Learning Aviation History the Fun Way

This weekend was a tremendous learning experience for the whole family at our local area Air Exposition.  We had previously learned of the remarkably story of the Wright Brothers.  In an age where computers didn't exist, nor public libraries, no internet, yet these young men persevered and never stopped furthering the vision of flight.  How did they arrived at the flying model?  Observing God's creation, bird's feathers.



This exploration took us this Saturday to ride a Hot Air balloon.



Danielle took a helicopter and an airplane ride.  Destiny and Danielle went on an airplane cockpit simulator where they got to sit and move the controls.  Noah explored a helicopter, made a little wood airplane craft and enjoyed sitting in an old airplane cockpit.  We have an air museum close to our town and they have an Air Show every year.  The Northern California Beach Boys fly their airplanes in some common difficult formations and the pilots donate their planes and time to inspire the young into aviation.We sure walked away with lots of learning, history and unforgettable fun.

Learn about Aviation history and mechanics:

The Wright Brothers

How airplanes work

How Hot Air Balloons work

How Helicopters work

Fun cardboard airplane for your little ones.Why learn how to fly?  Danielle was so excited that she got to go on a helicopter and an airplane.  Now,  they are motivated to learn how to fly.  I explained to them how valuable it is to know.

1.  You can fly in case of an emergency

2.  You can fly to places where going on foot is difficult to reach people with the Gospel

3.  You can teach your children

4.  You can help your husband

5.  You won't be afraid to get behind that cockpit if it ever comes a time

Whether they ever learn how to fly or not, expanding the horizons of learning and having real reasons why will make learning more meaningful.

You might have somethings like this put together in your area.

What are some other local activities you participate in?

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Friday Family Fun: Free Play In The Great Outdoors

What child doesn't like to be an explorer in nature?  I remember when I was a child; I loved hiking.  Anything to be surrounded by trees, bubbling streams, bugs, the sound of birds and the gentle breeze were my favorite and still are.  Who said you have to grow up from some things?  This week my children were so happy because we discovered a running river at the end of the property we live in.  It is surrounded by nature, tall trees, birds, sand, all sorts of beautiful and interesting rocks, bugs, flowers, and herbs to learn about.  They can't wait to go  for this exploration walk daily now.  The education they can get by just being in nature is really endless.  By observing the surroundings, we talked about the evidence of a flood that happened.  This led us talk about the geological evidence of Noah's world wide flood.



Then there was the water.  Well, children and water go together.  I tried to refrain them because, I wasn't prepared with clothes, towels, etc.  and I was concern of "germs", ha, ha!  "Just try not to get wet".  As you can guess, we came back home soaked.

 



Children need to have a daily dose of free play outside.  Aside from getting their sun kissed Vitamin D, it allows the to interact with their environment.  They build their physical strength, and encourages to use creativity to solve problems.  I can see their minds turning and coming up with all sorts of adventures.  Danielle started building a raft to cross to the other side.  Noah was fishing with a stick he picked up.  Destiny was fascinated finding interesting rocks that she believed were washed up and deposited here as a result of Noah's flood.  She noticed the layers on the rocks and said they told the story of the Grand Canyon.

Then there is the beach.  Oh, the sand!  Noah and Destiny would run to the sand and roll on it laughing like  saying, "here I am, I missed you".  There is not much to the beach: sand and water.  But my children say that God thought of children when He made it.  They can spend there all day and never get tired.  They get cold, itchy from the salty water and we eat our food with sand all over.  As much as I try to prevent the sand from invading our food, I've not been successful.



 

Then there is the marvelous snow.  How blessed we are here in California, to have all these three, the mountains, the beach and the snow, so close.  It is amazing how they don't get cold.



The best way to kill the creativity in children is to keep them indoors.  No doubt there is a lot we can do indoors to encourage creativity, but there is no comparison.  That is why even in my busy schedule, I make the effort to take the adventure walk in nature with my children.  I get my exercise in, my vitamin D from the sun, homeschooling done by studying what we find, and release stress by enjoying the breeze, birds, and the calmness that comes being surrounded by the giggles of children and nature.  And then, I am so glad I did.



 

I like educating all day long.  And these nature walks are excellent.  We can do scavenger hunts, paleontology excavations, study rocks, recognize wild herbs and their medicinal properties, geology and rock formation, botany, physical laws with water, skipping rocks, collect bugs, interesting specimen we can look under our microscope, build bridges, fish and cook it over a campfire, etc.  The spiritual lessons are always tied because God is the Creator.  This has given my children a love for learning.

Do you take nature walks with your children?  What are some of the ideas you have for this free play?

 

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Weekend Family Fun: Creation's Scavenger Hunt

Something that children always love are scavenger hunts.  I like putting meaningful scavenger hunts that will teach a lesson.  I will share some of them in the future.  Here is a simple one that the whole  family can participate as you go for a "Creation walk".  If fact,  I highly recommend going for a walk everyday with your children no matter the weather.   Kids like to get ready for walks anyways.  Bundle them up if it's cold with all their scarves, gloves and beanies.  Grab that umbrella for rain or sun.  Water boots are excellent since kids can't resist the puddles.  If it's too hot, carry a water spray bottle and drinking water.  So plan well for what time of the day is best to go out.  We like mornings, now that the weather is perfect around here.



Here is an idea of our hunt.  I printed a sheet of paper for each child on a nice nature background:

Creation’s Scavenger Hunt

• 
  

  Something fuzzy

  
  


• 
  

  Two kinds of seeds

  
  


• 
  

  Two pieces of man-made litter

  
  


• 
  

  Something straight

  
  


• 
  

  Something round

  
  


• 
  

  Something smooth

  
  


• 
  

  Something rough

  
  


• 
  

  Two different types of leaves

  
  


• 
  

  Something that makes noise

  
  


• 
  

  A chewed leaf

  
  


• 
  

  A beautiful rock

  
  


• 
  

  Something you think is beautiful

  
  


• 
  

  A pinecone

  
  


• 
  

  A critter – dead or alive

  
  


• 
  

  A feather

  
  


• 
  

  Something you think is a treasure

  
  

Sit down under a shady tree and give a treat to the kids for their great job hunting.  Share what they found and you can draw object lessons from each finding.  For example,  study how God perfectly designed the feather with hollow bones so they can be light and flexible for flight.  You can expand on flight and history of the Wright Brothers.   Collect all the rocks they picked up and talk about David who fought Goliath with 5 smooth stones.  Then practice their sling shooting.  What fun for the boys! And girls too!



The girls found rough and smooth stones.  We had a great conversation as we sat for a snack  and talked about how God uses each one of us in a family to make us smooth like the stone.  We are born rough but like the river rocks that get tossed along the river with other rocks, they end up smooth.   So we want our character to be smoothed out.   Be creative, the lessons are endless.

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