STEM/STEAM Birthday and Challenge

What does STEM or STEAM have to do with a birthday party?  Well, my daughters birthday had several things that connected with those themes.  Yup, even when I am just being a mom- I still throw in some learning!!!  Ha, ha kids, you thought you were coming to eat cake and run around...um sorry, you have to learn too.  Evil laugh- mmmuhhhuhhhuh.
My youngest kiddo turned 8 on July 14th (Bastille Day in France-similar to our 4th of July) and we celebrated with a Bastille themed party.
We had painting at the Louvre (A- art):

Engineering challenges related to da Vinci (I know he was Italian but he lived in France in the 1500's) or the Eiffel tower (E- engineering and math too):

French games (art and math):
Escargot- similar to hopscotch but with a twist that requires planning of squares and strategy. Sidewalk art with chalk- attempted 3D work.

And of course fashion!  They had a challenge to create an outfit from varying inspiration and/or a cricket (similar to baseball) uniform at the Avenue des Champs-Elysees (ok, just art on this one):

My daughters had a great time.  I thought that some of this would translate nicely in the classroom.  I am going to be adding in a variety of STEM activities in the class this year.  I thought the engineering activities we did with the K'nex would work perfectly for a variety of challenges.  It allows a ton of questions that help the child creating think about their engineered product.  I spoke with one kiddo about his creation and he said he made a helicopter car.  I said "Great, what would it be used for or how could it help someone?"  He said, "If you are driving and get to a road that ends at the water, you could fly over it."  His mom added a funny remark about flying over traffic too!  Clever kiddos.  I talked with him and the person he created with about the size of the helicopter blades.  They were very short.  I asked if the blades would be long enough to carry the weight of the car.  They stopped to think.
I enjoy doing activities that allow kids time to think, create, change, think again, fix, and then showcase what they have created.  Children have such a wonderful capacity for creating.  I love watching what they can do!
At each station I had a write up about the challenges that I hoped they would try.  I have a freebie of those challenges.  Feel free to use them as is or edit them to your own style.
Click here for the freebie.
None of the fonts/graphics were purchased- just found online or already available on the computer.  So, I don't have anyone to credit.

Here is the final challenge week!  I will change the final date to the 29th as I am 2 days late posting the challenge.

Nope!!!  I decided to show you something else.  Here is my massive backyard makeover.

Challenge #3

I don't know if you do what I do- but during the school year I tend to stuff/shove/push and flat out not care about my closets, drawers, cabinets, etc.  My goal is to stay on top of all school work and to keep my daughters organized.  Thus leaving a disaster for me to purge in various parts of the house by the end of the school year.  So, to help me AND YOU if you need it, is the 4 week challenge I started a few posts back.  Check out the rules by clicking the picture below.

Here are the challenges for each week.  You can still join in on the organizational fun!  The final opportunity to post for this challenge is July 27th.  It's great to clean out the house for a fresh start to the school year.  It will also earn you freebies from me!

Welcome to Week #3!

I WISH I had a hobby room!  I do have bathrooms...ha!  I chose to work on the horribly messy master bathroom drawers.  I have highly neglected cleaning and organizing them.  So, here goes another week of showing my embarrassing messes!  

After emptying out the drawers and organizing the items into categories- makeup, eye care, hair care, etc. I was able to see everything in the drawers!  Yay!  I also took a minute to clean all my make up brushes.  It's important to do that every now and again.  They get gross!

Happy sigh- I can now get ready in the morning faster.  I have one more week of the challenge.  When this is complete I will feel sooo much more prepared for school to start.  I only have 3 weeks left before I go back to work.  Yikes, time to cram in as much fun, sun, and daughter time that I am able to handle!!!

2nd week of Challenge

See the first post about this challenge by clicking the pic below.

Here is a reminder of the timeline that I am working on:

Welcome to Week 2 of our challenge.  It seems no one has joined the challenge yet.  BUT- you can still join if you are interested!  Just do the needed post to catch up (it can be all in one post if that works best for you).  The final day you can post all the challenges will be July 27th.

Anyhoo- off to the next one.  So, I didn't have a real need to work in my bedroom as it is pretty good right now.

Since my upstairs bedroom was fine, I organized a room that is attached to the bedroom.  Only my hubby and I go upstairs ...so I tend to DROP everything in the loft.  I do that thinking- no one will ever see this mess.  Well, now all of you will!  Yikes!

After many hours of organizing, moving craft items to the correct spots and purging things I never use- I finally got the space in order.  

Now it's your turn to be brave, take pictures and get organized!  Even if it isn't a major rehaul and is just a minor reorganizing task, post it!

Hope you can join in with me!

July Currently and a Challenge

I am linking up again with Farley for a currently.  It is ALREADY July and that means my summer is 1/2 way over!!!  Tear.  Sniffle.  Pout.

I am having the best time with my 2 adorable girls!  I am seeing friends and enjoying every minute of my summer.  I am getting all sorts of house "stuff" done as well.  

I am hosting a linky with several freebie possibilities that I talked about here...

Please check it out and join in!!!

If you wish to join in the Farley linky, please click below.  It's always so much fun.

Listening:  It's been crazy hot here in NM the past week.  We actually had to get our air going!  It was 94 at my house yesterday, so it must have been at least 100 in ABQ.  I live on the mountains outside of ABQ so it's always a bit cooler- elevation and trees help with that.

Loving:  My hubby and I have been working very hard to get our backyard completed.  Lots of hard labor going on- I am not a fan of digging with shovels, lifting large heavy rocks, and pushing wheelbarrows...but it gets us closer to a fun and extremely usable backyard.

Wanting:  For those out there that have never had a southwest breakfast burrito smothered in green chile or red for that matter, or "Christmas" (that's using both red and green).... you REALLY need to try it.  It is life altering!!!  I am a "yankee" as I am from Maryland...but when we moved here, I ate a breakfast burrito with Christmas on the side and almost fell out of my chair!!!  I had no idea what I had been missing all my life!  So, for those of you who don't live in NM- go out there and eat green chili.  You'll thank me!

4th plans:  Here in the Land of Enchantment.  We all cringe a bit when the 4th comes around.  They sell fireworks EVERYWHERE but this is the worst place to do them.  It's hot and super dry, so if the fireworks that Joe Schmoe set off, land in a bunch of dried up grass found anywhere in our state...bingo...there's a forest fire.  Soooo, we are taking it easy with silly sparklers and on a safe spot like our driveway.   

Have a fantastic 4th and don't forget to check out my challenge and freebies found here.