Adventures of Raghu - watch your step!

“Raghu, Meera and Dev! You three come down here right this moment” called out Raghu’s mother from the garden outside. “What is it now mother? We just did so much washing a few days back, now please let us play!” called back Raghu annoyed at being disturbed in the middle of his computer game. “Come down here, I need to show you something.” All three kids got up from their activities to go to the garden downstairs, not too happy with the sudden interruption.

There stood Raghu’s mother, inspecting the grass in the garden. “Look what you three musketeers have done to my lawn with your water fight last week!” said Raghu’s mother as she pointed to big brown patches of grass that lay crushed in the lawn.

“Sorry aunt Megha, we were just playing and running in the grass.” said Dev rather innocently, “none of us realized that we were spoiling the grass.”

While the three of them were talking, Meera had gone off to perform her own inspection of the damage that had been done in the lawn. Suddenly she came back with her eyes twinkling. Raghu knew the look well. Meera always had that look when she had come up with one of her brilliant ideas. “Okay Meera, whats your plan?” said Raghu. “Megha aunti, to ensure that your lawn isn’t trampled upon like this next time we can put stepping stones in your garden!” said Meera. “We just need to figure out how we can make these stepping stones!”

Everyone smiled at the idea in agreement. “Okay so now how do we make these stepping stones miss genius?” said Raghu to Meera. “Let’s get some concrete and water to make a paste, some plastic pans to set the concrete paste into a mould and some items like stones, glass pieces etc that we can decorate the moulds with!” interrupted Raghu’s mother.

“Why, you had already thought of this idea Megha aunti!?” laughed out Meera. “Yes dear, I am always one step ahead of you guys, otherwise how would I be able to manage three intelligent kids like you!” They all laughed.

On the terrace, Raghu’s mother had brought all the material. The three kids went to find materials they would decorate their stepping stones with, after which they returned to the terrace. Raghu’s mother had made the concrete paste and the three kids sat facing a big round plastic tray that served as a mould. As the concrete paste was poured, they got busy decorating their moulds, Raghu used some old glass beads he had lying around from some time ago, Meera used pieces of mosaic that she had collected and Dev used his hands and fingers to make hand and finger prints in the mould.

Two hours later, they had made 9 stepping stones.

“Let these dry today, we’ll come pick them up tomorrow.” Said Raghu’s mother as dusk set in.  

The next morning, the three excited children came to check their stepping stones and carried them to the garden downstairs. After placing them on the path, the three children began hopping and playing on their newly built path. Raghu’s mother stood watching them from the window upstairs. She laughed and clapped her hands -  “My three brilliant musketeers! There’s always a solution to every problem when you three are around!”

Want to try making your own stepping stones? 

Click here - http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/06/30/how-to-make-stepping-stones-lowes-giveaway/

Adventures of Raghu - the joys of water!!!

“Raghu, Meera and Dev, all of you come out here into the driveway and lawn to help me with some washing!” shouted Raghu’s mother from the lawn outside Raghu's window. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and the three kids were lazing around in Raghu’s room, busy on the computer and playstation. Raghu and Meera ran outside with Dev trotting along behind them slowly. “I don’t know why aunt Megha always has to call us to do chores around the house when we’re busy playing” complained Dev to himself grumpily.

The picture that lay outside was different from what they had expected though.

There were 3 buckets of water with a little bit of soap water in them, sponges, some cleaning brushes, water guns which were laying around from Holi  and the water pipe was placed on the side. “What are we supposed to do?” asked Raghu from his mother. “I want you all to clean the cars, driveway, water the lawn and clean the windows of the house. I know you guys will love this because it’s all water work, but be careful not to waste water” said his mother as she walked into the house. "This is gonna be fun!" called out Meera as she went to pick up a bucket of soap water and sponge.

The three of them were immediately down to work. They all loved getting wet in water in the summer and just needed a reason. Raghu’s mother knew that and had found just the right way to get these kids outside, do some work and have fun!

Sponge in hands, Raghu got to work cleaning up his bike and scrubbing the two cars in the driveway with the soap water.

Meera began scrubbing the window panes outside the house, while Dev began watering the plants in the lawn with the water pipe. Every now and then Dev would sprinkle a little water on himself and laugh in the sheer joy of it!

Everyone was thoroughly busy and didn’t know how time flew by. “Hey Dev, I need the pipe now to wash off the soap from the cars!” called out Raghu.

“Coming!” said Dev as he turned the pipe towards the driveway, straight onto the car where Raghu was standing. Raghu was completely drenched and charging towards Dev. “I’m gonna get you guy!”  “Okay guys, Let’s first finish the work then we’ll play” called out Meera responsibly. Both boys laughing came back to the driveway and started cleaning the soap off the cars and bike with the water pipe, playing with the water as they did so!

“Now the window panes!” said Meera as she took the pipe and cleaned the soap off the window panes outside the house. As she was finishing, she didn’t notice, both Raghu and Dev steal up behind her with water guns in hands.

Shouting, running in the lawn, playing, screaming, laughing, all three of them took turns to get each other wet with the remaining soap water in the buckets and the water pipe.

A little later Raghu’s mother came outside with popsicles in bowls for the three kids.

“Okay kids you deserve this after all the work you’ve gotten done!” she said as she handed each of them a rainbow colored popsicle. “This was so much fun aunt Megha!” cried out Dev as he hugged his aunt. They all laughed and enjoyed their popsicles. What better way to spend a hot summer evening!

Adventures of Raghu - cooking pizza in a solar oven

It was a sunny summer afternoon. Raghu, Meera and Dev were chilling in Raghu’s room.

Meera was reading a book, Raghu was browsing the net for places to go camping, while Dev was busy gaming on playstation. Raghu had been back from his trip to the Himalayas with Uncle Seher two weeks back, after which Dev, Raghu’s cousin had come over to spend the summer vacation with him. Suddenly Dev jumped, “I got through! I got through Level 7, just one more level to go and I win the game!” shouted an ecstatic Dev. Raghu looked back at him from his computer with a rather uninterested expression and exclaimed - “Great going Dev! You’ve been at it for like 4 months now, it’s high time I say!” Meera laughed.

“Let’s eat something before I start again” said Dev “I’m starving!”. Dev was a chubby cute little fellow. He loved his playstation as much as he loved his food. “Okay guys, come on, let’s see what mother has made for lunch” said Raghu as all three of them went running downstairs to the kitchen. They were astonished to find an empty kitchen with veggies and food items lying on the kitchen counter. There was a note lying next to it which read – ‘Kids, I’ve had to rush to your dad’s office to help him some work, please make the pizzas in the oven. I’ve left all the items you need on the kitchen counter. Love, mom’

“Okay guys! Pizza time. Let’s get to work. “I’ll chop the veggies!” shouted Meera.

“I’ll put the pizza sauce on the pizzas" said Dev, “And I’ll start pre-heating the oven and get the pizza trays out” said Raghu. They all got to work. Raghu began to switch on the oven and pre-heat it, however the oven wasn't working. After 15 minutes of fiddling with it, Raghu called out - “The oven isn’t working guys, what should we do now?” Meera and Dev tried their own hands at getting it started, but it wouldn't work. “It’s like an oven outside” said a rather upset Dev who was feeling hot and sweaty, “ and yet the real oven isn’t working!!!”

“Come on Dev. Just relax, we’ll find a way” said Meera. For almost half an hour, they fiddled with the various switches, plugs, but the oven wouldn’t turn on. “Great, that’s it for our pizzas” said a dejected Raghu. “I don’t think so” smiled Meera. “What Dev said has just given me an idea. Raghu I know you have a pile of old pizza boxes, can you get me one of those. Also get me a ruler, aluminum foil, scissors, plastic wrap, black construction paper and a glue stick.”

“Sure Meera, but why?” said Raghu a little confused. “Just do what I say and bring everything to the terrace. We’re gonna make some pizza.” They took all the items and reached the terrace. It was afternoon and the sun was at its peak. “It’s burning!” said Raghu. “And that’s exactly what we need” said Meera. She got to work, creating a small solar oven from the pizza box, plastic, aluminum wrap and black construction paper.

Okay let’s leave it like this for about 15-20 minutes to heat up in the sun, then we’ll put our pizzas to get baked in it!”

"WOW! What a great idea!” shouted both Dev and Raghu in unison. The three waited for a while , then put in two small pizzas they had prepared with toppings into their solar oven. In the excitement, the three had forgotten about their hunger and were eager to see the final outcome. 20 minutes later, they opened the box to find melted cheese and a crispy pizzas. “Oh my god! This is awesome!” exclaimed Raghu. “Pizzas cooked in our very own solar oven! Now how cool is that!”

Solar Pizza Oven

Solar Pizza Oven

This is a great way to see how the sun's rays can be turned into thermal energy, useful in our daily lives to cook food among many other things. This activity should be done on a sunny day to ensure that the oven cooks at or above 200 degrees. Take caution! It functions like a real oven, so don't touch!

You will need:

a pizza box that has been cleaned out 

ruler

aluminum foil

scissors

plastic wrap

glue stick

black construction paper

1. Draw a one-inch border around the top of the pizza box. Cut along three sides, leaving the line along the back of the box uncut.

2. Form a flap by gently folding back the uncut line to form a crease.

3. Cut a piece of aluminum foil to fit on the inside of the flap. Smooth out any wrinkles and glue into place.

4. Measure a piece of plastic to fit over the opening you created by forming the flap. The plastic should be larger than the opening so that it can be taped to the underside of the box top. Be sure the plastic becomes a tightly sealed window so that the air cannot escape from the oven.

5. Cut another piece of aluminum foil to line the inside of the pizza box and carefully glue into place.

6. Cover the bottom with black construction paper and glue into place.

7. Close the pizza box top with the window, and prop open the flap with the ruler you used to measure before. (A wooden dowel or straw may be used as well.)

8. Adjust until the aluminum reflects the maximum sunlight through the window into the oven interior.

And enjoy your treats! Ovens will have to preheat about 30 minutes before cooking anything. You can heat up your pizza and ENJOY

Reference: http://solartownkids.com/index.php?p=activities