WSFA Field Trip
We had a great time at WSFA on our field trip, April 13, 2012. The kids received some tips on how they forecast the weather and they let them take turns getting in front of the green screen and camera and click through all the screens!
Natural Egg Dyes
We learned all about dyeing eggs with natural food dyes and took some dye home to use. Everyone guessed that the green dye came from spinach and the yellow from turmeric, but getting a blue dye from red cabbage was a surprise for most. 
Paper Making
We talked a bit about the history and process of paper-making, then rolled up our sleeves and make some of our own. It was wet and messy and the resulting paper wasn’t that impressive, but it was fun to see how paper starts and how much work is involved in making it.
GPS Adventures
This month, we learned all about the Global Positioning System. After discussing its history and how it works, we took a few minutes to learn how to set and find waypoints with our handheld GPS devices. Then it was time to team up and head in opposite directions for a game of GPS-assisted hide and seek: each team hid a flag, marked the coordinates, and set off to find the other team’s flag. The beautiful weather made for a perfect day to explore the park.
Amazing Snowflakes
Since we weren’t likely to get any actual snow in December, we made our own blizzard from paper! We learned to fold and cut paper to make six-sided snowflakes, talked about how snowflakes form, and looked at some photos of real snow crystals take by Vermont farmer William Bentley in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Art of Drawing and Doodling
During the Art of Drawing and Doodling fall workshop the kids were introduced to shading and perspective, creative doodling, and drawing from life and instruction books. We also had fun exploring the art of the stickman!
Exploring Cotton
Cotton is an amazing plant! We took a virtual field trip through a cotton field with photos and talked about the plant’s life cycle and all the many uses of its fibers. We also enjoyed playing with cotton balls. 
DreamFields Farm Pumpkin Patch Trip
So, let’s see. Inflatables, a corn maze, pig races, baby goats to pet, and a rootin’-tootin’ cow barrel ride….what’s not to love at DreamFields Farm? The PEAK kids and parents alike had a fabulous day out and to top it off we enjoyed a hayride out to the pumpkin patch where each child chose their very own pumpkin. Good times!!
The Art of Public Speaking
In the “Art of Public Speaking” fall workshop we utilized a unique approach to the fundamentals of verbal communication. Among other things, the children learned to “take the stage, take the audience and speak with confidence” through simple and engaging techniques designed to improve their natural speaking abilities. We concluded the four-week series with a presentation for parents and friends.
Airplane Fun
We had a great time exploring the history of flight, discussing what makes an airplane fly, and making and experimenting with our own paper airplanes.
