Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite places on earth. Just look at that big peaceful sky. I can’t wait to return and fill myself with that peaceful feeling again.

When visiting Big Bend, we spend our days hiking and exploring. We have made many fascinating discoveries. One of our waddlee-ah-chaa philosophies is to get children out into the world to experience life. But equally important is to bring the world and the outdoors into the classroom or home for children to experience up-close and personal. Not all children have opportunities to get out into the world. So I try to bring the world to them!

On my trips to Big Bend I often find fossils. Since MacGyver is big into prehistoric life and fossils, I had a brainstorm for the Pre-K classroom. This week the class is studying tools. Based on this study, I set-up a fossil dig in the sensory tub.

Step 1 – Sensory Tub Introduction: During circle time the children passed around my fossils from Big Bend.

As they examined the fossils, I introduced vocabulary: fossils, paleontologist, dig, excavate, tools, paint brushes, sifter, gentle.

We talked about the tools paleontologists use and how slowly and gently they must dig out and handle fossils.

Step 2 – Center Time Exploration: Two at a time, the children take turns using the tools to excavate fossils. The sensory tub will be set-up throughout the week for the children to take turns exploring.

Gently, gently the dirt is brushed away from a fossil imprint of a sea creature that once lived in Big Bend.

The children were thrilled to use tools like real paleontologists and to unearth and handle real fossils. And for someone who is  passionate about the education of young children, this experience of bringing outdoor fossil exploration into the classroom was a thrilling learning experience.

Thank you to MacGyver for giving me a new way to look at tools. And for jump-starting my out-of-the box thinking about tools.

In our “at school” section we have a striking dinosaur book GIVEAWAY: Wings, Horns, and Claws by Christopher Wormell.

What is one of your favorite “outdoor” sensory tub explorations?

Life with Joyce

During our kindergarten dinosaur study, I began searching the web for dinosaur field trips and museums. When I planned our long-distance dinosaur exploration weekend, I was not prepared to be personally amazed!

Although we made a number of dinosaur stops during our weekend, I’m only going to highlight the ones that were really a big hit with the kids. The Dino Pit is an outdoor paleontology exhibit, built for permanent display at the Austin Nature and Science Center located in Zilker Park. The Dino Pit features a large area that acts as an educational dig site for finding fossil casts, dinosaur trackways, a field collection display (highlighting fossils found at the 301 Congress Avenue construction site several years ago), and an observation deck.

The next day we headed out to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose Texas. Wow! All I can say is Wow! Okay I’ll add thrilling, amazing, awesome, unbelievable . . . Dinosaur Valley State Park contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. At the first site you can easily view numerous three-toed tracks on the rock ledge.

At Track Site # 2 we clearly observed numerous three-toed carnosaurs (meat-eating dinosaurs) and saucer-like sauropod (apatosaurus-like dinosaurs) tracks.

This is where you can also see an obvious chase sequence. So cool! Our photos cannot do this adventure justice. Observation conditions are much better during dry weather as the riverbed is much more visible. It’s a good idea to visit the park website before going to check on the visibility of the tracks.

How thrilling for a little boy obsessed with dinosaurs to touch an actual track made by a real dinosaur! Heck, it was thrilling for his mother and father as well.

If you ever have the opportunity to take such a field trip, GO!

Through the years we’ve been to many dinosaur exhibits and events. Some much more memorable than others. Some of the highlights include appearances by Dinosaur George. If you’ve never heard of Dinosaur George you are missing-out on a wealth of prehistoric knowledge for children. Dinosaur George knows his audience and delivers a very entertaining and informative presentation.

MacGyver was also treated to Walking with Dinosaurs Live. This arena show includes 15 life-sized dinosaurs that walk, roar and fight for survival. This was a special outing for just Daddy and MacGyver. Both returned from the show equally impressed.

What dinosaur learning opportunities do you have in your area? Please share! We might just make a trip to investigate.

In our “at school” section we are GIVING AWAY the awesome Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins and sharing some out-of-the-box dinosaur theme study projects.

Meet MacGyver, obsessed with all things prehistoric. This pterodactyl costume was made during kindergarten homeschool recess. I had absolutely nothing to do with this creation.

I try to incorporate MacGyver’s interests into our homeschool curriculum as much as possible. Accordingly, all of our theme studies start with his interests. When January rolled around his kindergarten year, I gave him three study choices based on his current interests: the human body, our solar system or dinosaurs. I thought for sure he would select the human body. I threw in the study of dinosaurs at the last minute as he had just begun checking out dinosaur books from the library.

After much SERIOUS deliberation, MaGyver surprised me and picked dinosaurs. Little did I know that this dinosaur theme study would turn into an ongoing two year obsession. In this post, I will let MacGyver share his project ideas for a dinosaur theme study. Be prepared his ideas are endless and much more creative than anything I could dream-up.

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins and a set of Dinosaur fact cards by Creative Edge.

Why we love this book:

This book GIVEAWAY is in honor of MacGyver’s love for all things prehistoric. Steve Jenkins’ books are the perfect blend of art and nonfiction; two of MacGyvers favorite things. As usual, Jenkins’ collage art is intricate and very engaging. Each prehistoric creature is accompanied by a brief amount of text and the creatures’ measurements. And of course, the illustrations are actual size! This book lends itself well to art, science and math studies. Do not pass-up this book.

Kindergarten dinosaur display: MacGyver drew each part of the dinosaur skeleton and then assembled it into this 3-D dinosaur diorama. This would be considered a diorama, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure how he came up with this idea. Not from me!

Kindergarten dinosaur puzzles: MacGyver drew each body part of the dinosaur independently.

Next,  he assembled the dinosaur puzzle pieces into a complete dinosaur. He has made tons of these dinosaurs puzzles. Recently, a friend gave him craft foam sheets. He immediately cut these sheets into dinosaur body parts and assembled them into 3-D dinosaurs.

First grade actual size dinosaur measurement: Again, this was done just for fun during the summer prior to first grade. MacGyver researched the actual size of a dinosaur. Then he drew his dinosaur on poster board.

With a little help from Mommy, MacGyver marked off ten feet on the sidewalk to get an accurate measurement for his life-size dinosaur. We have measured many dinosaurs, big and little, inside and outside of our home.

First grade dinosaur sculpture. MacGyver uses Model Magic to create dinosaur “fossils” and also life like dinosaurs.

Miniature Model Magic dinosaur sculpture.

First Grade Halloween Costume: MacGyver cut the pieces for his costume out of poster board. Then taking his inspiration from Steve Jenkins, he collaged the feathers for his dinosaur creation.

Dinosaur costume with collage feathers.

First grade Pterodactyl on a pulley: MacGyver designed this pterodactyl to fly along a string . . .

between two trees in our back yard.

Summer Art Class paper mache dinosaur sculpture: During the summer, MacGyver took a week long art class. Not surprising, he selected the week that focused on dinosaurs. The class put together dinosaur bodies using recycled items, like laundry detergent bottles and lids, Styrofoam and masking tape. Lots of masking tape! The paper mache body was painted with acrylic paints.

Summer School Art Class acrylic paints on canvas: The assignment was to paint a dinosaur in a prehistoric scene.

Second Grade acrylic paint on canvas: After finding an old canvas at Grandpa’s house, MacGyver painted another dinosaur in a prehistoric scene.

Second Grade Prehistoric “robots”: These prehistoric creatures are made out of paper and straws. The straws bend to act as the joints in the dinosaurs limbs, creating a robot effect.

I could have posted at least 50 more dinosaur project photos. MacGyver has made dinosaurs out of everything from Wikki Stiks to a moving dinosaur out of K’NEX. I hope he’s given you just one new idea to add to your dinosaur study.

Life with Jeannine

We’re GIVING AWAY one hardcover copy of  Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins and a set of Dinosaur fact cards by Creative Edge.

To enter this contest, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

What is your favorite prehistoric creature? Just joking, leave any comment and you’re entered! Just for the record, MacGyver’s answer would be compsognathus. Try to say that three times! (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

The Rules:

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 8:00 pm Central Time, Thursday, January 20, 2011

The winner must be a resident of The United States.

The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, January 21, 2011. Check back it might be you!

Tomorrow an amazing dinosaur field trip is coming your way!

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