Fast and Easy Extension Activities for Travels with My Family by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel
Another in my series where I attempt to go chapter-by-chapter, adding hands-on crafts, activities, and projects to each book from Sonlight’s HBL K program.
Heading Out On the Road
At the time I am writing this blog post, we are one year into the coronavirus epidemic, so vacation areas are limited (I know I really want to visit some more pyramids in Mexico, but they are all closed to tourists), and many families don’t feel safe traveling yet. However, your child can take a vacation from home! Here is a website with 50 virtual tours you can take with your child, exploring live cameras at zoos to the Great Wall of China. There’s even a view from Mars.
Chapter One: Hurricane Bob
How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names? (also covers how they form)
Eat blueberries and watermelon (and sea urchin)
Video showing three hurricane experiments and two tornado experiments (don’t worry if you don’t have the rheoscopic fluid, he gives you an inexpensive alternative a little later in the video). For very sensitive children, you might wish to skip the first 30 seconds.
How to Prepare for a Hurricane for Kids (very sensitive children might wish to skip ahead to 1:30 and stop around 3:20)
Chapter Two: My Brother Nearly Drowns Off Tybee Island
A fun video of dolphins “singing” (and dancing) along to a clarinet player
Sandcastle competition entries
Facts and pictures of sand dollars
Assorted beach-themed science experiments and experiment videos
Chapter Three: Alligators Nearly Devour Us in the Swamps of Florida
Video about the Okefenokee Swamp (with lots of nature)
List of Alligator-themed crafts
Have some barbecue
Chapter Four: We Are Nearly Trampled and Eaten by a Herd of Farm Animals on Salt Spring Island
Things Circus Horses Do (Note: circus performers are not always best known for modest attire)
Chapter Five: Our Parents Nearly Abandon Us on a Beach in California Where My Brother is Nearly Swept Out to Sea by a Sneaker Wave
This short video shows some of the damage to railroad tracks caused, not in California, but in New Zealand, with a similar effect.
A Kelp Forest Video (seaweed)
Beach-themed crafts for kids
A video showing how fast a sneaker wave can come on and cover a whole beach and then disappear
Chapter Six: Tumbling Tumbleweeds Nearly Crush Us in an Arizona Sandstorm
Come a Little Bit Closer (song sung by father at beginning of chapter, might wish to preview for lyrics)
Take a car trip (even just a short one) with carrots and celery and water for snacks. Or, have the same snack at home.
Look at Canyon de Chelly
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
Desert Crafts (and an experiment)
Chapter Seven: We Are Nearly Shot on New Year’s Eve in the Town of Tehuantepec, Mexico
Easy Mole (Mow-lay) sauce recipe. My mother-in-law’s recipe has over 40 ingredients and no measurements. This is the sauce mentioned on the first page of the chapter.
Chapter Eight: We Nearly Get Caught in the Latest Mexican Revolution
Learning Tzotzil (it helps if you know some Spanish)
Assorted Friendship (cloth) bracelet styles to make
Chapter Nine: Slaughter Canyon Nearly Lives Up to its Name
The End — For Now
Information and videos on the island of Krk.
Recipe for Blitva.
After the Book:
This book is part 1 of a series of 5.
