Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Gear Review: Vapur Quenchers Water Bottles
Earlier in the fall, we received two water bottles for the kids for review. Vapur is a water bottle manufacturer, making softer plastic bottles that squeeze down flat when they are empty and are lightweight yet durable. They market themselves as the Anti-Bottle. They have a new line out for kids, the Quenchers, a…
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Arboretum Walk: The Music of Trees
The kids ran and skipped down the paths, exuberant after a full day of school. Suddenly, we heard a sound, the music we were looking for. We slowed down, the children becoming attentive and focused. Soon we figured out where the strange noises were coming from: the trees. We spotted the speakers and tubing, and…
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Lake Ann and Heather Pass Backpack – Moms Only Trip
[Click on photos to see a larger size.] My friend Beckie and I had been talking about a moms-only backpacking trip for a few months, and our schedules finally coincided for us to get out last weekend. There was a catch, though – each of our families only has one car, so we needed a…
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Citizen Science Projects for Kids – Part 3
[This is the third in a series of posts describing citizen science projects that kids can be involved in. Read the first post here, about bird projects, and the second post here, about plants and other animals.] As I was researching projects to include in this series of articles, I came across an interesting website…
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Citizen Science Projects for Kids – Part 2
[This is the second in a multiple-part series about Citizen Science projects that children can be involved in. Read the first part, about bird projects kids can participate in, here. The third part, describing Zooniverse, is here.] Last time I put together a list of all kinds of bird research projects you and your family…
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Citizen Science Projects for Kids – Part 1
Over the years we’ve participated in several science projects that have produced actual data for actual scientific studies. These projects have been useful for supplementing our education, encouraging us to notice nature more closely, opening us to new experiences, and providing a conduit for wonder and further research. I’m putting together a 3-part series for…
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Hike to Big Four Ice Caves
The weather has been so wonderful this month, and we’re settling into our school routines. We were ready by the end of last week to get out into the wilderness again for the day. Our friends joined us for a hike to Big Four Ice Caves out on the Mountain Loop Highway. Though this is…
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Book Review and Interview: A Kid’s Guide to Birding
If you’ve followed my blog for long, you’ll know that we love birds in this family, and we love field guides of all kinds. We have an ever-growing collection of birding guides on our guide book shelves. (Yes, we have multiple shelves for field guides.) So when I first saw this book, A Kid’s Guide…
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Monroe Swift Night Out
We sat on the lawn of the old school, watching the tiny black birds swirl around the tall, brick chimney. The sun was setting, turning the feathery clouds and haze from eastern fires pastel pinks and oranges. More and more birds appeared, as if from nowhere, somehow knowing where to congregate for the evening. The…
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Fun Fall Activities
We’re having a lovely Indian Summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Days stretch end to end with warm sunshine. It’s difficult still to get in the frame of mind for school. Yet even as I sit in the warm afternoon sun, there is the slightest taste of chill in the air. Leaves are beginning to…
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