Soar with Butterflies (and Moths)

 

Butterflies and moths are winged insects, but probably are considered the beauty queens and kings of that species. Fortunately, these winged beauties can be found around the world – and in these online activities. Follow them here.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch the details about butterflies at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unGHaH7CtBA
• See 50 kinds of butterflies (and their names) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nGL9DE4rt4
• Find differences between butterflies and moths at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iblveeTDkXQ

 

CREATE:

• Make a trivia game by using 30 fun facts about butterflies, found at https://www.teachstarter.com/us/blog/butterfly-facts-for-kids/
• Let your imagination soar by trying these easy butterfly crafts at https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2023/07/10-easy-butterfly-crafts-for-kids/
• Try these wild (spaces) butterfly lessons at https://butterfly-conservation.org/discover-and-learn/activities-and-resources

 

CARE:

• Help save the butterflies in partnership with the North American Butterfly Association at https://naba.org/
• Join the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz July 25 to August 3 at https://www.cec.org/newsletter/2025-international-monarch-monitoring-blitz/
• Help create wild spaces for butterflies at https://wild-spaces.co.uk/

 

CONNECT:

Do butterflies make your heart flutter? There may be a career it in for you: as a scientist, an artist, a photographer, an educator, a collector, a museum curator. May your career soar with these ideas.

• Careers in entomology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNHHKnWZ8hg
• Butterfly raiser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsnIK9nfyPs
• https://www.ucdavis.edu/majors/blog/what-can-you-do-with-an-entomology-degree

 

Gee! Gemstones!

 Lots of us like bright shiny things – such as gemstones (although not all gemstones are bright and shiny). Gemstones DO stand out among things in the earth. And you can unearth the facts about gemstones with these online activities.

CONNECT:

• Discover the differences between rocks, minerals, crystals, and gems at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=MBbZnuV5RdI&ab_channel=AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory
• Watch how rocks are transformed into gemstones at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GsSd7Yb4xo&ab_channel=TheGoodandtheBeautifulHomeschoolScience
• Gemstones are legendary; read how at https://www.angara.com/blog/gemstone-legends-that-will-blow-your-mind/

 

CREATE:

• Find gemstone pairs (uncut and polished versions in this interactive game: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/games/puzzles/article/matching-gemstones
• Compare polished and rough versions of gemstones at https://gemkids.gia.edu/view-all-gemstones
• Play with gems and other bright shiny things at https://www.ourplayfullearningjourney.com/post/loose-parts-play-ideas-using-gems-and-jewels

 

CARE:

• If you have any gems, you will want to take good care of them. And each type of gemstone has unique characteristics that need to be considered. See the list at https://www.gemsociety.org/article/gemstone-care-guide/
• Children in parts of the world are forced to mine for gems. Read about their plight at https://www.worldvision.com.au/docs/default-source/buy-ethical-fact-sheets/7185_dtl_factsheet_jewellery_lr.pdf?sfvrsn=2&srsltid=AfmBOorUcWx3eShZD_IMdnu-WNdeTxrc5wkclYZLlv8HGB4uDfrMd3T_
• Find out what are ethical and conflict-free gemstones at https://www.ceylons.de/blog-en/ethical-gemstones

 

CAREERS:

Do gemstones put a sparkle in your eyes? You could have a bright future in gems: as a gemologist, a miner, a manufacturer, a scientist, a collector, a seller, a jeweler, an artist,  or a historian. Explore  some of the possibilities here.

• https://www.gemsociety.org/article/guide-career-options-gemology/
• https://www.gia.edu/gem-careers
• https://work.chron.com/careers-working-gemstones-29973.html

 

Don’t Knock Doors

 

Thank goodness for doors: for privacy and security and more. Open your mind to doors with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Get the facts about doors at https://www.diy.org/article/door
• Discover the history of doors at https://muraflex.com/en/blog/the-history-of-doors
• Your head may spin about revolving door facts at https://kids.kiddle.co/Revolving_door
• Explore the Durdle Door at https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-durdle-door/

 

CREATE:

• Explore the magic of doors with youngsters at https://alicesharp.co.uk/the-magic-of-doors/
• Make a magic door by following the directions at https://alicesharp.co.uk/the-magic-of-doors/
• Connect doors with the parable of the door by doing the activities at https://sermons4kids.com/activities/narrow-door-group?srsltid=AfmBOoqTm_T1drjW3iwlHx92w6x0CIuX5t9RE12rCC1uryO4bJCzxfEI

 

CARE:

• Help children learn how to answer doors safely at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foqYmK-BdAc
• Teach little ones how to knock on a door properly at https://montessori-portal.com/montessori-activities/practical-life/grace-and-courtesy/knocking-on-a-door/
• Doors can harm children. Discover how to prevent risky doors at https://origin-global.com/advice-centre/keeping-tiny-fingers-safe-child-door-safety

 

CAREERS:

Could doors be your door to a great career? You might become a manufacturer, a seller, an interior designer, a construction worker, or a doorman. These sites might open the door to some great possibilities.

• How doors are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKqwvgJRXNI
• What it's like to be a doorman in New York City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQMIuALEcU

 

 

Whale of a Tale

 

Whales are the biggest mammals on earth – and in the oceans. Get ready for big surprises in exploring whales with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

Get the facts about humpback whales at

• https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/humpback-song/#:~:text=Fast%20Facts,they%20are%20ten%20years%20old.
• Watch and learn about toothed and baleen whales at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VO0cQyg5dE&ab_channel=LearnBright
• Identify 20 types of whales at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2e90aCRIM&ab_channel=TwinkleMoon

 

CREATE:

• Play like whales at https://tinkergarten.com/activities/play-like-whales
• Try these kid-friendly activities about whales at https://montessorifromtheheart.com/2021/02/21/whale-montessori-kids-activities/
• Close to an ocean with a whale? Get tips for whale watching at https://montessorifromtheheart.com/2021/02/21/whale-montessori-kids-activities/ -- and if whales aren’t close this site has several scientific activities for you.

 

CARE:

• See how crab fisherman test new tech to protect whales from deadly entanglements at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS8Vohuq6Cw&ab_channel=CBSEveningNews
• Watch how you can take care of whales and other marine mammals at https://montessorifromtheheart.com/2021/02/21/whale-montessori-kids-activities/
• Learn about the issues of whales’ survival at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale/conservation-management

 

CAREERS:

Does the thought of whales Want to make a big splash in life? Think about a career related to whales. Here are some possibilities.

• https://us.whales.org/2024/05/20/career-chat-with-kate/
• https://baleinesendirect.org/en/comment-faire-pour-travailler-avec-les-baleines/                                                                                                
• https://unity.edu/environmental-careers/ocean-jobs-a-marine-careers-list-for-water-lovers/

 

Planets Aren’t Plain

 

Our knowledge about planets is largely based on the eight (or nine) planets in our solar system. But the universe has many more planets. Explore or neighborhood planets and or distant planet relatives in these online activities. It’s out of this world!

CONNECT:

• Just what exactly constitutes a planet? National Geographic has the answer at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/space/article/what-is-a-planet
• Discover our solar system’s planets as NASA explains them at its SpacePlace: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/planets/en/
• When is a planet not a planet? When it is beyond our solar system. Then it is called an exoplanet. Get the details at https://sciencetrek.org/topics/exoplanets

 

CREATE:

• Little ones can make a solar system with play-doh; see how at https://onlypassionatecuriosity.com/fun-easy-solar-system-activity/
• Create your own planet by following the guidelines at https://www.starnetlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Build-A-Planet.pdf
• Expand your solar system knowledge with these hands-on activities at https://www.uaf.edu/museum/education/educators/heliophysics-aurora-outre/activities/solar-system/index.php

 

CARE:

• Become a planet protector; find out how at https://www.epa.gov/students/planet-protectors-activities-kids
• Watch 10 ways to take care of Earth’s environment at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YgM1Zw4_E
• Earth Day is celebrated on April 2, but you can honor our planet every day. Here are some ways that parents can help raise environmentally-responsible kids: https://www.pbs.org/parents/protecting-our-planet

 

 

CAREERS:

Does thinking about planets put stars in your eyes? You could have a career as an astronomer, an astronaut, a geologist, a teacher or a writer. Here are some possibilities:

• https://sd2.org/exploring-planetary-science-careers-a-guide-for-students/
• https://www.europlanet.org/space-careers/
• Watch a planetary scientist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUc_9d_HwIk

 

Spidey Sense

 

You see spiders all year round, not just at Halloween. While they may seem scary sometimes they benefit the environment. Develop your spidey sense with these online activities

CONNECT:

• Get 15 fun facts about spiders at https://www.toucanbox.com/facts-for-kids/spider-facts
• Watch various spider species at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04BrlLW8dDU&ab_channel=KidzNCrew
• Learn why spiders make the best roommates at https://www.oneearth.org/eight-surprising-reasons-why-spiders-make-the-best-roommates/

 

CREATE:

• Do you know the song “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider? If not, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_lCi8U49mY&ab_channel=TwinkleLittleSongs-NurseryRhymes and if you do, you can sing it at the same website.
• Get crafty with these artsy spider ideas: https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/easy-spider-crafts-for-kids-to-make/
• Go natural with these outdoor spider activities: https://childsplayabc.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/spider-activities/
• Think like a scientist with these spidery experiments: https://inspirationlaboratories.com/spider-stem-and-steam-activities/

 

CARE:

• Consider having a pet spider? Here’s what to know and do: https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Spiders-As-Pets
• Maybe you want to keep spiders – away. Here are some natural tips: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-keep-spiders-away
• For parents: here’s how to identify and treat spider bites: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/spider-bites-sheet.html

 

CAREERS:

Want to go beyond just singing about spiders and have a spider-related career? You can be an arachnologist (a person who studies spiders), a scientist, a zookeeper, veterinarian, health care professional, a pet shop owner, a writer, or a photographer. See some possibilities at

• https://www.americanarachnology.org/aas-meetings/aas-meeting-2021/featured-artists/
• https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/spiders-alive/
• https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2023/02/11/are-there-vets-for-spiders/

Lunge for Lungs

 

We need air to breathe – and live – but we can’t do that without lungs. Discover the wonders of lungs with these online activities. You’ll find that lungs are a breath of fresh air – and more.

 CONNECT:

• Learn 10 fun facts about lungs at https://humanbodylearning.com/facts-about-lungs-kids/
• Watch how lungs work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0giiDDBJVQU&ab_channel=NemoursKidsHealth
• Fish don’t have lungs so how they breathe? See how at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5v3n6Nlm8&ab_channel=SciShowKids

CREATE:

• Use your lung power at https://www.brighthorizons.com/resources/activity/education/using-lung-power
• Build your own lung model by following the images at https://discoverycentre.thekids.org.au/activities/science-at-home-build-a-lung-model/
• Explore lungs by trying these idea starters to at https://kidsdiscover.com/teacherresources/lungs-games-and-activities/

 

CARE:

• Follow these tips to keep your lung healthy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwsljkMSVok&ab_channel=NHLBI
• Participate in a lung force walk to help cure lung cancer; see the details at https://www.lung.org/get-involved/events/lung-force-run-walks
• Read about common childhood respiratory diseases at https://choc.org/news/7-common-respiratory-diseases/ 

 

CAREERS:

Do you gasp for a career with lungs? You could be a physician, a therapist, a scientist, a veterinarian, a researcher. Here is a sample of job that might take your breath away.

• See what a lung research does at https://vimeo.com/739858943
• Watch the work of pulmonary doctors at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEoxADZuMsE&ab_channel=MountSinaiHealthSystem
• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/respiratory-care

AND here are jobs that can lead to lung disease: https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/copd/occupations-linked-to-lung-diseases