Archive for educational hobbies
Bee Keeping – Another Sweet Educational Hobby
Posted by: | CommentsThe hobby of bee keeping is part science, part art. There’s far more to it than deciding you’d like to produce your own honey. If you’ve ever wondered what’s involved, today’s article by Jeff Davies will cover the basics:
Beginners Guide To Keeping Bees
If you are considering keeping bees as a hobby or as a sideline business, here’s a quick beginners guide to keeping bees as there are things you will want to keep in mind before making a start.
There are many factors involved with making money with what the honeybees produce, so you might want to start doing it as a hobby first.
You will have to spend some money in the start-up of beekeeping, before investing any amount of money in your beekeeping project, you might want contact beekeepers in your area, as a rule, they will more than happy to share their experience with you and in most cases point you in the right direction for local beekeeping equipment.
In making the decision of becoming a beekeeper, you will want to consider the safety of family, friends, and neighbors. You wouldn’t want someone to get stung that is allergic to bee stings. You will also want to consider whether or not you have a location that would be conducive to keeping bees.
Clothing and Equipment Needed For Beekeeping
One of the most important pieces of clothing a beekeeper wears is the veil. Bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the possibility of damage to the eyes and ears.
Wear white or light colored coveralls. If you are not using boots, do not wear dark socks. Boots that fasten over the coveralls or in the coveralls should be worn, A wind breaker jacket will help you to avoid being stung. Pants, veil, sleeves should be fasten securely to prevent bees from getting into your clothes.
You will need at least one hive, again a great place to start looking for equipment will be with local beekeepers or beekeeping society’s in and around your area.
You can buy this equipment new or used. If it is used you will want to make sure it is in good condition, also have it examined by the Apiary Inspection Service for any possibility of disease. The equipment will cost around $250-$450.
You could build your own hives, which isn’t to difficult, if you have the time, just make sure you have the dimensions correct because bees will build combs where you least want them.
How to Handle Bees
One of the tips you will want to learn is when to manipulate bees, it’s best to open and examine the bee colonies on days that are warm and sunny with no wind Bees will usually tolerate a moderate beekeeper manipulation for 10 to 15 minutes. It is best not to keep the hives open any longer than you have to.
Acquiring Bees
There are several ways to acquire bees, no matter which method you choose spring is the best time to purchase bees, established colonies will cost you more, but they can be worth the extra money.
Nucleus colonies (nucs)
The nucleus colony is a smaller colony of bees taken from an established colony.
Package bees
The package of bees consists of 2 or 3 pounds of bees, and a queen in a separate cage (Beginners should be able to handle them easily).
Queen Management Techniques
When a colony is not performing well, it is common practice to introduce a new queen into the colony.
Introducing a New Queen
The most common practice of introducing a new queen requires an introductory period of about three days, the queen is placed in a cage and is fed by the colony bees though the wire gauze covering the cage. The only way she can be released is by the worker bees eating a candy entrance, or the beekeeper can decide to release the queen into the colony manually.
The success of the colony depends largely on the quality of the queen. As a beekeeper you may notice a difference in the production of honey from one colony to the next. The difference in production can depend on several factors, one of which is the queen.
Obviously this beekeeping guide for beginners is just a quick look at what’s required, my advice is to do your homework before you start buying equipment, get all the information so you can make an informed decision as to whether bee-keeping might be for you.
About the Author
Are you looking to start having fun with Beekeeping as a pass time, but don’t no where to start? Would a complete beginners guide help?. Visit The Novice Beekeeper for details.
Photo Credit: YuvalH on flickr
Just What is an Educational Hobby?
Posted by: | CommentsHow do you separate education, hobbies, craft, and leisure recreational pursuits into tidy little categories? Why would you want to?
A hobby, according to Webster’s, is “something that one likes to do or study in one’s spare time; favorite pastime or avocation.” An educational hobby would then be “something educational that you like to do or study in your spare time.” That pretty much leaves it wide open, doesn’t it?
In the months ahead, you’ll see this blog get much more active. In addition to the topics already covered, we’ll talk about gardening, reading, camping, bicycling, science, scale modeling (for both history and manual dexterity) … in short, anything that we find interesting that can in the least bit relate to an enjoyable, educational endeavor. We’re going to cast a broader net and have some fun with it.
What do you consider an educational hobby? What would you enjoy reading more about?
What Science Fair Projects Can Become Educational Hobbies?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you think about it, many of the educational hobbies out there involve science, math, and reading. It’s a natural progression that your science fair projects could be in the realm of something you already enjoy, something you’ve taken for granted as “just a hobby.” Not to minimize hobbies, just the opposite. I think they should be second nature for the whole family! But when they are, we may not think about the science fair opportunities that may be just under the surface.
What Science Fair Projects Involve Educational Hobbies?
Here’s a handful to get you thinking:
- Remote Control Helicopters: How much weight can they carry and how far? What batteries power up longer? What makes one helicopter faster than another?
- Philately: What is the best method for removing a stamp? How do you remove the paper from the back, and what do you need to know to preserve them properly?
- Robotic Boats: What does the length of the boat have to do with its ability to navigate a circumference accurately? Does the weight have anything to do with it? What engine goes faster, gas or electric?
- Modeling Clay: How long does it take polymer clay to dry as opposed to modeling clay? Which colors take better? Can one do more than the other?
- Cooking: What happens when you mix baking soda with vinegar? Why? Why does chocolate pudding get thick when you cook it?
- Pinewood Derby: C’mon, the whole thing is science! How far can you make it go? What contributed to the speed? What are the differences between two competing cars?
So get your hypothesis ready, ask a question that you may already know something about, but may not have thought about why you’re getting the results you’re getting. Maybe one of these hobbies already interested you, but you’ve never pursued it. A science fair project is a good reason to get started! What hobbies have you used as a basis for a science fair project?
Get Your Whole Family Into Science Fairs
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If your local science fair hasn’t happened yet, it’s likely to be right around the corner. More and more schools are making participation mandatory, and giving a test grade for the project. I think requiring participation is a great idea, causing many who would never compete, to at least start to understand the process of discovery.
Every science fair project has to follow a particular process; the first is always a hypothesis. With such a large name, your younger kids will no doubt wrinkle their noses, but basically it’s just a fore running thought about what they expect to happen and why during their experiment. Asking these kinds of questions ultimately causes a child to start thinking ahead with a part of their brain that’s not finished developing until their early twenties. That’s one reason science fair projects should involve the whole family on some level.
I’m not suggesting that the whole family do one project; instead I’m suggesting that every age sibling be exposed to the line of reasoning used for each child’s separate project. Different ages and different thought processes cause each to see something in the other’s projects they may not have otherwise gathered.
Science Fair Project Choices
There are so many choices out there! Inevitably your child will either look online for some kit to purchase, or work on something that they already have an interest in. They may decide to do what their brother or sister did last year, and that’s okay. Do some looking, too, but make sure your ideas aren’t running the show. Here’s where it’s nice to have sibling involvement. You can better manage from afar, with the majority of the conclusions being discovered independently. Of course, depending on the risk factors, they may need you to be more involved! Don’t let them get hurt, by any means (this means you, daredevil dads!).
Affordable Science Fair Project Ideas
Making science interesting for your family is just good sense. Science projects don’t have to cost much if you’re creative. To name a few:
- The fastest paper airplane. This should include different weight distribution like paper clips or Popsicle sticks. Dig deep, you’ll enjoy it!
- Sugar crystals, my personal favorite. When kids work in the kitchen they learn science, math, and reading, so I really encourage something in the kitchen for students of every age. This project has to do with food coloring, length of time cooked, and temperature used to make a chemical reaction. This is pretty frequently suggested in the info packs from school.
- Strongest nail color. No kidding, my daughter did this by hot gluing fake fingernails to Popsicle sticks, painting each with a different brand of nail polish, and then subjecting them to daily tasks! Completely her idea in the 6th grade, and she really learned a lot. It interested her friends, and her little sister!
Many educational hobbies are discovered when you begin to research what topics to test.
Check back often because I’m going into more detail in future posts. Let me know what creative things you’ve been trying!
Pinewood Derby Held at the First Pack Meeting of 2009
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Pics by Katie H
Pack 871 in Richardson, Texas held their Pinewood Derby last Tuesday night at Dartmouth Elementary School. For the first Pack meeting of the year, the turnout was pretty good! Making a showing were Tiger Den 3, Wolf Den 4, Bear Den 6, Webelos Den 7, and the Flaming Eagle Patrol. Hats off to Cub Pack Master Jeremy Wanamaker and the volunteers of Pack 871, pulling it all together for a fine race. The theme for this year’s event was ‘Symbols’.
Three boys stood out in the competition this year, Beckett Wanamaker, Ryan S., and Lucas H., all placing in each race. Beckett and Lucas prevailed in the end. This was Ryan’s first year, so next year—watch out!
When asked how long it took to finish the cars, Beckett and Lucas claimed it only took them two days from start to finish. I imagine it took the whole two days! Beckett, Cub Master Wanamaker’s son, has been at it awhile. This was his fourth competition. By now, he’s learned a few things. “Yeah, I sanded it myself,” he said proudly.
The Specifics from the Boys
When asked where each of them decided to put the weight on the car, the each had different answers. Beckett said, “I put mine on the bottom.” Ryan, on the other hand, “drilled into the back.”
Beckett was also asked what was done differently with his car. “Mine had a stop sign and yield sign painted on it because the theme was ’signs’,” he said. Signs, symbols…we know what he meant! Ryan was proud of his blue stripe right down the top of the car.
The Pinewood Derby continues to represent friendly competition and sportsmanship. These boys will never
Pic by Katie H
forget the time they spent with their parents learning all about these cars. Very likely these boys will grow up to know the hobby and compete outside of the Boy Scout arena, but there’s also a chance they may decide to run for office one day! Boy Scouts of America turns out more than it’s fair share of tomorrow’s leaders.
What do they plan to do with the cars now that they’ve raced them? “I’ll lock it up somewhere!” said Ryan. Said Beckett, “I’ll keep mine as a souvenir, I have a whole shelf of them.”
Spark Her Interest in Science with Educational Hobbies
Posted by: | CommentsWhat do educational hobbies offer your daughter?
She’s into Barbies and mermaids and everything pink right now, and that’s great, but one of these days you’ll look at her and wonder if she’s thinking outside of herself enough. Educational hobbies, not just toys, spark the ingenuity she’s going to need to succeed in her generation. She will learn how to master a craft.
Lindberg's Transparent Horse is a precisely detailed kit featuring a complete horse skeleton that is anatomically accurate with soft internal organs. An instruction manual helps horse lovers learn about equine anatomy.
If she’s introduced to a hobby that includes science, and she learns to love it, she’s much more likely to get into a good college with some great opportunities that might finance her career. Her generation, now more than ever, is going to need strong, intelligent leadership in not only the female community, but in the world in general. We are in desperate need of people who know “how.” I think hobbies are a catalyst for that.
While I think that argument stands alone, I will say that those moments spent together are so worthwhile. I truly love the times I get to spend with my kids working on something together.
A hobby is something that you enjoy doing over time, that you add to or make, that interests you enough to stick with it and find out more. One thing I’ve noticed about hobbyists is that they learn how to be an expert at a thing. That’s important.
Educational hobbies for kids
Consider how engaging in one of these hobbies might enrich your child’s life. Maybe there’s something on this list you already do, think about handing it down through the generations. These can be some rewarding opportunities.
- Rocketry
- Stamp collecting
- Gardening
- Remote control cars
- Bug collecting
- Painting, drawing
- Astronomy
There’s many more out there. Isn’t it time that you learned more about educational hobbies?
Building a Balsa Bridge
Posted by: | CommentsDeep inside every child (regardless of age) there lurks a design engineer. “Tim the Toolman” Taylor was always tinkering with things to make them perform better. We know what Tim’s results were; we saw them on television watching “Tool Time.”
Educational Hobbies in the Classroom
Balsa Bridge Examples
Teachers can release the creativity in their students through simple exercises in design. An example of this would be to have your students create bridges.
Students would create a balsa bridge across a specified span … say twenty-four inches that would support the greatest amount of weight.
Alternatively, students could use such things as plastic drinking straws, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, paper or other materials deemed appropriate in the ground rules for the project.
Whether it is in the classroom, the family room or kitchen at home, this can be a fun and exciting project for the whole family.
You can find many of the items needed for these projects at your local hobby shop, craft store or even at your favorite grocery store.
This experiment in design has an International following. Students around the globe compete at sanctioned events to test their design and building skills. Who knows, maybe one of your kids might be the one who designs the next major bridge expanse such as the Gold Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Moms Need Educational Hobbies Too
Posted by: | CommentsA recent article in the Union-Tribune touts what most moms have known all along – united moms are happy moms. Ask any mom of a toddler or a teenager, and they’ll tell you that the bonds of friendship with other moms go a long way toward preserving their sense of sanity.
Of course, one way to build or strengthen those friendships is through shared activities and interests. You might simply go for a walk together each morning or take turns planning free activities with the little ones. Maybe you’re a book hound and would enjoy getting together with your girlfriends and others in a book club.
Getting together over shared hobby projects is an old standby. Discover what skill sets reside in your group of friends or research some educational hobby ideas where you can all learn a new skill together. Think outside the box … you’re not limited to the typical “mommy hobbies.”
Try your hand at stained glass, build a miniature doll house or village, or learn about astronomy. Yes, each of these educational hobbies can be pursued individually, but we’re social creatures. It’s a lot more fun to learn new skills and try new things with our friends!
Read more United Moms Are Happy Moms.
Build Environmental Awareness With Educational Hobbies
Posted by: | CommentsOnce you start looking for ideas for educational hobbies, you’ll find they pop up everywhere!
Here’s an idea from the 2008 Riverfestival in Brisbane, Australia. They’ve combined trash cleanup and creativity to teach children about caring for the environment in a constructive way.
A new exhibit at the festival will include 350 kites made from plastic bags, 700 plastic bottles made into
costumes and artwork and a collection of 1 million bread tags that will stretch across the Victoria Bridge.”
The exhibition called ‘Out of the river … imagine’ is based on the amount of rubbish that Healthy Waterways removes from the Brisbane River every week.
Think about it … all of those plastic bags, bottles, and bread tags pulled out of the river each week!
Kudos to the organizers of this event, and to all the artists and school groups that are involved. This is an innovative way to teach an important concept to children and the community-at-large.
Educational Hobbies Backyard Resources
Posted by: | CommentsYou can combine basic wonderment of nature with the complexity of technology very easily right in your own backyard, home or school through educational hobbies. Nature provides a plethora of plants, insects and animals as study material for this process. All you need to do is to have a simple basic digital camera and a way to print pictures of what you’ve taken.
One of my favorite educational hobbies is to look around my yard to see what I can of interest. Fortunately I can sit and watch for a little while allowing the critters around me to settle and accept my presence before getting closer to them. Some animals have a natural fear so they will be harder to approach, but in time as long as they begin to sense no perceived threat, they will allow me to get closer and closer.
Some of the animals and insects are obvious because of their size. However, there are others that one needs to look closely to see. But if you look closely you’ll discover more than you might expect. One simple way to study these critters is to use a simple digital camera to snap shots of them.
Take this little bee for example. You actually combine two educational hobbies…photography and entomology. Pictures often reveal more than the eye can see in a glance. The photograph provides one a detailed record of not only the bee but the flower it is on.
Now a trip to the library or a search on the internet for more information about both the little bee and the flower yields more information to expand upon in the classroom or the home “lab.” Being alert to the environment around you, you can find many creatures of interest.
Above: A spider in the garden. A field mouse seeking warmth and food on a cold winter night. A “Puff Ball” fungi harvested from the backyard. All make great subjects for educational purposes. Isn’t it time you got started in any one of the many Educational Hobbies?
