Duck Donuts Tour

Now that school has started, I only have one of my kids home with me during the day.  We meet up with a group of moms and their preschoolers from church once a week.  Sometimes we meet at a playground and let the kids play, other times we go on a field trip.  Earlier this week one of the ladies in our group scheduled a tour of Duck Donuts.  They recently came to the area and since I've never heard of them before I wanted to see what they were all about (and eat donuts).

The guy who worked with our group of preschoolers was very nice.  He took up to the semi private room in the back away from the ordering counter.  I'm guessing this room could also be used for parties.  He gave each child a Donut Shoppe hat so they'd feel like official donut makers.  

Then he helped each child dip their donut into the icing, put it on a plate and pour sprinkles on it.

The kids were so proud of their creations.  And they couldn't wait to eat them.

Of course the preschoolers couldn't be the only ones to eat donuts.  Us moms had to order some too.  While waiting for our order, the kids had fun watching the donuts being made.

There are so many combinations to choose from, it took me a while to decide.  Here is what I ultimately ordered, and yes, I had to sample every one to make sure it was delicious.  When the kids came home from school they had a donut waiting for them, and each one was puzzled as to why a slice was cut out of it.

Overall, it was a fun experience for all of us.  The place was clean, friendly and the donuts delicious.  With all of the topping options, ordering them is half the fun.

Anyone else visit a Duck Donuts lately?  What did you think?  Are you planning to schedule a preschool or homeschool tour?

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End of School Year Traditions

I can't believe the last day of school is almost here.  I've been looking forward to not having to wake up early, make lunches and get the kids out the door on time since Christmas break ended.  I know the summer will fly by and a new school year will be here before I know it, so I gotta make the most of this summer, starting with something fun to celebrate the last day of school and kick off the start of summer. 

Here is how we celebrated the last day of school in previous years with banners, balloons, ice cream, and more.

Welcome to Summer 2015

Welcome to Summer 2014

Welcome to Summer 2013

Welcome to Summer 2012

Yes, a Welcome to Summer 2016 post is missing and I don't have any pictures other than this sign that my kids helped me make.  

I think I also used sidewalk chalk at the bus stop, to say Happy Last Day of School, but maybe I did that for the First Day of School, I can't recall which.  And I can't remember what else we did, if anything.  I've got to redeem myself this year so I need to start planning something good.  I'm thinking I should have done the same thing every year so I wouldn't have to come up with something new each time.  So if you have any good ideas, send them my way.

Here are a few ideas I found on Pinterest that I may use.  

If you pick up your kids, fill your car with balloons.  

Now that would be a fun ride home.  

Check out Be Different Act Normal's blog for more details.

Decorate your door, yard and car.

Find more info at Mama Cheaps blog.

Have a water balloon or Nerf gun battle set up and ready to go when they get home.

You can find more info on those ideas HERE and HERE. 

Gifts are always a hit.  I try to get the kids something like a fun summer toy or new book.  This mom put together a bucket full of summer fun.  Find out more over at Bits of Everything.

The end of the school year also means a break from all that paperwork.

Check out how I store and organize my kid's schoolwork.  

I've been using this method for several years and it's working great.  

Click HERE to find out my system and to create one of your own.

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FREE fun at the Lancaster Science Factory

Saturday we took the kids to the Lancaster Science Factory.  One of our local libraries has museum passes that you can check out for free and it allows you free admission into various museums.  If you can't get a museum pass, you can still get in for free.  This Saturday, March 25th, the Lancaster Science Factory is having FREE admission, no museum pass needed.  Regular admission is $8.50 per person which can quickly add up for a family of 6, so we're always on the look out for a good deal and free is even better.  You can check out their website HERE.  This post is not sponsored by the Lancaster Science Factory, I just wanted to share a good deal and a fun place to take the kids.

The science factory is great fun for kids of all ages (including adults).  The place isn't that big so it's easy to keep and eye on your kids when they all want to play in different areas.  It can be as fun or as educational as you want.  Each 'station' has things to do, kind of like a science experiment, and tells you how it works.  It is very interactive and some of the stations require team work, while others let you work alone.  We did most of the stations and stayed for about 3 hours.

My two year old was especially fond of anything that had to do with balls.  He loved watching the balls roll down this gravity well.

Of course my oldest daughter had to check out the art and music stations. 

There were several puzzles and brain teasers that kept my teenage son and husband busy.  Seriously, my son must have spent a good 30 minutes figuring out the Towers of Hanoi puzzle.   

Pulleys, more balls and dam building. 

It took some teamwork but they finally built the arch and even got it to stand still for an entire second until it came crashing down. 

Making designs with the sand pendulum.  

Gears, gears and more gears. 

Colored shadows. 

In case you are wondering about what types of stations or exhibits they have, here's the list:

Light & Vision:

• Benham's Disk
• Color Changeup
• Color Filter (Chameleon)
• Color Illusion Disks
• Colored Shadows
• Duck-Under Kaleidoscope
• Lens, Mirrors & Filters
• Scope on a Rope
• Visual Illusions

 Electricity & Magnetism:

• Crank Power
• Conductors and Insulator
• Electrical Circuits
• Light It Up
• Magnetic Field Visualization
• Magnetic Sculpture

Mechanics & Motion currently on display in the Museum:

• Ball Tracks - Galileo Track
• Ball Tracks - High Road/Hilly Road
• Ball Tracks - High Road/Low Road
• Ball Tracks - Identical Tracks
• Gear Power
• Gravity Racer
• Gravity Well
• Kinetic Energy Machine
• Magnetic Pendulum
• Mechanical Advantage
• Mini-Racers
• Newton's Cradle
• Pegboard Pendulum
• Pendulum Lab - Period
• Pendulum Snake
• Roller Coaster
• Sand Pendulum
• Super Bounce

Structural Engineering:

• Catenary Arch
• Ceiling Beam
• Earthquake
• Truss Bridge

Acoustics:

• Bongophone
• Drumbone
• Whisper Dishes

Fluid Dynamics:

• Air Play
• Dam the Creek
• Flight Deck
• Hero's Fountain
• Minimal Surfaces
• Parachute Launch
• Tennis Ball Launcher
• Water Tornado

Puzzles & Brain Teasers:

• Army Ants
• Big Magic
• Box of Many Holes
• Circle Packing
• Crossing the River
• Cyclograph
• Horse & Cowboy
• Hyperbolic Slot
• Magic Square
• Pyramid Puzzler
• Shut the Box
• Square Deal
• Tangram
• Towers of Hanoi
• Trapezoids 2 Triangle
• Vanishing Leprechaun

With kids of varying ages and stages, from toddlers to teens, it can be a challenge to find activities that everyone likes.  The Lancaster Science Factory is one of those places where everyone can play and have fun.  I'm sure we'll be checking out the free museum pass again and again.

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The BEST Learn to Read Books

In my last post I gave a list of book series that my tween and teen love to read, and now I'm back with my favorite books for teaching preschoolers how to read.  

Not every easy reader or phonics book is easy to read for someone just learning to read.  My favorites are ones that use short vowel sounds and each word is able to be sounded out, with the exception of a few sight words.   My soon to be kindergartner is working through these book sets (affiliate links):  

Bob Books, Animal Antics, Phonics First Steps

Here is a close up of a page in each book.  You can see how each word can easily be sounded out by a reader that knows what sounds each letter makes.  These are great for beginning readers and helps them build confidence and to read on their own.

And here's an example of a "phonics" book that would be very hard for a beginning reader to read on their own.

Just look at all those words that you can't easily sound out.  This would be for a more advanced early reader, one who has mastered the short vowel sounds and is working on the long vowel sounds.

So if you are looking for some truly beginner learn to read books, I'd stick with the ones below.

Happy reading!

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