Adventures of Raghu - "those were the days my friends!"

“I’m bored of studying for Monday’s history test Raghu” said Meera as she looked out of Raghu’s room window. She had been reading her History book for Monday’s test but now wanted to take a break from it.

Raghu was busy playing a game on his new ipad that his mother had recently gifted him, and replied to Meera half interested in what she was saying - “Hmm..”

Winter was on its way in. The days were becoming shorter, the temperature cooler and it felt good to get some sun on your body. It was always refreshing to sit on Raghu’s room window and look at the garden, the big banyan tree and the birds chirping on the branches outside.  

Today there was a slight cool wind blowing as Meera closed her eyes and felt the breeze embrace her face. She felt a pang of nostalgia as it blew off her face. She suddenly went back to that time in her childhood when she would swing in the park and feel the same wind blow on her face. Oh, how lovely that time of life was – carefree and happy, swinging in the sunshine, in the winds, in the rain.

“Raghu, do you remember how much fun we used to have swinging when we were in nursery? Your mom used to push both of us on the swings and we used to always compete to see which one of us could swing higher! Remember?” said Meera as she turned to look towards Raghu. “Hmmm…” said Raghu again. Meera dashed over to where Raghu was sitting and gave him a friendly but annoyed nudge - “Raghu! Are you listening to me or you’re just on that silly new iPad of yours again!” “Yes, I am listening Meera. I do remember, it used to be fun. But I’m just in the middle of my game right now” said Raghu in a very matter of fact kind of way.

Meera left the room half in frustration and half to just go downstairs and sit in the garden with the Banyan tree. For Meera and Raghu both, this Banyan tree was more than just a tree, it was like the great grandfather of the house. Whenever they were low, or had something on their mind, they could go sit with him and share everything with him. He always seemed to listen and give them some kind of answer. Meera lay down on her stomach next to the banyan tree, admiring its beautiful long and strong branches, in her heart talking to the banyan tree of how she missed just simply swinging like when she was little.

As she lay in her thoughts, suddenly she saw the banyan tree branches swaying and felt as though the banyan tree were inviting her to swing on its own branches. Meera got up in joy and cried - “Why don’t we put up a swing on your branches! It would be just like the old times, and a whole lot of fun!”

 Meera dashed upstairs to tell Raghu of her plan and bumped into Raghu’s elder brother, Raghav on the way. “Raghav, we want to put up a swing on the banyan tree outside. Can you help us?” said Meera a little embarrassed, but excited. Raghav laughed. “You both always come up with insane ideas don’t you! Okay, let me take a shower and come down. Go to the garage. Father has kept some old tires there and we have strong rope too.

 
We had thought of putting up a swing a few months ago so all the material should be there. Start looking for it, I’ll be back soon.”

Meera half decided to go upstairs to tell Raghu, but then remembering Raghu's infatuation for his new iPad, headed to the garage instead. Raghav soon came down with a print out of instructions on making a ‘tire swing’ and a friend of his, Maddy, who he had called over for some additional help. Raghav first found a sturdy old tire and washed it. While Meera was drying it, he found strong rope and a drill to make a few holes in the tire. The three of them then took all the material and went to the banyan tree where Raghav and Maddy inspected to find the sturdiest and thickest tree branch.

A few knots later, with the help of a ladder, Maddy and Raghav had tied the rope and tire on the branch, leaving some space from the ground. Maddy sat on it, removing his feet from the ground to check its sturdiness and on passing the test, let Meera on.

Meera excitedly jumped on the swing as Raghav gave her a push from the back. She was so happy, she was laughing. Hearing the chatter downstairs, Raghu had come to his room window as he looked down at Meera on the swing and smiled. There were some things that could only be shared in smiles and laughter, there were no words to really express how they felt.

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

Outdoor activity with kids - Make a compost pit

Last week Raghu and Meera decided to make a compost pit from vegetable scraps and dry leaves they had gathered. Today we bring to you an outdoor activity you can do with your children in your garden. Making compost will introduce kids to the natural cycle of growth and decay and should encourage them to become recyclers! 

An effective and environmentally friendly solution for turning yard waste and kitchen scraps into a beneficial soil additive, here are the steps to build a compost pit in the soil with kids -

1. Explain to the child what composting is in a fun and simple way. Let  them know - Composting, although managed by people, is a process entirely undertaken by small "critters" such as insects, fungus, and bacteria that will work in nearly any conditions.

2. Find a place in your lawn/backyard and dig the hole for your compost pit. Your compost hole should be about 1 foot (30 cm) deep. The area of the hole will be determined by the amount of organic matter you want to add.

     3. Chop your composting materials finely. Underground composting proceeds more slowly than above ground setups, and maximizing the surface area of your scraps is key to speeding the process. Aim for pieces of scraps no bigger than 2 or 3 inches (5 - 8 cm) in any dimension.

    4. Add the organic materials to the compost pit. Pile your food scraps and yard waste into the hole you dug to a depth of about 4 inches (10 cm).

Put in	Don’t use
Fruit and vegetable peelings Dead flowers and plants Grass cuttings and nettles Small branches and twigs Tea bags, coffee grounds and filter paper Shredded and scrunched paper and cardboard Egg shells Saw dust	Meat and fish Dairy products Processed foods such as pasta and bread Pet litter Large branches

  

    5. Cover your compost with soil. Once you have finished adding your organic scraps to the compost pit, you can refill it with the soil you removed.

    6. Keep the compost pit wet while it is decomposing. Underground compost decomposes slowly, because it doesn't have access to as much fresh oxygen as aboveground piles. To speed the process, ensure the area stays fairly wet. You can use a garden hose to wet it in the dry weather.

    7. Sow plants/vegetables above the compost after it has decomposed. A major benefit of underground composting is that you don't have to perform any extra steps to harvest the compost and amend your soil. The soil below is now perfect to create a vegetable garden on it!

Compost

May 5th - 11th 2014 International Compost Awareness Week ...
Let's Recycle and make some compost!

Outdoor activities with kids - Storytelling around the campfire!

Sitting around the campfire at night is one of the most intimate parts of camping. It’s as though in those moments, all the people sitting around the campfire are connected to each other through an invisible thread of vulnerability and adventure. It is at this time that fed by the dancing flames, ones creative energy finds stimulation under the moon and stars. Use this time to connect with your children through stories that are engaging. They could be traditional tales, myths, legends or simply inspirational stories. If you involve the kids in the process in a fun way, they’ll never forget the story you told them!

We share with you one such inspirational story below -

“When I travelled to the Himalayas sometime back I met a man there who knew how to get many things done with very little resources. He had almost nothing to work with, but accomplished great things.
Whether the task was to build a fire underwater or stop a waterfall from falling, it seemed he could take care of it. I was so amazed to see the things he could do, I finally asked him how he did it.

He told me that a long time ago he had found a magical solution to nearly all challenges that came along. He said it was all contained in a single, ancient word that had mystic powers. When you understand the meaning of the word, it unleashes immense strength and abilities; it makes your mind more clear; it makes your imagination run wild with ideas.

Well, of course, I could hardly contain myself and I just had to know what this powerful magic word was. I pleaded with him to tell me and he finally agreed.

He said the word is, 'YAGODDAWANNA'. <ask the children to say it along with you>

In order to accomplish anything, whether it is small or big, easy or difficult, trivial or of utmost importance, in order to be successful, YOU’VE GOTTA WANT to do it. To earn good grades, you gotta wanna earn them. To become an champ you gotta wanna be one. The main reason people don't succeed at something is because they don't really want it bad enough. By really wanting something, you come up with ideas, make plans, and then do it.

Remember, to do something YaGoddaWanna do it. So next time you come upon a task that seems almost impossible, you gotta stop and tell yourself “YAGODDAWANNA” “

Here we give you a few ideas for storytelling in the outdoors –

Create your own story: let the kids tell you a story, or come up with your own to tell them. 

Visit myths and ancient stories from further back than you remember from your own childhood, maybe ones you learned about in a college class, or from a grandparent

Take a peek deeper into the civilizations the children are studying in school in their history classes, find a story from that culture and time to help make it real and tangible for them.

Look into your own family lineage, and heritage for stories and ancient traditions, old customs or practices and share them with your children.

Research tribal tales and stories to tell your children.

Ghost stories and other scary stories are always a favourite with the ambiance created by the campfire!

Nature Deficit Disorder

Perhaps, the core issue of all the behavioral problems this generation faces is that we do not get to spend some quality time amidst nature. Nature does have an impact on human behavior. Richard Louv, substantiates this point in his book “Last Child in the Woods”. He says, “An increasing pace in the last three decades approximately, of a rapid disengagement between children and direct experiences in nature has profound implications, not only for the health of future generations but for the health of the Earth itself".  The effects from Nature Deficit Disorder could lead to the first generation being at risk of having a shorter lifespan then their parents.”

In our children’s case, nature-time is likely to be more elusive as they grow up in the hustle bustle of a city. Indeed, they deserve to spend quality time amidst nature. Referring to the parental fear of sending their children alone to the park, Richard says, “We may be protecting children to such an extent that it has become a problem and disrupts the child’s ability to connect to nature. The parents growing fear of ‘stranger danger’ that is heavily fueled by the media keeps children indoors and on the computer rather than outdoors exploring.”

The specialists in this field opine that, especially, kids who do not get nature-time seem more prone to anxiety, depression and attention deficit problems.  The only cure for such problems is spending more time in the nature. Going out and being in nature can help one greatly. There are simple things kids can do in the outdoors that can connect them to nature. Even hugging a tree or looking at greenery from the balcony can start all of us on the nature path!

So make sure your kids get out more often!

So get your kids out more often!

Adventures of Raghu - It's a bugs life!

“Dev!!! Come outside! I have to show you this!” cried Raghu from the garden facing his room window. Dev was sitting inside Raghu’s room playing a video game. “What is it Raghu? I’m in the middle of playing Angry Birds!” called back Dev rather unenthusiastic to leave his game and go outside.  “There’s this beautiful bug on the garden wall out here. It’s so colourful! You have to come see it!” called back Raghu.

It had rained the previous night and there were all kinds of bugs and insects crawling around in the garden. Raghu had been walking in the garden when his eye had caught this bright-coloured little creature sitting on the wall under his window and had rushed to investigate what it was.

“Please bring the magnifying glass in my study drawer when you come out!” shouted Raghu to Dev. “Oh Raghu! Just when the game was going so well you had to call me for this bug hunt you’re suddenly so interested in!” exclaimed Dev, rather upset at leaving his video game, as he walked out into the garden and handed Raghu the magnifying glass.

Raghu took the magnifying glass from Dev and held his hand excitedly as he pulled him down towards him. Both boys looked at the bug in front of them attentively with the magnifying glass. Dev had seen different kinds of bugs before, but this was definitely something different. “Wow! Should we take a photograph?” asked Dev. “If you want,” called back Raghu as he moved ahead to investigate the rest of the garden.

Raghu felt like a detective with the magnifying glass in his hand, carefully observing the grass, leaves, tree branches and anything around for signs of bugs.

There was a grasshopper seated on the grass nearby, a lady bug on a leaf outside Raghu’s window and an interesting black bug with yellow spots that both boys had not seen before. 

Dev was following Raghu quietly, almost tiptoeing, so that he could take photographs of them without disturbing the bugs.

“These little creepy crawlies are such amazing creatures, and we don't even take a moment to notice these little wonders of nature.” Said Raghu to Dev as he sat down near a tree. His eyes suddenly caught a beautiful caterpillar crawling on the tree branch. “Dev, be sure to capture this! It’ll be a beautiful butterfly soon.”

“I’ve caught them all Raghu! Let’s make an album and put up all our bugs on facebook! It’ll be our very own Bug Hunt album!” said Dev as he sat down near Raghu admiring each of the photos he had taken. “Great idea Dev! And we'll put the names of each of the bugs against it!”

How about going out on a bug hunt?

Go on a Trash Hunt!

Go on a Trash Hunt!

This activity can be a lot of fun and at the same time you'll feel like you've made a small difference to the environment around you!

Here's how you can go about it -

1. Pick a place around your home or school which you feel is littered with a lot of trash, but if cleaned up could be useful and pretty. It could be your nearby park, the road back from school, your nearby market place or a river or lake near your house.

2. Decide a date with your friends/family when you'd like to go for a Trash Hunt!

3. Take black plastic bags, gloves for all those who are taking part, some sheets of paper and pens

4. Tell everyone the rules of the game - 

There is a set time to find as much trash as you can (the time depends on how big the area you are cleaning is)

Once you collect your trash, you have to make a note of all the items you found and the most unique piece of trash you found.

Whoever collects the most trash and finds the most unique trash item wins!

5. Get started!

Watch everyone scurry to fill their garbage bags with trash and also find something unique!

It can be fun and interesting!

Start a fire and cook Maggi!

Here's a way to start your very own fire and cook on it! You can do this in your backyard (*To be done under adult supervision) -

1. Build a fire pit on top of gravel, sand, or bare soil.
Important: select a flat spot away from trees, dry grass, and anything else that could burn. Stay clear of overhanging branches and tree roots in the ground that could catch fire. Clear away any flammable debris (leaves, sticks, pine needles, etc…) for at least ten feet around the fire pit

2. Accumulate dry wood and put it into the fire pit

3. Make a tinder nest out of anything that catches fire easily, like dry grass, leaves, and bark

4. Create a spark using flint and steel -  Steel and iron produce hot sparks when struck against any glassy stone such as quartz, jasper, agate or flint.

Alternatively,

use a lens or condensing reflector (such as a burning glass) to focus the energy from the sun onto tinder.

A concave mirror, such as a polished soda can bottom, can also be used to focus the sun's rays on tinder.

5. Use the spark to put the tinder nest on fire, then put the nest onto the dry wood to start a full fire.

6. Boil water in a vessel over the fire you have just started & make a pack of delicious NOODLES on your very OWN fire!

Below is a video that shows fire being created using flint and steel-
http://youtu.be/Te8rYiwcun4

Outdoor activities with kids - Day sky watching activity

Sky Watching: When was the last time you saw a cloud that really looked like something?  If it has been a while, it is time to do some sky watching.  The great thing about the sky is that it is always changing - sometimes it's colours, sometimes the shapes of the clouds!  On a warm winter day, lie down in the grass or on your house terrace and watch clouds go by. Look for interesting shapes, animals, people, objects. Use these to create a story of your own.

You could write it down and draw the cloud shapes on the side. A great way to enjoy a winter day!
Share with us your stories. We'd love to hear them!