Before we moved to Alaska, we had never celebrated the solstices before. I only knew when the winter solstice was because it is the same day as my brother and sister’s. However, in Alaska the summer and winter solstice is a big deal. There are multiple celebrations. We particularly enjoy the Solstice Tree Tour in Kincaid Park and the Ice Lantern Walk at the Eagle River Nature Center. This year we hope to attend Anchorage’s solstice festival for the first time.
From The States
Adventures in Travel and Education
This time next Fall we will be a few months into our true home school journey. For the time being we are trying to find what works for us and when good times for lessons are. I love to incorporate learning into the time we already spend outside. The last few weeks we explored a “Fall” theme. At this age, exploring the world around us is a great way for Jasper to learn! In addition Jasper is very interested in writing, so I have found ways to incorporate writing into our learning.
Acoustic Dispersion isn’t a term I was familiar with until earlier this week. There was a video that I believe went viral a few years back (video below). It was of a man throwing a rock at a frozen lake and the lake making this amazing noise (something similar to the pew pew noise of Star Wars blasters). Well, this lake happens to be in Alaska and is only a short distance from where we live!
During Alaskan fall and spring we have the unfortunate reality that children need to wear gloves to stay warm outside. However, we then encounter the problem that most gloves quickly become soaked in our endless puddles or soggy snow. Jan and Jul Waterproof Mittens solve this issue!
Well, we jumped on the slim bandwagon! Honestly, I had avoided making slime because it was my understanding that some of the ingredients weren’t completely safe. Did you know you don’t have to use borax to make awesome slim? Well apparently my husband did! Jasper and his dad started making slime together earlier this year and Jasper loves it!
This summer was HOT for Alaska. In fact Anchorage broke its all time record high this summer! We did the more swimming we have ever done and we were lucky to find a couple new places to keep cool in the water. Man Made Beach was one of them!
Jack-O-Lanterns come and go so fast that I almost don’t think they are worth the trouble (though the kids do love it). However, I do love to pick all the pumpkin seeds out and roast them up! It’s a super simple thing to do and my son often helps me pick all the seeds out of the pumpkin guts (for a few minutes at least).
First you simply pick out all the pumpkin seeds and wash them off. You want to do your best to get all the slime and bits of pumpkin out of the mix. The less pumpkin guts left mixed in, the crispier your seeds will end up!
We have been using Oaki rain suits for a few years now. They are pretty much the unofficial uniform for small children in Alaska during the spring, summer and fall. However, much of the year Alaska is covered in a good deal of snow. So when I heard that Oaki had begun offering snowsuits in addition to their rain suits I was excited to have Jasper try one out!
