscle cramps at https://www.choa.org/parent-resources/sports-medicine/how-to-prevent-muscle-cramps-in-kids

 

CAREERS:

Thinking about muscling into a career that involves muscles? Here are several career connections to muscles: https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/anatphys/chapter/7-7-career-connections-related-to-the-muscular-system/

• https://www.choosept.com/video/pediatric-physical-therapy
• Kinesiologist careers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TWxlIPo4Vk

Weaving It All Together

The world might fall apart if weaving didn’t exist. Weaving is largely a human endeavor, especially when it creates a recognizable pattern. Let your thoughts weave together in doing these online activities about weaving.

 

CONNECT:

• Get the facts about weaving at https://kids.kiddle.co/Weaving
• See a brief history of weaving at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq58FAhuhxM
• See a simple hand weaving process at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WrMpPZ9GPHw
• Watch how a basket is handwoven at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UEo6F_wZFt0
• See the machinery involved in an industrial loom at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7vy-wrP1SQ
• For more advanced information: read about Navajo weaving at https://kids.kiddle.co/Navajo_weavingwhy

 

CREATE:

• Weave a fish by following the visual directions at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1hqt2MMPJ5c
• Weave a rainbow; see how at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G3LKt_HWuJY
• Use your fingers to weave, as shown at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KPUmCkHmn_o

 

CARE:

• You can use a weaving technique to fix a hole in a sock (it’s called darning) by following the directions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdDY4dLKdo
• See how to stop your fabric from fraying at https://www.tiktok.com/@vikasspace/video/7259130558888938779?lang=en
• Get tips for taking care of woven baskets at https://www.wickerwoman.com/articles/basket-care#:~:text=Keep%20Baskets%20out%20of%20Sunlight,stains%2C%20mold%2C%20and%20mildew.

 

CAREERS:

You can weave a good career by weaving, whether it is with hair, baskets, fabric, furniture, rungs, even industrial conveyor belts. You can do it by hand or by machine—or you could teach weaving. It’s your choice! Here are some examples:

• https://careers.acteonline.org/career/weaving-instructor#:~:text=Weaving%20Instructor%20Career%20Paths,publishing%20instructional%20materials%20and%20guides.
• Colonial basket weaver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLNfZJD06uQ
• OR you can be an underwater basket weaver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VumIcyGUyJ0

Fall for Fall

Fall for Fall

It’s the time when there’s more nighttime light than sunlight in the northern hemisphere (the southern hemisphere has the same properties, but it occurs six months different). Discover what makes fall/autumn special with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch the signs of autumn at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4pjJ70nC8E
• Why do leaves change color in the fall? See the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4pjJ70nC8E
• Get the facts – 50 of them! – about autumn at https://wellbeingswithalysia.com/kids-autumn-facts/
• Find out how harvest festivals are celebrated around that world at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1DPPcBzG6M

 

CREATE:

• Explore autumn outdoors with these fun activities: https://www.famly.co/blog/10-outdoor-activities-to-try-this-autumn
• Experiment with leaves at https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/fall-leaf-science-projects/
• Cook your way through autumn with these kid-friendly recipes: https://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/autumn-cooking-activities.html

 

CARE:

• Keep safe this autumn by following these practices: https://childsafetystore.com/blogs/news/autumn-safety-tips-for-kids#:~:text=Staying%20Safe%20in%20the%20Dark,to%20be%20safe%20than%20sorry.
• Warm up your family coziness by creating a new autumn tradition; here are some ones to consider: https://frayedpassport.com/crafts-cultures-autumn-traditions-harvest-festivals-from-around-the-globe/
• For parents: try this tips for keeping your child healthy this fall: https://annaleemd.com/2023/10/keeping-your-kids-healthy-and-happy-during-fall-tips-for-parents/#:~:text=1.,**Emphasize%20Good%20Hygiene:**

CAREERS:

Is your favorite season autumn? Do you wish it stayed all year round? Maybe autumn can be part of a lifelong career for you: as a scientist, a forest ranger, a cook, a designer, a gardener, an event planner, a farmer, a manufacturer, a sales person, or a photographer. Here is a sampling of opportunities; don’t leave a leaf unturned. (And autumn is the best season for job hunting.)

• https://sunday-dreamers.com/dream-jobs-for-people-who-love-autumn/
• Costume designer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsGakw1Zsik
• A day in the life of an event planner: https://www.tiktok.com/@forbesfunctions/video/7230963600813477166
• Fall farmers’ market https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzLgMtWxct8