Education

My Daughter’s First Day of School

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read551 views

Summer holidays are over and it’s back to school for my kids. My son is heading off to third grade and my daughter to Kindergarten. They are both excited and I am relieved knowing that my daughter feels less anxious having her brother by her side. It is the beginning of a new adventure for my daughter.

Minnie Mouse Backpack.
Minnie Mouse Backpack.

And for raining days …

Minnie Mouse Pink Polka Dots Bow Umbrella.
Minnie Mouse Pink Polka Dots Bow Umbrella.

I helped my daughter find her seat, exchanged a few words with her teacher and reassured my child I would return in a couple of hours to pick her up. To ease the separation anxiety between the kids and their parents, the teacher had activities ready for the kids and other fun stuff.

I put the following in her backpack:

  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Kleenex Pocket Pack Tissues
  • Cold and Cough Drops
  • A Bottle of Water
  • “We Love You” Message
  • Notepad and Pencil
  • Healthy and Nutritious Snacks
  • Our Address & Phone Number
  • Sunglasses (100% UV)

She had a good day.
Just like her brother, I know she will do well.

DIY: Desert Diorama

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read5.3K views

For their first month of school, the second graders project is taking the students to the Ocean or Desert. They were asked to create a scene using a Poster, a Diorama or creating a PowerPoint presentation about their subject.

My Son choose to make a diorama showcasing a few Desert Animals in their habitat.

Desert Animal Diorama.
Desert Animal Diorama.

Materials/Tools Needed

  • School Glue
  • Hand drawn scenes
  • Scissors
  • Synthetic Desert Plants
  • Stones
  • Craft Moss
  • Sand
  • Box (we used a Swiffer Sweeper Wet Refills Box)
  • Desert Toy Animals (or cutouts from drawings or Magazine)
  • Markers
  • Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Step by Steps:

  • Decide on the scenery you want for your background, draw directly on your box or on a paper and then glue onto the box.
  • Figure out the placement of the Animals and Plants.
  • Generously apply school glue at the base of your box. Randomly place your stones and then sprinkle some sand and let it dry.
  • Apply some glue around the stones for the Moss.
  • Let it all air dry for a day and enjoy.
Desert Animal Diorama.
Desert Animal Diorama.

Our Scenery consists of a Desert Scorpion, Road Runner, Horned Lizard, Coyote, Rattle Snake and a Ground Squirrel which are all Desert animals and which are local to our surroundings. We got to learn what these animals eat, their favorite habitat preferences and the way they affect their ecosystem by their existence.

Our second grader had so much fun researching each animal and picking the facts he believed to be important for others to know about each animal. We hope you and your little ones will have as much fun as we did building this project.

Have fun and enjoy!

Aquarium of the Pacific Visit

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read1.5K views

This Afternoon we visited the largest Aquarium in Southern California, the Aquarium of the Pacific. It is a public aquarium on a 5-acre site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California which displays over 11,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits that represent the diversity of the Pacific Ocean.

The visit was a pre-birthday gift for my Son who turns seven tomorrow. The expressions on their faces upon arrival at the sight was priceless. Surprisingly they were patient and well behaved, which made our first visit at the Aquarium pleasant.

Family Cartoon Of Us.
Family Cartoon Of Us.

The kids learned so much about Aquatic Life and they were thrilled as we made our way through the different exhibits. It was a wonderful way to experience the Aquarium and see some of its amazing Marine Creatures. At the end of the day, we had a very talented gentle man draw a Family cartoon of us.

I hope you enjoy the slideshow below.


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DIY: Ocean Diorama

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read2.9K views

For their last month of school, the first graders project is taking the students to the Ocean waters. The kids were asked to allow their imagination go wild and create their own Ocean scene in a box.

Ocean Diorama Project.
Ocean Diorama Project.

Materials/Tools Needed

  • Cardboard
  • Hand drawn scenes
  • Blue Construction Papers
  • Scissors
  • Synthetic Plants
  • Stones
  • Fish cutout (from drawings or Magazine)
  • Card stock
  • Markers
  • Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
  • Fishing Wire

Step by Steps:

  • Decide on the shape of box you want.
  • For background, draw a scene on a blue construction paper, cut it out then glue inside box.
  • Draw Sea creatures on paper, cardboard or simply cut out shapes out of magazines.
  • Use fishing wire to make free-floating fish by taping them to the top of the box and the body of the fish.
  • Hot glue the stones and synthetic plants on the floor of the diorama.

It was another fun project which my Son completed with the assistance of his Father and Sister.

DIY: RecycleBot

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read2.7K views

This Month at my Son’s Elementary School, they are learning about recycling and taking care of the Planet. The kids were asked to make a RecycleBot out of any materials such as cans, boxes, bottles (glass and/or plastic), bottle caps, cardboard, electronics, metal, paper, eggs cartons, etc.

After looking around the house, he found a few recyclable materials that would work for his school project.

RecycleBot (Front).
RecycleBot (Front).
RecycleBot (Side).
RecycleBot (Side).

My Son found a small LED light that changes color at Kohl’s and has a wire attached to it with a switch at the end, to turn it on momentarily (pictured below).

RecycleBot (Back).
RecycleBot (Back).
RecycleBot (Front).
RecycleBot (Front).

Materials/Tools Needed:

  • Yogurt Cups
  • Ice cream Cups
  • Cardboard Pieces
  • Fishing Wire
  • Sports Drink Container
  • Spray Paint Cover

It was such a fun project which my Son completed with the assistance of his Father.