Take and Makes for this project will be available starting this Friday, March 12, 2021.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/8avBll-4qnc?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies:

Materials included in kit: circle template, cardboard, piece of string about 36”

Materials needed from home: crayons, colored pencils or markers, scissors, glue stick, sharp pen or pencil (to poke holes)

Directions:

  1. Take template of color wheel or print out a copy below.
  2. Color in the sections red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. For an accurate color wheel, red should be opposite green, yellow opposite purple, and blue opposite orange.
  3. Cut out your circle template.
  4. Glue your circle to the piece of cardboard and cut it out again.
  5. Carefully poke two holes in the center of the color wheel, side by side.
  6. Thread your string through both holes, then tie the ends in a knot.
  7. Hold each end of the string. The cardboard circle should be about midway between the ends. Wind the string by spinning the wheel in a motion similar to a twirling a jump rope.
  8. Gently pull the string tight to get the wheel spinning. If you continue moving your hands in an in and out motion, the circle should continue to spin.

Explanation:

As the wheel spins, what do you notice about the colors? The colors disappear!


As the wheel is spinning fast, your eyes blend the colors together and the color wheel looks white.

White light, like sunlight, is made of all the colors in the rainbow. When light hits a colored object, most of it is absorbed and only one color is reflected. A red object, for example, absorbs almost the full spectrum of light, reflecting red only. When the color wheel was spinning fast enough, the colors changed faster than your eyes could see the individual colors and send the signals to your brain, so the reflections of all of the colors blended together and you saw white light!

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/xJ0lqs_BoLg?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies:

  • Yarn
  • Your fingers

Directions:

  1. Take the end of the yarn and loop it around the pointer finger of your non-dominant hand (if you are right-handed, tie the knot around the pointer finger of your left hand; if you are left-handed, tie the knot around the pointer finger of your right hand). Optional: Tie a knot to keep the yarn loop in place.
  2. On the same hand with the knot, weave the yarn around your fingers. Go behind your middle finger, in front of your ring finger, around your pinky, behind your ring finger, in front of your middle finger, and behind your pointer finger.
  3. Repeat the weaving pattern so that you have two loops of yarn around each finger.
  4. You want the loops of yarn around your fingers to be loose enough to slide off your fingers but tight enough that they don’t fall off accidentally. Use your thumb to hold the loose end of the yarn tight.
  5. Take the bottom loop of yarn on your pinky finger and pull it over the top loop of yarn and off your finger. You should have only one loop of yarn on your pinky finger.
  6. Repeat for each of your fingers. Pull the bottom loop of yarn over the top loop and off your fingers.
  7. Push the remaining loop of yarn on each finger down toward the base of your fingers. They are now the bottom loops of yarn.
  8. Repeat steps 3-8 until you’re ready to be done with your finger knitting.
  9. To cast off (or end your project), cut the yarn so you have about three inches left. Thread the end of the yarn through the loop of yarn on each finger, starting with the pointer finger and ending with the pinky.
  10. Pull each loop of yarn off your fingers and pull the loose end tight. Tie the end of the yarn in a knot around one of the loops of yarn to fasten. Cut off the extra “tail” of yarn.
  11. If you would like to take a break while working on your knitting, use a long, rounded object (a pen, pencil, chop stick, or knitting needle). Slide the loops of yarn off your fingers and onto object and put in a safe place until you’re ready to start finger knitting again.

To restart your project, slide the loops of yarn back onto your fingers. Remember that the loose end of thread will be on your pointer finger and that the knitting will lay against the back of your hand. Repeat steps 3-8 to continue knitting.

Watch this homeschool project at: https://youtu.be/Hes9P7sXTD4?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFcQoPQnZvsy70uOGw-GdBLE

Supplies:

  • 2 half sheets of cardstock; 4 craft sticks
  • 1 gable roof template- see below
  • 1 hip roof template sheet of aluminum foil
  • 1 “plate of fortune cookies” (photo on cardstock)
  • Glue
  • Scotch tape
  • Packing tape
  • Shallow jar lid
  • Sheet for foundation (cardboard, foamboard, or cardstock)
  • Flat bake sheet (optional)
  • Leaf blower, electric fan, or hair dryer
  • squirt bottle or watering can with sprinkle spout
  • Baking rack (or similar object)
  • Plastic dishpan tub (optional)

Directions:

See detailed directions and templates in the pdf links below!

Photo by Jo Kassis from Pexels

Have fun tearing or cutting strips of paper and creating a collage. A collage is a work of art made by gluing pieces of different materials or different size materials to a flat surface.

For this project, your child will glue strips of construction paper to the white paper to create a unique work of art. You'll need a piece of white paper and a few colors of construction paper plus glue.

Directions:

  1. To begin, have your child use child-safe scissors to cut the construction paper into strips or different size pieces. Your child can tear the paper if you do not have child-safe scissors.
  2. Let your child glue or tape the construction paper onto the white paper however they want to create their collage.

Early Literacy Tip:

This project helps young children develop the fine motor skills they need to hold pencils and crayons. Having strong motor skills will help children as they begin the process of learning how to write. How can cutting or tearing paper develop this skill? As children tear or cut the paper, they are building the small muscles in their palm and hand. They are also enhancing their eye-hand coordination. They must be able to see what they are tearing or cutting while moving their hand. Learning how to use scissors plays an important role in developing fine motor skills. Here are some tips for teaching your child how to use child-safe scissors:

  • To help your child remember how to hold a pair of scissors, draw a smiley face on the thumbnail of your child’s cutting hand. The smiley face reminds them to keep their thumb up when cutting.
  • Cutting paper can be tricky; practice cutting playdough first.
  • Cardstock is easier to cut than paper. Let your child cut old greeting cards or old playing cards.
  • Provide activities that use tools such as tongs, hole punches, tweezers, eyedroppers, and clothespins to strengthen fine motor skills necessary for cutting.
  • It might sound easy, but teaching young children how to cut with scissors is a very complex task. Try using this rhyme to help your child remember how to hold and use scissors properly:
  • Two fingers on the bottom
    and the thumb on top.
    Open the mouth and go
    chop, chop, chop.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/C1oVgbWPcIQ?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies:

  • Paper star
  • Large craft stick
  • White paper to cut out a snowflake
  • Silver sequins
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Markers
  • Tape
  • Other decorative bling

Directions:

  1. Glue your craft stick to the back of your star so it looks like a wand. Add a piece of tape to keep it extra secure.
  2. Using the white paper, cut out your own snowflake to glue onto your star (you might need to cut your paper into a square first and you might need a grown up’s help with this).
  3. Decorate the craft stick with markers and add sequins and any other decorations to your wand that you would like.
  4. Make some wintery magic.

Starting Friday, Feb., 5, 2021, visit your favorite Library location to pick up a Take & Make (materials for the program), while supplies last. For ages 9-12.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/YVNFFC8UttI.

Supplies:

  • Card printed on cardstock
  • Button cell battery
  • LED light
  • Copper tape
  • Colored pencils or markers
  • Tape
  • Thumbtack
  • Pencil, or pen (to poke a hole in the cardstock)

Directions:

  1. Color in the template first
  2. Use a thumb tack, pencil, or pen to poke a hole through the middle of the robot’s heart (for the LED light to go through).
  3. Fold the card in half.
  4. Lay the copper tape along the two paths (polarities) of the circuit, following the diagram. Leave space at the corner where there’s a drawing of the LED light. Reserve some copper tape for step 6.
  5. Add the LED light by inserting the wire legs through the hole on the front of the card and bending the wire legs to reach the circuit path. Match the shorter wire leg with the negative path (the copper tape leading to the circle) and the longer wire leg with the positive path (the copper tape going through the dotted “fold” line. Don’t worry if your LED light placement doesn’t exactly match the drawing on the diagram – as long as the leg wires of your LED light connect with the copper tape, it should work.
  6. Secure the legs of the LED light using small pieces of copper tape.
  7. Add the battery negative side down inside the circle on the template and secure it by taping only the half closest to the LED light down to the card. If your battery is smaller than the circle on the template, center it in the middle of the circle.
  8. Fold the corner of the card over to create a switch to turn the card on and off.
  9. If you want, write a greeting in your card, and give it to someone special.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning this Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.

Supplies and Directions

Provided in your bag: a bookmark, a stylus, and a ribbon
From home: you will need a book, so you can use your new bookmark!

  1. Think about what you want to draw on your bookmark: your name, a space sky, a flowery garden, stripes, polka dots, anything you like!
  2. Using the stylus, scratch your scene into the bookmark. Keep in mind the hole goes at the top for your ribbon, so make sure you scratch your scene the right way up.
  3. After you're done with the rainbow scratching, tie your ribbon through the hole at the top of the bookmark to give it even more color!
  4. Pick a book and use your colorful bookmark!

Need help choosing a book? Check out our booklists with recommendations for everything from mysteries to humor!

Check out our many KidsMAKE videos at: tinyurl.com/PPLDVirtualKidsMake

Create your own work of art using the stickers and frame.

Before your child can learn to write, they must develop the small/fine motor skills which are used to grip a crayon/pencil. Peeling the back off the stickers and placing them in the frame provides your child with the opportunity to develop these skills.
To prepare young children for writing, provide them with opportunities to use their hands and fingers. This will help them later when they hold crayons and pencils.

  • Open and close containers with lids
  • Cut with child-safe scissors
  • Finger paint with paint, shaving cream, yogurt, or pudding
  • Use a paintbrush
  • Play with play dough and clay—roll, smoosh, pat, pound, and use tools like popsicle sticks or stamps
  • Lace Cheerios onto pipe cleaners
  • Lace pipe cleaners into the holds on a colander
  • Draw, scribble, or write with crayons, pencils, and markers
  • Put together puzzles
  • Build with small blocks

Supplies:

  • Ruler (12" or 18" or 36") or measuring tape
  • Yarn or string
  • Scissor
  • A stuffed animal or your pet

Directions:

  1. Measure, as best you can, your pet or stuffed animal and determine its length in inches.
  2. After you know how many inches, cut a piece of string or yarn the same length.
  3. Take this piece of string and measure items around your house. How many cats (or hamsters or dogs, etc.) long is your kitchen? Your table? Your bed?

Please leave a comment below, tell us what you used to measure items around your house.

You can watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCU1Ks8mBf0

Supplies:

  • One small block of dry ice (about 1 lb.) broken into large pieces. (Do not touch dry ice with bare skin, it will burn!)
  • Large bowl on a tray
  • Table covering
  • Warm water
  • Dish soap
  • Food Coloring
  • Paper (any kind)

Directions:

  1. Pour warm water into the bowl.
  2. Add 2-3 squirts of dish soap (it may help to stir the solution gently at this point although I didn't).
  3. Add a chunk of dry ice using tongs or garden gloves.
  4. As bubbles rise up, add food coloring (2-4 colors).
  5. Lay paper over the colorful bubbles and press gently into bubbles. Add a different color and repeat with another piece of paper.
  6. Keep adding warm water and chunks of dry ice. Or start over with a fresh batch.
  7. Enjoy your wonderful bubble art!

Watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852TC3_bSbU&list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5…

Supplies:

  • Barn and rooster shapes
  • Four pipe cleaners (two pink)
  • Googly eye stickers
  • Green paper
  • Shoe box or other small box (optional)
  • Scissors or wire cutters
  • Tape

Directions:

Pig:

  1. Take two pink pipe cleaners. Use caution as the ends of pipe cleaners can be sharp, especially once cut.
  2. Twist one pink pipe cleaner into a coil.
  3. Cut the second pipe cleaner in half. Take one half of the pipe cleaner and bend the middle into an “m” shape to make the ears. Twist the ears into one side of the pipe cleaner coil to make the ears.
  4. Cut the second half of the pipe cleaner in half again. Bend both halves into legs and twist into the body of the pig.
  5. Peel the tiny stickers off the back of the googly eyes and attach to the face of the pig.

farm 3farm 2farm 1

Farmer:

  1. Cut the two remaining pipe cleaners into three pieces – one that is 6 ½ inches, one that is 6 inches, and one that is 3 ½ inches.
  2. Take the longest piece and twist the top into a circle for the head.
  3. Take the second longest piece and twist around the base of the head as the arms.
  4. Use the shortest piece to make the legs. Just wrap and twist it around where the other leg would be.
  5. If you want, make a farmer’s hat out of paper and tape it to the figure’s head.

farm 4farm 5

Assemble the Farm:

  1. If using a shoe box, arrange the farmer, the pig, the barn, and the rooster inside the shoebox. Cut a strip of the green paper about 1 ½ inches wide and 9 inches long. Fold a narrow strip over and glue or tape to the inside of the box. Use
    scissors to cut the longer side of the paper into little strips to make grass.
  2. If you don’t have a shoe box, use the sheet of green paper as the base for your diorama. Fold a 1-inch strip along the long end of the paper. Cut little strips into the paper to make the blades of grass. Use tape to attach the farmer, the pig, the barn, and the rooster to the green paper.

Want to show off your farm diorama? Post a photo on Facebook and tag @ppldteens or @ppldkids. Find more fun projects to try at https://ppld.org/kids/create/whats-new.

Take and Make kits for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Dec. 26, 2020

Materials Provided in Take and Make:

  • Sandpaper
  • Chalk
  • Various papers

Materials Needed from home:

  • Container of water

Directions:

Reading and writing go together! Writing begins with scribbles and other marks on paper. Encourage your child to “write” in various ways. In doing so, he’ll practice hand/eye coordination and develop hand muscles. Encourage your child to talk about what he is drawing. You can write captions for the drawings. As you do this, he’ll start building connections between written and spoken word.

See what he can create with these simple reading readiness activities:

  • Draw with chalk on sandpaper
  • Dip the chalk into a container of water to draw on the black construction paper
  • Crumple a paper, flatten it again, and then draw on it to experiment with texture
  • Draw on colored paper.
  • Take the chalk outside and draw on the sidewalk. What can he create? How does the texture affect the drawing?

Supplies:

Cardboard triangles
paper strips
other decorations
toothpicks
cardboard rectangle or square stand
glue
scissors

Directions:

1. First, have a grown-up help with cutting cardboard (see supply list above.)
2. Glue paper strips to cover the cardboard triangle trees.
3. Trim excess.
4. Stick a toothpick into each cardboard tree as a trunk.
5. Stick your trees into the cardboard stand to make a winter scene.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD Libraries beginning this Friday, Dec. 18, 2020

Supplies:

Provided in your Take and Make bag:

  • paper plate
  • ribbon
  • beans

You will need to provide:

  • glue/stapler/tape
  • scissors
  • markers
  • more decorative materials (opt.)


Directions:

  1. Turn your plate upside down and decorate it however you like.
  2. Fold your plate in half so the art shows.
  3. Cut each ribbon into smaller pieces (not too small, around 2-3 per ribbon length; they shrink when they are curled!) and curl with scissors. You will now have some curly ribbons. You might need to ask a parent for help with this step.
  4. Tape your curled ribbons to the edge of one half of your paper plate.
  5. Put your beans in your folded plate and staple along the edges to keep it secure.
  6. Make some music! With your art, the curled ribbons, and the noisy beans, you have a colorful and creative music shaker!

Take and Make kits for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning this Friday, Dec. 11, 2020.

Materials in Take and Make:

  • Penguin copied on cardstock
  • Pipette
  • Printed penguins
  • Sand
  • Plastic egg

Materials from home:

  • Crayons
  • Water
  • Cookie sheet
  • Baking pan
  • Ice cubes
  • Tape

Penguin facts:

  • Penguins can’t fly. They use their flippers to help them swim and to propel themselves as they glide on the ice.
  • The torpedo shape of a penguin’s body helps it zip through the water at up to 25 mph.
  • When it’s in the water, a penguin is usually searching for food. It can hold its breath for about 6 minutes.
  • To move quickly across the ice, a penguin glides on its tummy.
  • Penguins are warm-blooded. Like whales, they have a layer of blubber (fat) under their skin. Their bodies are covered with a layer of feathers that seal in the warmth.
  • Penguins secrete oil from a gland that they rub over their bodies to make them water and windproof. They also huddle together to stay warm.

Experiment 1 – How do penguins stay dry?

Color the large penguin with crayons, pressing firmly. Use the pipette to drop water on it. See how the water rolls off the waxy coating. This works the same way with penguins when they rub oil over their bodies to make them waterproof.

Experiment 2 – How do penguins slide on the ice?

Tape a small penguin to an ice cube. Slide it down a slope. Add sand and see how it changes. Friction changes a penguin’s ability to glide quickly.

Activity – Egg transfer game

See if you can use your feet to transfer an egg to another person. This activity mimics the way that penguins transfer an egg from one parent to the other. Keep your egg safe while you do it!

For more information about penguins, look in the library’s non-fiction section (call number 598.47) or visit PPLD Kids Homework section.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/VzCjt-OQf_s?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies:

  • Action figure template (in kit)
  • Guided drawing sheet (in kit)
  • Colored cardstock (half sheets) (in kit)
  • White drawing paper (in kit)
  • Bubble wrap (in kit)
  • Packing peanuts (in kit)

You supply:

  • Markers (colors and a black permanent)
  • Tempera or acrylic paints (optional)
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Directions:

Drawing the Figures (Two Different Ways)

  1. Cut out your templates and use them to trace the figures onto colored cardstock. Cut out your colored cardstock figures. These are the figures you’ll use in your project.
  2. Or … use the guided drawing sheet to draw your own figures on the colored cardstock and cut them out. You can also draw from observation (looking at the figures) and your imagination! *You might want to start with pencil, but be sure to go over your outlines using a black marker that makes a bold line. Cut near the outside edge of the black line.

Create the Background (Three Ideas) The white drawing sheet is the background paper. You can use markers or paints to create the background.

  1. Draw a line across the paper, starting about a hand’s width from the bottom. Make it bold using a black marker. This is the foreground. You can use markers or paint to fill in the foreground and background (above the line) using two contrasting colors. You could also add a simple design in the foreground, like Keith Haring … black dash marks or a black line doodle design.
  2. Or … using a craft paint (tempera or acrylic), paint the sheet of bubble wrap. A primary color makes this Pop Art POP! Carefully lay the blank white sheet of drawing paper on top of the bubble wrap and gently “massage.” Be careful not to let the paper slide around. Carefully lift the paper off the bubble wrap and set aside to dry.
  3. Or … try making a black line “doodle” design that covers the solid white paper, another Keith Haring favorite.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD Libraries beginning this Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/XkX6xyy3Ai8?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFenhH3jVzKk-QmaHXdAFOBq

Supplies:

  • Construction paper (in kit)
  • Craft sticks (in kit)
  • Ribbon (in kit)
  • Scissors
  • Markers
  • Decorations

Directions:

  1. Decorate craft sticks with markers, glitter - anything!
  2. Cut the paper long, but slightly less wide than the craft sticks.
  3. Write a letter, secret note, or create art on one side of your paper.
  4. Glue a craft stick to the top and a craft stick to the bottom of the same side as your art. Let the glue dry.
  5. Roll the bottom craft stick up to the top like a scroll.
  6. Tie a ribbon around your scroll!

craft stick scroll

This Science of Flight Take and Make STEM project will be available at area PPLD Libraries starting Nov. 13, 2020 and is intended for ages 5-12.

Watch these projects at: https://youtu.be/6W6ZtLCe1ow?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Materials provided in Take and Make:

Materials you provide:

  • Tape
  • Hole punch (or something else to poke a hole)
  • Scissors

The Science of Flight

Four forces of flight not only affect how an airplane flies, but also affect a paper airplane. These forces – lift, thrust, drag, and weight – determine how a plane will fly.

  • Lift is the force that keeps the plane in the air. Lift works opposite the weight of the plane.
  • Thrust is the force that propels the plane forward.
  • Drag acts opposite to the direction of motion. This force is affected by friction and differences in air pressure.
  • Weight is the force of gravity. The pull of an object toward the center of the earth.

In today’s Science of Flight activity, we’ll do several activities. Since paper airplanes are subject to the same forces as actual airplanes, think about the forces of flight and experiment to see what helps your plane fly straighter, more accurately, or farther.

Paper Airplanes:

Use the paper to create paper airplanes. See the pdf link below for the template. Which ones fly the farthest? Which has the best aim? How can you adapt them to change their flight? Test them out.

Paper Airplane catapult:

Start by using the template to create a paper airplane. Just fold on the numbers in order, always folding to the inside so you cover the number with the fold. Once your airplane is folded, punch or poke a hole through all layers about 2 inches from the nose of the plane. Push a rubber band through your hole and then put one end of the rubber band through the other and pull gently. Fly the airplane by hooking the rubber band to your thumb or finger, gently pulling back on the airplane, and then letting go of the plane. See how far it will go! Can you aim it?

Whirly-gig:

Take the whirly-gig in your Take and Make or go to the NASA link above to print out a Mars Helicopter template. On the end where the paper is divided in half, fold the halves in opposite directions. On the part that’s divided into thirds, fold the 2 outside parts in on the dotted lines and then fold the bottom up twice. Either toss the Whirly-gig straight up or drop it from a high place and watch it float down. Experiment with it.

Take and Makes for these projects will be available at area PPLD Libraries starting Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. Supplies provided:

  • Bottle cap
  • “I Voted” sticker
  • Blank sticker
  • Epoxy sticker
  • Circle or square magnet
  • Blank business card
  • Rectangular magnet

Supplies needed (from home):

  • Markers or colored pencils

Watch the “how to” video on PPLD TV: https://youtu.be/GPgX1oKgfNE?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Bottle Cap Magnets:

  1. Choose if you want to use the “I Voted” sticker or design your own. If you would like to design your own sticker, do so on the blank white sticker (not the clear, thick sticker).
  2. Peel off one sticker and stick to the inside of the bottle cap.
  3. Peel off the epoxy sticker (the clear, thick sticker) and place on top of the first sticker inside of the bottle cap. Press down to make sure it is stuck tight.(Avoid touching the back of the sticker as it will leave fingerprints.)
  4. Peel the adhesive backing off the small round or square magnet. Stick the magnet to the back of the bottle cap.

Fridge Magnets

  1. Decorate the blank business card. You can design it however you want. Some ideas include drawing a mini poster for your favorite fictional character or writing out words on the business card to make magnetic poetry.
  2. If you decide to make magnetic poetry, start by drawing 4 light pencil lines on your business card. Then write out election day themed words with colored markers. Be sure to include some articles (a,an,the), some descriptive words, overreactions, and some nouns (like people, animals, places, or things). Your imagination is the limit! (Only decorate one side of the business card).
  3. Peel off the back of the rectangular magnet and stick it to the back of the decorated business card. You now have a fridge magnet! If you decided to create magnetic poetry, use a pair of scissors to cut out each individual word,then arrange them into funny or meaningful poetry phrases.

Want to share your creations? Tag us on Facebook @ppldteens or @ppldkids.

 

magnet 1magnet 2magnet 3

 

magnet 4magnet 5

 

TAKE AND MAKE: Tween Twist: Dragon Eggs

Pick up your Take and Make supplies at area PPLD libraries starting Friday, Oct. 9, 2020

Supplies:

  • Styrofoam egg
  • Box of thumbtacks
  • Glue
  • Toothpick

Optional supplies:

  • Sharpie markers, nail polish, or rhinestones

Watch the “how to” video on PPLD TV https://youtu.be/YyPNAoIxy3w

Directions:

  1. Start the dragon egg at the very bottom of the Styrofoam egg. You can glue this “starter” tack in for stability.
  2. Insert tacks into the egg so that they overlap the “starter” tack and each other. The tacks overlap like fish scales.
  3. Keep adding tacks, overlapping them as you move up the egg and cover it with tacks.
  4. You will put a final tack at the very top. You can also glue this tack to help it stay in.
  5. You can add glue to any tacks that feel loose or like they might fall out. Use a toothpick to push the glue in where it needs to go.
  6. If desired, you can use colored sharpies, nail polish, and/or rhinestones to further decorate your egg.

Submit a recipe to Pikes Peak Library District's A Harvest of Recipes digital cookbook! Use this link to upload your recipe: https://ppld.librariesshare.com/ppldrecipes/

Some Fun Facts about Grilled Cheese

❖ Though similar recipes were mentioned in ancient Roman texts, the grilled cheese sandwich was technically invented in France in 1910, known as the Croque Monsieur.

❖ However, most experts agree that the first grilled cheese sandwiches were made in the United States in the 1920s when Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented a bread slicer that made distributing white bread easy and affordable.

❖ Shortly before that, processed cheese has been patented by James L. Kraft, whose pasteurizing process ensured that cheese would not spoil, even when transported great distances (the first Kraft plant opened in Illinois in 1914).

❖ During WWII, Navy Cooks prepared open faced grilled cheese sandwiches on Navy ships as instructed by government issued cookbooks. These sandwiches were called “American Cheese Filling Sandwiches.”

❖ In 1949, people finally began to add the second slice of bread to the top of this sandwich to make it more filling, and the sandwich we all know and love was born.

❖ The name “grilled cheese” wasn’t used until the 1960s; before then it was called “toasted cheese” or “melted cheese” sandwiches.

❖ Approximately 3/4 of people who buy sliced cheese make at least one grilled cheese sandwich per month.

❖ National Grilled Cheese Day is celebrated on April 12th!

Recipes:

Please use adult help with slicing or heating!

  1. Allison’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients: Bread Butter Cheese slices (thin) Optional (onion, apple, kale) Stone ground mustard --experiment with your own ingredients— Instructions: Butter bread slices on one side, flip slices over and add mustard to insides of bread. Stack up ingredients between bread slices. Place in heated frying pan (low to medium heat); cover with lid. Cook on low to med. heat until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Cheese should be melted.
  2. Betty’s Gluten and Dairy Free Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients: Gluten-free bread Vegan butter spread Sliced vegan “cheese” Avocado (optional) Mustard Instructions: Butter bread slices on one side, flip slices over and add sliced cheese. Scoop out avocado and spread (if desired); add mustard to top slice. Place in heated frying pan (low to medium heat); cover with lid. Cook on low to med. heat until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Adjust heat as needed. Cheese should be melted.
  3. Brady’s Grilled Cheese Ingredients: Whole wheat bread (or bread of your choice) Butter Garlic clove (broken open) Mayonnaise Cheese slices (American, grated cheddar, or your choice) Instructions: Cover all sides of bread with mayonnaise. Heat non-stick electric griddle; carefully rub with butter and clove of garlic. Place one slice of bread on hot pan. Add cheese; top with other slice of bread. Cook until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Cheese should be melted.
  4. Amanda’s Easy Creamy Microwave Tomato Soup in a Mug Ingredients: 7 oz. diced tomatoes ½ tbsp. tomato paste ½ cup broth 1/8 cup light cream Optional (to taste): sweet yellow onion, basil, pesto, salt and pepper Supplies: Mug Blender Microwave Instructions: Add all ingredients together in blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer soup into a microwave safe mug. Microwave for one minute. Let cool and enjoy!
  5. Athena’s Cake in a Mug Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup flour 2 tbs. sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder A pinch of salt 1/4 cup milk 1 tbs. oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: Pour the dry ingredients into your mug and mix. Add the wet ingredients, and then mix until there are no large clumps or dry flour at the bottom of the mug. Microwave for 90 seconds. (You may need to adjust this 10 seconds in either direction, based on your microwave's power.) Be careful pulling the hot mug out of the microwave! At this point, you could add some icing or a scoop of ice cream, or eat your cake plain. Enjoy!

Citations and Resources: “Kids Vs. Science: Making The Greatest Grilled Cheese;” Mental Floss video; https://youtube.com/watch?v=tAN6vC7-YeA “How chemistry creates the perfect, gooey grilled cheese sandwich;” PBS News Hour; http://pbs.org/newshour/science/grilled-cheese-chemistry-forever “What a cheesy sandwich looks like in 15 places around the world;” Insider; http://insider.com/grilled-cheese-around-the-world-2018-10 “History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich;” Daily Dish Magazine; http://foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/national-grilled-cheese-month-h… “The History of the Grilled Cheese;” The Committed Pig blog; http://www.thecommittedpig.com/the-history-of-the-grilled-cheese-and-ho… “The History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich;” http://HowStuffWorks.com; http://www.recipes.howstuffworks.com/history-of-grilled-cheese.htm

Supplies:

In Take and Make kit (pick up a kit starting 9/11/20 at any PPLD Library, while supplies last)

  • UV beads
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Paper plate
  • Pencil
  • Black construction paper
  • Template pdf below

You supply:

  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Clock face template (pdf to print below)
  • Natural objects from outside: rocks, weeds, flowers, leaves, etc.

Directions:

  1. UV beads illustrate some of the harmful effects of the sun and therefore, why we use sunscreen. UV light is one type of light from the sun. We can’t see it, but insects and birds can. While this UV light can help our bodies produce Vitamin D, too much of it can also cause sunburn or skin damage. Take the UV beads in your kit and string them on a pipe cleaner to make a bracelet. Go outside to watch them react to the UV rays – even on a cloudy day. You might also want to experiment with sunscreen, sunglasses, or windows and see what happens!
  2. You can also use the power of the sun, construction paper, and natural objects to create a work of art. Take your piece of paper and place it in a sunny place. You may need to weight it down. Place natural objects on the paper and leave it all in the sun for several hours. The UV rays of the sun help break down the dye in the paper creating your design. We found that we had to tape down some of the objects so they didn’t blow away. If you use tape, be careful that it doesn’t show.
  3. Next, you can make a sundial clock. Decorate the plate if you’d like. Cut out and glue the clock face to the back side of the plate. Poke the pencil through the center of the plate and take it outside. You’ll need to place the clock with the “12” facing north to determine the correct time. Watch how your clock tells time during the day.

These activities are based on:

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/activities/UVBeads/UV-Bead-Instruction…

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog…

https://www.raisingarizonakids.com/2015/06/how-to-make-sundial-clock/

TAKE AND MAKE: Water Balloon Parachute
Can your water balloons survive a big drop? Find out with this experiment.
Pick up your Take and Make kit at PPLD Libraries starting September 4, 2020

Supplies:

  • One balloon
  • Water
  • One plastic shopping bag
  • One rubber band

Directions:

  1. Add water to your balloon, don't fill the balloon, leave lots of room to tie the balloon closed.
  2. Cut the ends of the handles of the bags. Tie or rubber band them to the knotted end of a water balloon.
  3. Go outside and drop it from a high place to see if it breaks when it lands.
  4. Test and retest until your balloon breaks.
  5. Try it again with another balloon.

See what else you can attach to your parachute and let drop.

Link to tutorial on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vJyL_xqPI0E

Supplies needed:

  • Book template printed on cardstock
  • Book cover printed on paper
  • Glue Stick
  • Blank paper
  • Needle & thread
  • Jump ring
  • Optional: Key chain ring or necklace chord

Directions:

  1. Cut out a cardstock book template and the book cover of your choice (see pdf files below).
  2. Use the glue stick to glue the cover to the book template.
  3. Crease the flaps around the edges.
  4. Cut out 4-6 rectangles that you will fold in half to make the book’s pages. You can eyeball this, but they will be approximately 4.75 cm x 3.5 cm.
  5. Line up the pages and fold in half. This stack of folded pages is called a “signature”. Trim if necessary so that the pages fit in the book.
  6. Thread a needle with about 6 inches of thread.
  7. Sew the pages together with a pamphlet stitch. You will be poking 3 holes in the crease of the folded pages: one in the top, one in the middle, and one in the bottom. You can mark these holes with pencil beforehand if you would like to.
  8. Start by poking the needle in through the middle of the crease (see picture). The needle should go through the back of the pages and come out inside the inner fold. Leave a couple of inches of thread hanging out the back. Hold these 3 inches while you sew and do not let them pull through. You will be tying a knot with them at the end.
  9. Push the needle up through the top of the pages (inside to outside).
  10. Go back down near the bottom of the pages (outside to inside).
  11. Pull the needle one last time through the center hole.
  12. Use the thread you left hanging out the back and the thread still on the needle to tie a square knot—right over left, then left over right.
  13. Flip the cover template over, line up the pages of the signature you’ve just sewn, and use a glue stick to glue the leftmost and rightmost pages of the signature to the inside of the template.
  14. Run your glue stick over all the tabs of the cover template and then press them onto the two glued pages until the folio is fully secured to the cover template on both sides.
  15. Fold both sides of the spine with your fingers to finish your book!
  16. Now use the needle to poke a hole through the top of the spine all the way through to the inside. Widen the hole by wiggling the needle.
  17. Open a jump ring with your fingers by holding it in front of you and pulling one side forward while you push the other back. Do not open by pulling the sides outward or it will not fully close.
  18. Poke the jump ring through the hole you’ve created. You may have to go back and widen the hole further. At this point, you can attach a key ring to it or string it on a chord to make a necklace. Close the jump ring when you’re done!
  19. Voila! You have a miniature book charm. If you want it to lay flat, you can place it under a light object/between two objects overnight to make it stay fully closed. You could optionally paint it with mod podge to keep it safe from wear and tear!

Show off what you've made by entering our PPLD Challenge: Banned Books Art.

 
 

Supplies:

  • Tall, clear glass cylinder vase or container (preferably straight)
  • Food coloring
  • Measuring cup
  • Order of liquids needed for this density "burrito" (but you could do less liquid choices, but make sure to start with a heavy liquid and end with the lightest liquid):
    • Honey
    • Corn Syrup (add a couple drops of food coloring)
    • Maple Syrup
    • Whole Milk
    • Dish Soap
    • Water (add a couple drops of food coloring)
    • Vegetable Oil (add a couple drops of food coloring)
    • Rubbing Alcohol (add a couple drops of food coloring)
    • Lamp Oil (DO NOT add food coloring to this liquid - it's doesn't mix in.)
  • Tray
  • Turkey Baster
  • Items to sink or float: ping-pong ball, plastic beads, metal bolt, grape or cherry tomato, etc.

Directions:

  1. Determine how many ounces your container holds with room to spare at the top. Round up or down to a number that can easily be divided your number of liquid layers. Measure the exact amount of liquid ingredients into separate containers. (My large container held about 32 oz. leaving room at the top, so I divided 32 by 9, and then rounded the number down to a 1/3 c. of each liquid to make it easy to measure. Have a grown-up help you, especially with the lamp oil.)
  2. Place the large container on the tray.
  3. Add the liquids IN ORDER (they go from most dense to least dense).
  4. Starting with the honey, pour it very slowly so that it doesn't touch the sides of the container.
  5. Next, very slowly, dribble the corn syrup on top of the honey. Don't let it touch the sides of the container either.
  6. Again like the first two, slowly dribble the maple syrup into the container on top of the corn syrup.
  7. Using the turkey baster, add the milk very slowly. Now it helps to pour the liquids slowly down the sides of the container as you add them. You will add the next five liquids in the same manner.
  8. When all the liquids are in place. Add items and watch them sink or float or get stuck, depending on their weight and the density of the liquid where it stops.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/QjEYa6xBVRQ?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu