“Reverse” or “Naked” Egg Drop

Often the simplest things provide for the greatest learning experience.

Sometimes those lessons are problem solving, working together as a group, communication, dealing with failure or success, etc. Other times those lessons also include critical subject areas such as simple science and engineering.

For example, if I drop this egg from about 12 feet high, will it break? Well, that depends. Are you going to drop it into a box filled with packing peanuts and bubble wrap? Or, are you going to drop it into a plastic garbage can filled with styrofoam and covered with a thin layer of newspaper? These are just a couple of techniques used in a recent experiment we call a “Reverse” or “Naked” Egg Drop.

About a dozen WQLN staff members participated in a “Reverse” or “Naked” Egg Drop today. We had all sorts of creative contraptions and quite a few successful drops. Some of the contraptions will be on tomorrow’s Ready, Set, Learn segments as Quiggley drops eggs at Grover Cleveland Elementary. Tune in to WJET-TV24’s Good Morning Erie to see them!

Angelina Ballerina Dance Party

It’s every little girl’s dream to dance like a ballerina. And, dreams will come true at WQLN’s Angelina Ballerina Dance Party. Participants dress in their favorite party or recital attire and enjoy dancing, story telling, gifts, and most of all an Angelina Ballerina performance their sure to remember for a very long time.

On Sunday, May 16^th, you and your children can enjoy a performance by Paula and Judy’s Dance Connection. We’re only scheduling two parties and space is limited! So, reserve your seat today at www.wqln.org/events or call Kathy at (814)217-6001.

Angelina Ballerina Dance Party

Sunday, May 16^th at East Erie Turners Ballroom

Show Times:

10:00am-12:00pm

1:00pm-3:00pm

 

Ticket Prices:

$16 per child

$12 per adult

*WQLN members get $5 off adult tickets (limit 2 per membership)

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, now is a great time to plan something fun for moms and daughters to do together. Look at how much fun the girls had last year.

 

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday!

Well folks, it’s time to grab your hat and read with the cat.  NEA’s Read Across America Day is March 2nd and Ready Set Learn is jumping on the reading train!

Thousands of readers across the country participate each year in the nation’s largest reading celebration. Are you ready? If you are looking for project ideas to use with your children, be sure to watch Ready Set Learn during Good Morning Erie on Friday, March 26th or check the website.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve and will be sharing a handful of project ideas with our viewers. Your children will enjoy making their very own Cat-in-the-Hat hat, Dr. Seuss bookmark, Green Eggs and Ham placemat, home-made books, or Oobleck. And, the great part about these hands-on activities is that they are the perfect combination of fun and education.

If you happen to be from a school or community center that has planned a special event for Dr. Seuss’ Birthday, I would love to hear from you.

 

Q-Buddies Give Thanks And Blood!

After a wonderful weekend with family and friends, it is back to the office for another week of “work”. Fortunately, I am one of the lucky ones. I believe in what I do for WQLN, I genuinely enjoy spending time with my colleagues, and I am currently fulfilling a long-time aspiration to work for a PBS station. So as we continue to give thanks for the things in life that bring us joy, today I add to my list WQLN and my Q-buddies.

Where else can you find such an incredible group of people making great strides to improve, change, and save lives every day? And I am not only referring to the work done for WQLN, I am also referring to the volunteer adventures the WQLN staff members embark on occasionally.

For example, today a crew of Q-buddies traveled to the Community Blood Bank to donate blood during the lunch hour. As a community-minded organization we feel our community is stronger when we all work together and that makes it easy and very satisfying to give – time, resources, and even blood! So this week as you continue giving thanks for all of the blessings in your life, why not volunteer for or donate resources to a local organization that is striving to fulfill a mission you believe in? Now more than ever, our community will be stronger with your help!

A Game of Giving Thanks!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and this is usually everyone’s favorite holiday to gather with family, and of course, eat a delicious Thanksgiving meal.  But sometimes we forget what this holiday is really about. It’s about telling loved ones what you are thankful for in your life.  Here is a little game to play with your family, with a fun little twist to make it fun for the kids!

Here’s what you do. First, arrange the everyone playing in a circle. Pass around a “thankerchief” (handkerchief)  as everyone recites this rhyme:

Thankerchief, thankerchief, around you go —
Where you’ll stop, nobody knows.
But when you do, someone must say,
What they are thankful for this day.

The player holding the “thankerchief” when the rhyme ends must
say  one thing for which they are thankful. This continues until
everyone has had a turn.

It’s Turkey Time!

Families around the country are looking forward to a wonderful, longtime tradition. That’s right – it’s turkey time! While the turkey has become a popular icon for the upcoming holiday, it’s important to remember that next Thursday is about much more than feasting together. It is a time for giving thanks.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was always a fun time for me. My entire family would come together and, to this day, there is nothing I love more than time with my family. We always start the morning off, bright and early, cooking many, many courses for our meal. In fact, we cook so much food that it seems like we eat all day, every day for a week! Then, most of the day we sit together, talk, and watch football. And, if the weather is nice we head outside for a family game of basketball.

No matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, be sure to do it with the people who mean the most to you. After all, this day of thanks is about way more than eating turkey. It’s about spending time together.

If you have young children, please consider this hands-on activity. This Thanksgiving you and your children can make adorable, homemade turkey hats! This is a great activity for the entire family to do together. Instructions are located at www.wqln.org.  Be sure to have your child write something that he is thankful for on each feather.

I made a turkey hat this morning for Ready Set Learn and, I have to say, it’s pretty cute! I promise your children will have so much fun doing this, they may not even know they are learning!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pictures with Santa!

As a child, I found few things to be more exciting than Christmas. And, I can honestly say that this same level of enthusiasm for the holiday season still exists in my adult life.  I love cutting down our Christmas tree, collecting ornaments, decorating the house, singing carols, baking holiday treats for friends, sending cards, writing our annual letter to friends and family, seeing the hustle and bustle everywhere you look, gathering with family, shopping for gifts, watching children’s faces light up when they see Santa Claus, etc. I have a hunch that this joyful season will always be a highlight in my year.

Although, typically, the season is rather short for me because I tend to fall behind in getting into the spirit of the season. Well this year I am moving full speed ahead and have already kicked it into holiday gear!

So, for a change, I am actually ready for the annual Holiday Craft Show hosted by WQLN. It is happening this weekend – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – at Rainbow Gardens. There are going to be tons of crafters selling unique items, which of course make excellent holiday gifts. But, more excitingly for our kids, Santa Claus will be there for photos. Last year my hubby and I even posed for a picture as we pretended to be kids again!

Needless to say, many local children will enjoy photos with Santa this year as they get into the holiday spirit. Here’s wishing you the same holiday joy!

A Day at the Zoo with Miss Rosa

“Traci!” shouts a very enthusiastic 4-year old named Emma as she runs over to me at the Zoo on Saturday. She was there for an exciting day of exploring the zoo gardens, interacting with the animals and meeting PBS Kids Host, Miss Rosa. But first, she came running over to me to give me the greatest gift of all, a great big hug!

Emma’s mom, sister, and grandmother accompanied her on this wonderful journey through the Erie Zoo. And, as they stopped to visit with me for just a brief moment, Emma’s mom shared words with me that will forever inspire me as I continue down the amazing career path I am traveling.

As I soaked in all of Emma’s enthusiasm, her mom told me that they watch Ready Set Learn every Friday on Good Morning Erie and Emma recently shared a very special aspiration with her mom. “I want to be a teacher just like Traci,” she said. Now those are words that certainly can melt your heart. And with that, the day was off to an amazing start!

Though I would have been perfectly content spending the remainder of my day with Emma and her family, it was time to corral the hundreds of kids at the zoo into the Adventure Center for Story Time with Miss Rosa. This day just keeps getting better! Beaming smiles and loads of excitement filled the Adventure Center as the children anxiously awaited Miss Rosa’s arrival. As she made her way through the crowd and onto the stage, children and parents alike celebrated Miss Rosa’s arrival.

A talented story teller, Miss Rosa wowed her new friends with great children’s books like Way Far Away on a Wild Safari by Jan Peck and “Moving and Grooving” sessions that got the kids up on their feet for a quick dance break! A great time was had by all, the kids enjoyed learning with Miss Rosa, and the event was a huge success. So you see, like I always say… Learning doesn’t have to take place just in the classroom. It can happen right in your very own home or at the Erie Zoo! So, get ready, get set, and learn!

*View pictures by visiting Flickr.