Hunts and Ventriloquists and Zombies, oh my!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Man, yesterday felt like the longest day of the year!

For some reason, Aidyn was up bright and early at 6am (the kid usually snoozes until 9 or 10), sweetly demanding some "cuddles and reading." We got comfy on the couch and read about three chapters of Calling All Creeps.

image from paperbackswap.com

Afterward, we watched an episode of Reading Rainbow, in which they tour a bowling alley, read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, show a bowling ball factory, and interview a domino-enthusiast.

And since it was summer solstice, I figured I had to do something summery.

First, I showed him the position of the earth and sun, using our globe and handy dandy lamp. We even looked at some pictures of an analemma.

image from kbccmeteorology.pbworks.com

Once the neighborhood kids burst through my door, I printed out some Summer Scavenger Hunt Lists that I found through The Handbook of Nature Study blog and had the kids ask their mother if they could join us. We searched for all sorts of summery things: a ladybug, butterfly, bee, something red, something pink, a weed taller than them and listened for a chirping bird, a buzzing bee, and wind rustling the grass.

We found and sniffed wildflowers, pointed out the distant peaks of Mt. Diablo, and happily checked items off our lists.

After the scavenger hunt, they piled back in my home and drew something they saw/found outside. Aidyn drew a "baby pine cone" while his friends drew butterflies.

Then they played a game of memory, watched Beauty and the Beast,  and played indoor tag (Ooo, my favorite!).

Later in the day, Aidyn and I headed over to the library to pick up his Duffy bear, who participated in the Great Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the library. Pictures were posted all around of Duffy and his new stuffed friends having a blast on the bookshelves, at the computers, and lounging in the teen center. After he read six books, it was also time for Aidyn to pick up his halfway prize, which was a book bag, a little stuffed bear, and a coupon for a free sandwich.

THEN, we watched the Steve Chaney and Cornelius Crow Ventriloquist show, and the man was HILARIOUS. Loved it.

image from newarklibrary.com

At this point, it felt like two days had passed by, but Aidyn found enough energy to play outdoors with all the neighborhood kids and put on a play about zombies.