Art Lesson #5: Longaberger Basket Factory & 6 Other Art Tours

Longaberger, once hand crafted in the United States and provided tours in Frazeysburgh, OH. Beauty and pride in craftsmanship and service, Longaberger now closed, so I've listed other factory tour opportunities below.  As we toured the office, we learned about the leadership team insisting the building be shaped like a basket, even when architects said it wasn't possible.  It was possible.  

The museum and tour was a great learning experience for my four year old.  The employees allowed my son to help make a basket.  They even allowed my son to sign his name on the basket bottom, a basket that will be sold to some lucky family.  The employee was so enthusiastic about my son's basketweaving skills that my son decided that besides being the President someday, he'd like to be a Longaberger Weaver.  How will you inspire a kid today in a way that may change their future?

Here's 6 other artisan factory tour opportunities:

1.  Terra Studios:  Durham, AR, home of the "Original Bluebird of Happiness" glass art and a non-profit organization supporting art,  you can watch art demos including glassblowers for free (12-4PM) and relax at their cafe on Sunday (1-4PM) to hear local musicians
https://terrastudios.com/gallery-cafe/

2.  Shidoni Foundry:  Santa Fe, New Mexico (NM), sculpture, bronze art foundry, self guided foundry tours (Mon.-Fri., noon-1PM, $3) and walk the 8 acres of sculpture gardens, especially cool (or hot) would be watching molten bronze poured into ceramic shell on Saturday Pour Days (Sat. noon, $5), Shidoni is a greeting to a friend in Navajo
 http://www.shidoni.com/html/home.asp

3.  Michael Ricker Pewter Designs:  Loveland, Colorado (CO), pewter sculptures, museum and showroom (Mon.-Fri. 8AM-5:30PM, Sat. 10-2PM)
http://www.ricker.com/index.cfm?category=1

4.  Cornwall Bridge Pottery:  Cornwall Bridge, CT, 35 foot long woodfired tube kiln and you can visit the workshop, watching the process, call ahead
 http://www.cbpots.com/category/_the_workshop/

If your these sites are too far away, share a video with your child for a virtual tour.

5. Salisbury Pewter (Easton, Maryland) Discovery Channel's Factory Made video on how a pewter coffee pot is made, check out the website  http://salisburyinc.net/salisbury-fine-metal-artisans/

6. D. Pickering & Company (Bucyrus, Ohio), explains company history and Copper Kettle process, check out the website with video http://dpicking.net/virtual-tour

Agriculture Lesson #3: 5 Cool Pumpkin Sites to Visit

Pumpkins, just the thought of these orange colored gourd-like squash takes you back to childhood.  Create a fall tradition with your child to pick pumpkins in the field and learn about agriculture at the same time. 

You can inspire their love for reading by reading about pumpkins.  One year I read the story Backyard Giants by Susan Warren outloud to my kids, a couple chapters at a time, following the adventures of Ron and Dick Wallace.  It not only teaches about giant pumpkins, but also lessons about the importance of setting a goal and values of determination and sharing knowledge with others.  It was published in 2007.  When we heard Ron & Dick broke the world record growing a 2,009 pound giant pumpkin in 2012, we cheered for them. 

Our family enjoys the tradition of visiting a pumpkin patch and then carving a pumpkin to use as a Halloween decoration. Get ready for messy fun. Getting out the seed is just part of the reward. You can roast them in the oven as a treat. These seed are good for kids, theyhave protein, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Kids just love the bite sized crunch.

I took this photo at Barn N Bunk farm in Trenton, OH.  We've found many of such large farms offer fun family entertainment.  We've enjoyed hay rides and corn mazes.  I've learned that the Midwest is central to pumpkins with 95% of pumpkins intended for processing grown in Illinois.  Here's 4 key places to discover pumpkins with your family:

1.  Art and Pumpkin Festival, Half Moon Bay, CA - 42 year tradition, world champion pumpkin weigh off, parade, pumpkin sculptures, crafts, so many events, there's an app for it http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/about_show.html

2.  Vala's Pumpkin Patch, Gretna, Nebraska (NE) - $13.29 per person admission, even sells seasons passes which makes sense when you see their entertainment schedule- stunt dog show, 4-H day, dance show, Scarecrow band, monster dash run, pig races, and s'mores at the fire http://www.valaspumpkinpatch.com/

3. Papa's Pumpkin Patch, Bismark, North Dakota (ND) attracts 50,000 visitors per year, enjoying bale mazes and a crib sandbox or buying pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie, mid Sept. to late Oct.
https://papaspumpkinpatch.wordpress.com/

4. Morton Pumpkin Festival, Morton, Illinois (IL) home of Libby's canned pumpkin where 80% of the world's pumpkin is processed, pumpkin idol, recipe challenge, tennis tournament http://www.mortonpumpkinfestival.org/

5.  Cox Farms, Centreville, Virginia (VA) - 40 year tradition, watch for their Nov. Pumpkin Madness event where you can recycle your used pumpkin for some smashing fun http://www.coxfarms.com/fallfestival.aspx

Nature: Loving Strong Trees at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve

Parson Jones Tree

Show your kids the strength of trees and nature by taking them to a redwood forest located in Northern California to Southern Oregon.  Redwoods extend their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk to create strength to withstand powerful winds and floods.  Redwood forests thrive in temperate rainforests, the dense dripping fog environment with moist, well drained soil.  So strong in nature, but weak to humans who logged approximately 95% of the California local redwood forests since the California Gold Rush.  Fortunately parks protect these majestic trees now.

Redwoods exist in other countries, but none like the coast redwood known as the tallest trees in the world.  The dawn redwood grows only in a remote area of central China, but it grows to only about one-third the height of Coast Redwood.  Coast Redwood typically grow 200-250 feet and live 500 to 1,000 years. 

If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve just north of Guerneville, CA, you will find examples of older and taller redwoods.  The Parson Jones tree measures as the tallest tree in the grove at 310 feet in height, longer than the length of a football field.  Colonel Armstrong stakes claim to the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1,400 years old.  Colonel Armstrong tree was named after a lumberman who chose to preserve this portion of the park.

According to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the United Nations designated Redwood National and State Parks a World Heritage Site in 1980.  From postcards sent to me from around the world thanks to postcrossing.com, people are proud to send UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) site postcards.  Intrigued, I looked up the UNESCO sites.  You can find 1,092 results worldwide, but only 23 sites in the United States.  UNESCO doesn't list all national parks, just select parks like the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks and lesser known places like Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point in Louisiana.  You may note that Armstrong Redwoods classifies as a reserve.  It changed from a State Park to reserve to recognize it's ecological significance and gain increased protection.

Coast Redwoods are also known as Sequio Sempervirens; sempervirens means "always green".  A non-profit called Sempervirens Fund cares for redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This organization created the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a 31 mile trail.  You can show your support by visiting their website and purchasing a trail patch.

 If you visit the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, bring your hiking shoes and water and no worries.  The Colonel Armstrong Loop covers 1.3 miles and as a flat trail, you'll find it easy to cover... even your little girl wearing a dress.  Besides the impressive trees, you'll find peace in the fern covered ground and look above at the beautiful sky.  Go early in the day to avoid the crowds.

TripSavvy recommends other forests in CA including 1) Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 2) Redwood National Park, 3) Muir Woods National Park, 4) Yosemite National Park, 5) Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 6) Petrified Redwood Forests, and 7) Sequoia National Park.  I hiked Muir Woods with college friends and Yosemite National Park with cousins.  I'd recommend these parks too.

Enjoy the journey & other lessons learned

Here's a life story about life being a journey and enjoying every step of the way, seeing the possibility, and learning every day.

When I tell people, Iowa, that's where I was born

They tease me about endless flat land and corn

That's where I grew values and how to work hard

Pride in farmers and Americans, things you can't learn from a card

Relatives warned don't go north to Appleton where it's cold

Women wear flannels and hunt deer, young and old

I learned to follow my own dreams with the precision of a bow

Have courage and strength and cheer on my teams, go, go, go!

Elders shook their head about moving to the capitol, Mad Town

Be careful they exclaimed, you could become a politician or clown

That's where I led communities and debate ideas with zeal

The government, the university, all part of the appeal

Friends rolled their eyes, friends don't let friends go to Fort Wyane

Not enough parties or people, you'll have to escape by plane

I only needed to find one person, the love of my life

I loved responsibility, a career, and throwing parties as a wife

Those settled questioned, why Bloomington, a town so small?

Why risk your paycheck and take a chance that you'll fall?

Big ideas from Asia, Africa, Europe, and many states

We triumphed in case studies, internships, a big success at any rate

Classmates pointed out Cincinnati isn't close to a beach
So serious, so focused on industry, life won't be a peach

I learned to turn around businesses in need

With little ones we grew fruit trees, gardens, and good deeds

Collegues warned don't leave for Evansville, a smaller river port

Watch out for cowboys and the religious sort

That's where I feel most comfortable to kick up my boots

And sing praises so loud, a place where kids can grow roots

Neighbors ask why buy property in the mountains, so close to the sky

You could get attacked by a bear, you can't even fly

That's where I appreciate nature so majestic and free

I embrace the danger, the adventure, and all that I can be

Strangers warned don't move to a bankrupt, high tax state
The traffic, the crime, you know it leads to hate
Chicago has energy, diversity, and new food to taste
So many museums and parks, there's not a moment to waste

Shoot for the stars and don't let anyone hold you back.  Experience new places and cultures, you'll never stop learning.  And whenever you hear negative stereotypes, search for the positive instead.

Art Lesson #5: 7 Art Festivals to a Creative Mind

You can even provide edutainment at a birthday party.  To inspire and encourage creativity, consider a paint your own pottery party.  Each kid chooses a piece and paints their project.  The pottery studio in Evansville, IN allowed us to bring in food and cake, so the entire celebration happened in one location.  The boys and girls had fun and everyone gained a unique art piece as a party favor.

Paint your own studios seem to pop up in every town.  If you don't have a local studio, Michaels art chain store offers party rooms and you could buy pottery kits as the project.

The price can add up fast with a per person fee if you have a large group.  For a cheaper alternative, find a local art festival as another way to provide your kid a pottery experience. 

Here's seven art festivals:

1.  Fine Arts Festival - Ridgeland, Mississippi; April - Renaissance at Colony Park includes a Childrens Creative Crafts Corner; lessons about art history and culture while kids make clay pottery, mosaics, or fiber art
http://www.ridgelandartsfest.com/


2.  Wheeling Arts Fest - Wheeling, WV, June - clay learn and take project, learn slab, pinch, and coil techniques.  Other classes include fiber arts and acrylic painting.
http://wheelingartsfest.com/

3.  Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival - Palo Alto, CA; July - large two day festival with over 150 artists
http://www.acga.net/cgi-bin/DJcalendar.cgi?TEMPLATE=shows-detail.html&EVENTNO=00084

4.  CLAY festival - Silver City, NM; July - childrens tile class at Silver City Museum only $5, free Clay Play Exploring Our Wilderness Heritage class for grade 3 to 6 - register early, limit 15 kids/workshop at the Gila Valley or Silver City library; free tour of the Syzygy Tile Factory
http://www.clayfestival.com/

5.  Minnesota Pottery Festival - Hutchinson, MN - kids tent at The Clay Coyote Studio; raku, throwing, and handbuiling demos
http://www.mnpotteryfestival.com/

6.  Clayfolk - Medford, Oregon - indoor event at the Medford Armory, mostly a show and sale, but also offers a Kids Clay Area where kids can create their own clay art
http://www.clayfolk.org/

7.  San Antonio Potters Guild Clay Festival - San Antonio, TX; Dec. - $5 includes museum entrance, kids under 12 free, 30 potters and gallery tours

Science Lesson #1: Ohio Caverns & 9 Others to Tour

Once upon a time my mother taught science and math, so we learned science no matter where we walked, above the ground or below the ground.  I have vivid memories of touring Mammoth Cave as a child.  Now I take my kids on cave tours.

You can try memory tricks to learn scientific terms.  For example, stalagmites and stalactites are both speleothems or deposits of mineral.  One trick to remember stalactites as above and stalagmites as below is to tell yourself "stalactites need to hold on tight".  Another trick is think of the letters in the words - stalagmite's G for ground, stalactite's C for ceiling.

Ohio Caverns

However, you can bring such a lesson alive by taking your children on a cave tour.

For my daughter's birthday, we took both our kids and their cousins to Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, OH.  It's the largest cave in Ohio and has many formations including one shaped like a water pump.  The formations exist in all directions, in front and above you, so we kept physically close to the kids, watching their head and hands.

Lesson Idea

Read about cave biology before you go on a trip beneath the ground.  According to traveladvisortips website, Ohio Caverns made the list "Top 10 Most Amazing Caves & Caverns in USA".  Here's the other 9 caves listed you could visit with your kids:
1.  Meramec Caverns - near St. Louis, MO
2.  Kartchner Caverns - AZ (by guide only)
3.  Luray Caverns - Shenandoah Valley, VA
4.  Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico
5.  Blanchard Springs Caverns - Arkansas
6.  Mammoth Cave - Kentucky (KY)
7.  Lost Seas Caverns - Tennessee (TN)
8.  Shenandoah Caverns - Virginia
9.  Natural Bridge Caverns - TX

I've also been to Natural Bridge Caverns and Mammoth Cave and I would recommend these sites for families with kids.  If you have been to any of the other caves, please leave a comment and let us know whether you would recommend the tour for kids.

Ohio Caverns Fun Fact

Family owned, passed down from one generation to the next
Learn more at http://www.ohiocaverns.com/ or visit the cave in West Liberty, Ohio, just 2 hours North of Cincinnati

Ohio Caverns Tips

You will feel like you are driving out in no where and perhaps no one else is visiting, is it even open? Very cute entrance sign "yes, we are open". Apparently the owners can hear us thinking.  Bring a picnic basket, there's a picnic shelter on site. 

Animal Lesson #7: Conservationist Jane Goodall and Chimpanzees

As a child, I read stories and watched movies about Jane Goodall and I admired her for her success in conservation efforts.  As an adult, you can inspire children to take action and help the environment. 

As an adult, I had the pleasure of becoming more connected to Jane Goodall.  I heard her speak at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wow! What an inspiration to see her live. Jane presented slides from her chimpanzee research in Tanzania. To hear her tell the stories, to hear the passion in her voice about the next generation. She encouraged the audience to get involved in Roots & Shoots, a global youth organization that gets youth involved in service learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment, and the human community.

After I saw Jane in person, I visited a museum with a special exhibit all about her life. Very nicely done, but nothing beats hearing stories live from a leader.

You can get your child involved in conservation through Jane's Roots & Shoots organization.  Search for an existing group or event or create a new one.  Example events include 1) "Anything with A Plug Recycling Event" Carmel, IN, collected 30 tons to recycle, 2) Run for Wild Bronz Zoo, NY, 3) Animal Shelter drives
http://rootsandshoots.org/

I realized I was also indirectly connected to Jane through working with my past company providing funds to the Angel Fund, a cheetah conservation effort with the help of dogs.  I had the chance to meet Thane Maynard (Cincinnati Zoo Director) who co-authored the book Hope for Animals and Their World with Jane.  After meeting Thane and the Angel Fund initiater Cathryn Hiker, I took my kids to witness the cheetah's run at the zoo.  When I took my kids to see Jack Hanna's live animal show, Jack mentioned his admiration for Jane.  We are all so connected and so are the plants and animals in our world.  How are you connected to conservation leaders and efforts?  How do you pass that passion down to your children?  Please share your ideas.

Agriculture Lesson #2: 7 Blueberry Events

Blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie...mmm, kids love blueberries.  Kids are curious about fruit.  Do they grow on trees or bushes?  Help your kids learn about how blueberries are grown by taking them to a pick your own farm or a blueberry festival. 

Break out the US map.  The blueberry gets recognized as the official fruit of Maine.  Maine produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries and requires about 50,000 beehives for pollination.  Michigan leads in highbush berry production, accounting for 32% of the small berries.

For your best pick-your-own experience, begin early while energy is high and before the hot sun beats down.  Bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, and coolers to bring home the treasured fresh berries.  We always pick extra.  My employees showed appreciation when I brought them berries to the office.

We've also celebrated the blueberry harvest at the Marshall Blueberry Festival.  It's been named a "Top 100 Event" in North America by the American Bus Association in 1997, 1999, and 2007.  Many of the blueberry festivals include kid pleasing foods like blueberry pancakes.  If you feel like burning the calories, many of these festivals also have a variety of sports events.  The Marshall Blueberry Festival includes a 5K run, arm wrestling, volleyball, and softball.

Here's 7 festivals in the United States:

1.  Marshall Blueberry Festival, Plymouth, IN, Aug. 30- Sept. 2 2013; 45+ year old festival with parade, auto show, music, and 300+ craft vendors  http://www.blueberryfestival.org/pg/history.html

2.  Paradise Annual Wild Blueberry Festival, Paradise, Michigan (MI), Aug. 16-18 2013, bring your blue clothes, a bucket, and enjoy http://www.paradisemichigan.org/bb/blueberryfest.html

3.  Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, Machias, Maine, 1.5 hours from Bar Harbor, 38th annual festival, Aug. 16-18 2013, a church project with music, parade, contest, free admission  http://www.machiasblueberry.com/

4.  Texas Blueberry Festival, Nacogdoches, Texas (TX), 23rd annual, June 8 2013, free admission, blueberry picking at Blueberry Place, motorcycle show, car show, competitions, 100+ vendors  http://www.texasblueberryfestival.com/

5.  Blueberry Jubilee, Poplarville, Mississippi (MS), cooking contest, pageant, auto show, dog show, 5K run...go to the site just to show your kids the animated berry (-:  http://blueberryjubilee.org/

4.  Reed Valley Orchard Blueberry Jubilee and Pancake Day, Paris, Kentucky (KY); Sat. June 29, 2013 horse drawn wagon, fruit pies, slushies  http://www.reedvalleyorchard.com/Jubilee.htm

5.  Wellborn Blueberry Festival, Wellborn, FL, June 7-8 2013, free admission, blueberry pancake breakfast $5, parade, talent contest, 5K run  http://www.wellborncommunityassociation.com/Pages/BlueberryFestival.aspx

Gym Class #3: Robbie Knievel & 4 AMA Motorcycle Events

Robbie Knievel, Photo by Krenda

 

Robbie's truck says "leaving a legend" with a photo of his father Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel and his photo.

At Kings Island amusement park in Ohio, we watched Robbie Knievel break the record, jumping more semis, breaking his own father's record that was set at the same exact place many years ago.

The kids loved the excitement and it gave us a great opportunity to discuss the importance of setting goals, achieving them, and setting even higher goals...a cycle of success. Sports can give you an opportunity to discuss risk taking and challenging yourself.

If you are looking to inspire your child with sports with speed, you may want to check out the AMA flat track motorcycle events.  Locations vary each year, but here's four classic locations:

1) Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH, pea-gravel half mile track adds a challenge, late June
2) Peoria Race Park, Peoria, IL, a historic site with a high flying jump sending riders 140 ft. plus into the air, August
3) Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN, AMA notes a high energy audience, July
4) Springfield Mile, Springfield Illinois (IL), known as the crown jewel of the AMA Pro Flat Track, it's a tradition both Memorial and Labor Day weekends

Here's the website with event dates and costs:  http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/
*Disclaimer:  A friend of mine owns a motorcycle team.