Looking for something to do with your kids this summer that’s both eco-friendly and fun? I made pizza box solar ovens with my public school students a few years ago.  They had a blast and learned about the power of solar energy.  The activity can be modified to meet your child’s individual needs.  Younger children will need lots of help and general explanations while older children will be able to do most of the project on their own. Parents may also want to delve a bit deeper, using the experience as a springboard for learning about recycling and alternative energy sources. 

I should note that many other plans can be found for solar ovens online, but this is the only one I’ve actually tested out with kids.

Jan, the editor of the Central Florida Green Guide, is a former public school teacher who is now an unschooling mom. She strives to live naturally–especially when it comes to parenting her two young children. In addition to her work as a freelance writer and homeschool consultant, Jan is a distributor for Juice Plus+ and Usborne Books. Learn more about this crunchy WAHM by visiting her Squidoo lens, Living and Learning… Naturally.

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The Orange County Library System offers a virtual gardening experience on their website.  You can choose the type of soil you’d like, the type of seeds and then the amount of water and the site grows your garden.  It ends with a pop up with links to gardening resources.  Very cool! 

Kristy is mom to her sweet boy, Dax and owner of Wee Willie Winks. 

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As a part of the Seminole County Public Library’s Summer “Be A Readosaurus” reading program, the North Branch in Sanford is presenting a series of special shows to take the place of their Confetti Club, which runs during school term.  This program is for children kindergarten age and up.  Adults are encouraged to wait in the library during the specials.

• Wednesday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. – Steve Knight’s Nifty Puppets

• Wednesday, June 13 at 10:00 am.m – The Mashed Potato Players present “Writers in the Night”

• Wednesday, June 20 at 10:00 am.m – Mixed Up Science Starring Lynne Smith and LaShawn Smith

• Wednesday, June 27 at 10:00 am.m – Storymaker presents “The Circus King” performed by Sean Driscoll

• Monday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. – Jiggleman – A kinetic audience participation, jumping, joking, juggling show performed by Banks Helfrich

• Wednesday, July 18 at 11:00 a.m. – Didg Revolution presents “Didgeridoo Down Under”

• Wednesday, July 25 at 10:00 a.m. – Lyndel the Magician

Jill enjoys spending her days being a helpmate to her husband and raising her three children.  She holds two bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Biology.  Some of her favorite hobbies are gardening, playing the piano and cooking.  Jill is a Juice Plus+ distributor.  Her family are the humans to Lucy, the rescued dog,  Smokey, the rescued cat and soon to be humans of a flock of chickens, too!

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The Seminole County Public Library has kicked off their Summer Reading Program.  The theme this year is ”Be A Readosaurus.”

The program is open for enrollment from May 23 through July 31.  The paperback book award deadline is August 20.

The program consists of three easy steps:

1. Read (or be read to) for 20 days.
2. Mark one of the dinosaur footprints for each day you read on the reading log that you get upon enrollment.
3. Turn your log in to the Seminole County Public Library by August 20.
4. Receive a free paperback award book from the Friends of the Library and a certificate of completion from the Library.

Jill enjoys spending her days being a helpmate to her husband and raising her three children.  She holds two bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Biology.  Some of her favorite hobbies are gardening, playing the piano and cooking.  Jill is a Juice Plus+ distributor.  Her family are the humans to Lucy, the rescued dog,  Smokey, the rescued cat and soon to be humans of a flock of chickens, too!

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