Creative Contraptions

The girls have great teachers at school this year who come up with some really creative ideas for the kids to utilize the things they're learning in fun ways. Adah's class got imaginative with their Valentine holders this year. As part of a design technology unit, they learned about simple machines such as levers, pulleys, wedges, screws, wheels, and axles. It took them several class periods to design their machines and then build them from materials collected from home. On Valentine's Day they were able to deliver their Valentine's into each other's machines.

Maggie's kindergarten teacher made leprechaun traps a family homework assignment. Maggie and I crafted a devious little snare from an oatmeal canister, construction paper, cotton balls, yogurt container, black duct tape, gold spray paint, rocks, sticks, hot glue, and a bit of glitter. Mr. Leprechaun would climb up the stick ladder to get to the top of the rainbow. (See the clouds under our rainbow?)

The pot of gold was resting midway down the rainbow slide. When the unsuspecting leprechaun slid down to grab the gold, he'd fall into the hat! As Maggie put it, "From the bottom he would think that the hat actually had a top, so he wouldn't know he'd fall in until it was too late."

Maggie took her trap to school, and while the kids were out of the classroom, a leprechaun visited, leaving behind lots of gold glitter and butterscotch candies. None of the traps managed to catch the wily little guy, though.