Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

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Disney, the land (or world) of fun and imagination. It can also be a fun place to learn. Some of these learning ideas can be used in other settings such as home, at the store or at other amusement parks but some learning activities will be especially for Disney. 

First, let’s discuss imagination. Some people may not understand how important it is but it is, oh, so important. Sometimes very intelligent people feel that they don’t need to use it. They feel using their imagination is childish. 

Let’s look at the definition of imagination. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality”. It is “a creation of the mind,” “fanciful or empty assumption”.

Yes, sometimes imagination can be fanciful, seemingly silly and useless but think of the great things that have been accomplished and the wonderful inventions that have been created all because of someone’s “creation of the mind”.

Flying
Imagination Takes Flight

My grandson and I recently flew on an airplane to Disney World. I am always in awe as  the plane gathers speed. Then all of a sudden this big metal contraption lifts up, off the ground and we are flying above the houses and eventually above the clouds. What kind of an imagination must the Wright Brothers have had to believe that they could fly through the air like a bird? They didn’t simply give up and say, “There is no way we can ever do what a bird does.” No, they imagined the possibility of fight and then used their brains to figure out how to make this dream a reality. 

This is what inventors do. They use their imagination to dream about some fanciful new gadget or way to travel. Then they use their brains and education to test and experiment with everyday items in new and different ways. The great imaginers of today will be the outstanding inventors of tomorrow. 

imagination
Journey into Imagination with Figment

Disneyland and Disney World are places full of imaginative activities but you can find an extra helping of imagination at Disney World Epcot. There you can enjoy a ride on Journey to Imagination with Figment. Figment is a little purple dinosaur. He is an adorable figment of some Imagineer. He helps you to learn how much fun and how important it is to imagine new and wonderful things.

Being smart and learning as much as you can are wonderful objectives but don’t forget to add in a large dose of imagination. You might come up with the next great invention because you were able to imagine it. 

Figment of your imagination.
Use Your Imagination

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We always have great family time and make special memories when we travel to Disney. Click here to purchase tickets and start making your special trip plans.

Learning Fun at Disney: Manners

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I think learning should be fun. I can’t think of a more delightful place to learn than Disney!

Manners

Today, we are going to tackle manners. Using good manners is such an important attribute. Your child will have many opportunities to use their manners and to see manners exhibited while at Disney.

Please and Thank You

The first, in my book, is the simple, “please” and “thank you”. The cast members work hard and sometimes in less-than-ideal situations. It can be really hot or stormy and the cast members still have to be there to care for you. A simple thank you can add some joy to their day.

There will be many opportunities, during the day, to use your manners. One of my favorite times is mealtime. 

     “Will you please pass the salt?”

     “Thank you for letting me get dessert.”

My family came from the south. We were taught to throw in a “please” or “thank you” when answering a question.

     “Would you like tomatoes on your salad?”

          “No, thank you.”

 “Would you like ice cream for dessert?”

          “Yes, please.”

The Napkin

Another manner, that is not so widely practiced, is the placing of your napkin. If it’s a restaurant with cloth napkins, we place them in our laps. 

Did you know you can send a secret message to your server by where you place your napkin? (Of course, that is, if your server knows the code.) If you leave the table, but will be returning, place your napkin on your chair.

When you are totally finished with your meal, place your napkin on the table next to your plate. This lets the server know they can start taking away your dirty dishes and bring you the bill. 

I hope this post on manners has been fun and has given you some ideas of how to use them. What other manners might you use, while on your trip? Don’t forget to continue using them when you get home.

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Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

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Earth Day: Gardening with Children

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Earth Day: Gardening with Children

As Earth Day approaches, I want to share, with you, the joys of gardening with children. My love of gardening came from my father. He was raised on a farm in West Virginia, and although he married and became an electrical engineer, his love of the land never faded. As I was growing up, Dad and Mom always planted a garden. Sometimes it was small and other times it was huge. Digging in the dirt, playing with worms and watching the plants, start as small seedlings and grow large enough to produce the food for our table, was a treat. I will admit that the weeding and breaking bushel after bushel of green beans got a bit tedious at times; but the vegetables we grew in our garden were better than anything we bought at the store.

I don’t have the green thumb that my Dad and Mom have but I continue to try. A few years ago, because of several health issues my husband has, we decided to try our hand at organic gardening. We chose the Square Foot Gardening method, as taught by Mel Bartholomew. It can be a little expensive in the beginning but I love it because I don’t need a rototiller to break up the ground. It is always soft, loose and easy to work in. And since it’s so easy to work with, it makes gardening with children a breeze.

One of the areas I fail miserably at is having the time to take care of my garden the way it needs to be. I work full time and I live far enough from my workplace that I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to gardening. It’s mid-April and this is what my garden currently looks like:

Gardening with Children: Garden Needs Work
Gardening with Children: Garden Needs Work

I know, I was taught better than that. I should all ready have my onions and radishes in the ground. I was hoping to have my little helper (my great-nephew) last weekend but he and his mom were busy. Even though he wasn’t able to help me this past weekend, I can share the fun we had getting the garden ready two years ago.

Jeremiah was 21 months old, so as you can see, you can start gardening with your children when they are quite young. Here is one of the reasons that the Square Foot Gardening method works well when gardening with children; the dirt was so soft and loose that he was easily able to help me pull out weeds and old plants. He also helped me loosen the dirt by digging and raking. At first, he wasn’t too sure about getting dirt on his hands but the longer we worked the more he got into it. And I really mean he got INTO it! LOL!

Gardening with Children: Digging in the Garden
Gardening with Children: Digging in the Garden

There is so much learning that can happen while gardening. Realizing that vegetables grow on plants before they get to the store can be a lesson in itself. You can discuss how worms and certain bugs help the garden while other bugs hurt it. Learning about weather, and how the garden needs rain and sunshine to grow, are other lessons. You might find that your child is willing to try different vegetables when they have had a hand in growing and caring for them. One unexpected thing you might find growing, while working in the garden with your child, is the bond between the two of you. So put on some old clothes, grab some rakes and shovels and start growing your own memories.

Gardening with Children: Lessons to learn and memories to make.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard

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Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard


Learning experiences at the apple orchard can be so much fun. I like to incorporate a little learning in everything I do but I don’t want it to be heavy handed. I don’t want the kids to actually realize they are learning. All I want them to experience is fun.

There is so much learning that can happen at an apple orchard. The lessons can be complex, such as learning about how bees pollinate or the growing cycle of an apple. Or the lesson can be very simple, like learning that the apples in the grocery store actually grow on trees.

Today, We Go for Simple

We are headed to the apple orchard with our 2 year old, great-nephew. I like to start learning opportunities with a book so we began by reading, “Picking Apples” by Gail Saunders-Smith. It was a great book for a young child; lots of pictures and a small amount of descriptive text. It describes picking apples from the tree to storing them in large wooden crates and finally trucking them everywhere. We were able to see the big wooden crates at the apple orchard; just like in the book!

We decided to head to Stuckey’s Farm today because they grow my husband’s favorite apples; McIntosh. When we arrive a gentleman gives us a basket and a bag to gather our apples in. Jeremiah wanted to carry the basket.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Carrying the basket

We climbed onto a wagon behind a big tractor, to get a ride out to the area that the McIntosh apples were at.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Riding on the Wagon

The Art of Picking Apples

The first apple Jeremiah picked came right off the tree with no problem…

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples

…but the next one wouldn’t let go so Uncle Pat stepped in to explain if you just turn the apple a couple of times, it will come right off the tree.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples with Uncle Pat

This only had to be explained once and then Jeremiah became an expert apple picker.

Love to Learn and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Picking Apples Collage

We finished our day up with a frozen apple cider slushie…

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Frozen Apple Cider Slushie

…and a special apple Bento meal. Bento meals come from Japan and are in divided boxes. They do some pretty creative things with food and I find them fun for kids. Jeremiah’s apple themed meal consisted of a peanut butter and apple butter sandwich, cut with an apple shaped cookie cutter. There were a couple of apple cars, made from apple slices and grapes, and some cooked carrots.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Apple Bento Meal

We spent a little time at the playground before we left.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Playing

Stuckey’s Farm is opening a new fun area called Adventure Acres. It consists of a 20′ tall tube slide, a barrel train pulled by a real tractor, pedals cars and more. We are going to have to go back and check that out, once it opens.

Learning Opportunities Jeremiah had at the Apple Orchard

1. That apples in the grocery store come from apple trees.

2. He got to see the big wooden crates the apples are stored in; just like we read about in the book.

3. He was able to watch a machine wash the apples then some workers sorted them and put them in bags.

4. He got the experience of receiving and following directions on how to get stubborn apples off the tree.

5. He was able to experience nature and enjoy climbing around and under the trees.

Future Learning Opportunities at the Apple Orchard

1. We can learn about bees because there is a beehive that you can safely observe from inside the orchard store.

Love to Laugh and Learn at the Apple Orchard – Bee Hive at Stuckey’s

2. We can learn about the life cycle of an apple tree; from seed to apple.

3. We can see how apple cider is made. They make their own apple cider. You can watch the machines make it and fill the bottles but they weren’t manufacturing any the day we were there.

4. We can take apples home and make applesauce and other recipes. Cooking has so many learning opportunities and it’s fun.

We had so much fun at the apple orchard. I can’t wait to go again. Have you been to an apple orchard? What did you like about your trip? Maybe you live in an area where you go to orange groves instead of apple orchards. I would love to hear about your experiences.

You can find more fun activities with apples on an earlier post called, “A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples”.

More Books about the Apple Orchard:

Out and About at the Apple Orchard by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a very good book that describes the activities that go on at an apple orchard. The book explains how the apples start as flowers and how the bees help the flowers change into fruit. Your child will learn about the many things the orchard workers need to do to help the apples grow. It is a fun little book. The pictures in this book are brightly drawn illustrations. Although, I prefer photo illustrations in books I am using for learning purposes, the drawings are quite adorable.

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A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples

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A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples





I thought I would start out sharing different concepts such as colors or shapes but the fall season has lead me in another direction. I have decided to take an object from the season; apples. I will show you several different learning concepts you can share with your child just by using the simple apple.

Learning Concepts: colors, senses, seasons, math, science, history, reading

Colors, Sorting & Matching (math skills):

Purchase several apples of different colors. Mix them together and place them in one big bowl or basket. Have your child sort and match the apples by their colors.

Colors, Craft/Art:
Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece
Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece

Supplies: red, yellow and green apple, red, yellow and green paint, white construction paper, plates to pour paint on

Cut the apples in half, from top to bottom. Pat cut surface dry with paper towel and let air dry, cut side up, for approximately 30 minutes. If the apple surface is too wet the paint won’t stick to them.

Get three small plates. Pour red paint on one, yellow paint on another and green paint on the last one. Have your child match the color of the apple skin to the paint.

Pick the apple up by the skin side and press the cut side into the paint. Pick up the apple and press it on the paper several times. You are using the apple like a rubber stamp. Repeat this process with each of the different colors. Now you have a beautiful fall collage of apples.

Apple Print by my 2 yr old Great-Niece
Apple Print by my 2 1/2 yr old Great-Niece

10-16-11 I did the above craft with my 2 year old, great-niece today. Although her hands were a little small when it came to trying to pick up half an apple, she really seemed to enjoy it. She made 5 pictures and then asked her mom to make one too.

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Senses:

Buy several apples that have varied tastes, sweet and sour. There is a good explanation of different apples and their flavors on about.com: Apple Varieties.

Cut them into pieces. Have your child taste them and decide if they like sweet or sour better. For older children, you can discuss the parts of the tongue that detect sweet and sour.

Which flavor does your child like the best? Share with your child which one you like best. If your child is younger or is one that really likes to please you, let them share which flavor they like best first because they may just choose whatever you say just to make you happy. Let them know that there is no wrong answer.

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Science:

Discuss the seasons of the apple tree. Talk about how the flowers of spring become the apples of fall. You can talk about bees and pollination.

Here are some good books that I found that talk about the growth and seasons of an apple tree (affiliate links below):

“The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” by Gail Gibbons
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This book has a fun way of introducing the seasons. Arnold does several things around his tree during the different season changes. For instance, he builds a tree house in the summer and a snow fort in the fall.

“Apples” by Gail Gibbons
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Also a great book with colorful illustrations. It is a little more technical than “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” but still quite enjoyable.

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This book has the same reading level as the previous ones but I would recommend it for the upper age limit suggested. This would be a great book for any child that likes to ask a lot of questions as to how things grow and where apples come from.

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History:

This is a good time of the year to learn about Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was Johnny Chapman. Read books about Johnny Appleseed and how he introduced apple trees to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. After learning about Johnny Appleseed, plan a trip to an apple orchard. Maybe your child will want to dress as Johnny Appleseed for Halloween. What could be easier than a big well worn shirt, pants and a pot for a hat?

Here is a cute book:

Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurtz
A Ready-To-Read, Level 1 book
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is not only a good book, for younger children to learn about Johnny Appleseed, but it is also a good early reader book.

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Other fun books about apples:

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Reading Level: Baby-Preschool
Not only is this a book about apples but it would also be good when talking about the color red, counting or farm animals. My two year old niece loved the book. After we were done reading it the first time she wanted to go back and count the apples again and talk about the farm animals.

  Picking Apples by Margaret McNamara  (A Ready-to-Read, Level 1 book)
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a really cute story about a field trip to an apple orchard. If your last name is Smith, you child will have a special surprise at the end of the book. I thought it was cute even though my last name isn’t Smith. This is a good early reader book.

Picking Apples by Gail Saunders-Smith
Reading Level: Ages 2-6 yrs old
Are you planning a trip to the apple orchard with your young child? This book is a great way to introduce your child to the apple orchard and picking apples. If you live in the city, your child may only know that apples come from the store. This book will give them some insight on how the apples get to the store. The text is simple and the illustrations are actual pictures of people working in the apple orchard. We read this to our 2 year old great-nephew before our first trip to the apple orchard with him.

Up, Up. Up! It’s Apple-Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a fun little book about a trip to Grandpa and Grandma’s to help pick and sell apples.

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