Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Z is for Zoom

Well, we're here. It's the last day of April—and the final day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. It really "zoomed" by, right? <heh>

As you probably know, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I conjured up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. So far, they've all been fun activities. Right? If you haven't been following along, check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up, B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and shared some fun math activities. For real! To showcase "N," I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. (I made a shark!) To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it. Got any characters to share?

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. How is that going? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started Monday with—well, writing, of course! On Tuesday, we made music with xylophones and other instruments. And yesterday, I encouraged you to focus on YOU. How did you spend your day?

Ready for our final letter? Let's do this!

Z is for Zoom

Yesterday I shared that I'm missing a lot of people in my life these days—family, friends. Sure, I don't mind hanging out with my sister—she's actually a lot more fun than I thought—but there's nothing like skateboarding with Lightning, or going to the mall with Sophie.

And who knows how long it will be before we can do those things?

Mom says I need to stay strong—not just for Amelia, but for myself too. This isn't going to last forever, right?

But I do need some interaction, and so today, I'm going to talk about Zoom. Not as in car racing, though earlier this month, I shared some ideas on how to make soap box race cars. I mean the computer app that allows you to see your friends—even when you're apart.

I picked Zoom because it's a "Z" word, but you can use Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Gmail chat, and more. Just make sure that whatever app you choose, you have your parents check the security settings. You don't want random people showing up in your hangout with friends!

Tonight, I'm going to do a Zoom call with Lightning and Sophie. We're going to watch a movie at the same time—the new Disney movie, Onward!

Mom says we can use Zoom for all kinds of things. Like doing homework, taking part in an online class, playing a game, baking with Grandma, exercise, and much more. What will YOU Zoom about?

Well, this is it. The end of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. I hope you had fun following along with me this month. I'll be back Friday for my usual monthly posts, but until then...

Gotta jet!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Y is for You

I can't believe—tomorrow is the final day of this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I can't believe how fast the month has zipped by!

As you probably know, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I've conjured up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. So far, they've all been fun activities. Right? If you haven't been following along, check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and shared some fun math activities. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started Monday with—well, writing, of course! And yesterday, we made music with xylophones and other instruments. How fun was that?

I'm switching things up today...

Y is for You

You? Yup...you.

Let's face it, even if you are healthy and your family is doing everything possible to make your time at home as positive as possible, these are stressful times. I'm not ashamed to admit that I miss my grandparents, I miss my friends, I miss school, and I miss being able to do all of the things I usually do in the summer—like go to festivals, hang out at the park, or even practice training for track by running around my grandparents' canola field.

So today, I've decided that for my "Y" activity, I'm going to practice self care—and so should you.

What does that mean? Well, for starters, I slept in a little. Then, I made pancakes for breakfast—which is not just my favourite, but my sister's, as well. Here's the recipe from the Canola Eat Well website that I used.

Next up, I plan to go for a run. It's not sunny where I am, but the sidewalks are ice and snow free, and since I can't run on my grandparents' farm, I need to plan out a new practice route. When I get back, I'm going to read a comic book, and work on my short story.

Then, I'm going to help my sister with some Mother's Day crafts. Usually, she does a project in school for Mom, but that's not happening this year, so I've already started Googling ideas. Here are some fun "spa" products you can make using canola oil. I've made them for Grandma before and she loves them...I bet Mom would too.

For dinner, I'm helping Dad barbecue some burgers (learning to use the barbecue is a big deal in this house), and then we're going to have a family puzzle night.

Maybe these aren't specific educational activities, but they all have benefits—especially on my mindset. It's been a long seven weeks of self isolation, and it doesn't look like things will be changing any time soon. I can handle it—we all can, especially when we know it's for the good of the whole country—but there's nothing wrong with spending a little time taking care of ourselves.

How will you spend your YOU day?

Gotta jet! I'll be back tomorrow for the final day of the Blogging From A to X Challenge—the letter "Z." I have a super fun activity to cap off the month.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: X is for Xylophone

Good morning! In case you're just visiting for the first time this month, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—again! My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Skeptical? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started yesterday with—well, writing, of course! How did your character creation go? For today's "X' post, get ready to make some noise!

X is for Xylophone

I've been doing the Blogging From A to Z Challenge for about five years now, and the letter "X" has always been a struggle—there aren't many "X" words when you think about it. But the word Xylophone always comes to mind—and this year, I figured out a way to use it in the challenge!

Okay, so most of you won't have an actual xylophone (if you do, that's awesome!), but there's never been a better time to start learning how to play a new instrument.

Music, as it turns out, has many educational benefits. Reading music requires some basic math skills—yeah, I know, you really do use math in your everyday life. Half notes, quarter notes, etc, are essentially fractions. Music can also inspire your creativity, boost your self esteem, encourage your brain to work harder, and—my mom's favourite—it helps you become a better listener.

If you've got an old guitar lying around, why not give it a strum? Or maybe it's time to dig out that old Recorder?

Nothing on hand? Don't worry! If you're feeling crafty, here is a link to 52 instruments you can make, many that use common household items. I can already tell it's going to be a noisy day.

Gotta jet! Happy music making today—and I'll see you tomorrow for the second to last day of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Can you believe the month is almost over? Me either!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: W is for Writing

Happy Monday! This is the final week—and the final letters—of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—I can't believe how quickly the month has flown by! In case you're just joining in, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

I followed that week up with knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the Week 3, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

And so...here we are. The last few days. I bet you can guess what today's post will be about...

W is for Writing

You probably know this by now, but I'm very interested in storytelling—writing, specifically, but I love all kinds of stories. Language Arts with Mrs. Kratky is my favourite subject, and not just because she thinks I'm a pretty good writer, either.

This month, many of the letters have focussed on writing, or at least included a writing component—such as penning haikus and essays—but today's post is all about writing.

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you'll know that every November—for National Novel Writing Month—I do a blog a day with writing tips that cover everything from generating story ideas, to character development, to even boosting your vocabulary. Scroll through my past posts for November, and you'll be surprised at how much you can learn.

A simple Google search will net you all kinds of writing prompts—and if you or anyone in your family is on Twitter, follow the hashtag #PromptMyStory. A whole bunch of Canadian writers are sharing ideas for where to begin your story—no matter what format you take.

Your challenge today? Start creating a character. You can use the play dough method I talked about in my "P" post, or try cutting out images from old magazines and newspapers to start getting an idea of what your character looks like. When you've got the perfect "hero" of your story...start plotting!

How much can you get written by the end of the day?

Don't stop there, though. Writing a story—even a short one—can take days, weeks, or even months. By the time we're back to school, you could have a polished piece of fiction. I know that's my goal. What's yours?

Gotta jet! Happy writing—and see you tomorrow for a tricky "X" activity.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Another great writing activity if fiction isn't your thing? Write a letter to your grandparents, or other family members you haven't been able to see in a while.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: V is for Virtual Field Trips

As you must know by now, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

Next up was knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest—we used a deck of cards and everything! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family, and yesterday we created umbrellas...for the rain that never came. At least not where I live.

We're capping the week off with "V." Scroll down!

V is for Virtual Field Trips

Oh the places you'll go...virtually, of course!

I know, no one wants to stay inside when the weather is so great (looks like another sunny day!), but you have plenty of time to explore cool (and educational!) "online" destinations.

It's hard not to pay attention to the news these days—Mom has it on even when she's on the elliptical! I don't watch it that closely, but I am a bit interested in politics and so this online tour of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa was kind of interesting. Some of those rooms might be a good place to set one of my stories...

If travel is more your thing, why not head to the Canadian Arctic? (Virtually! I'm happy to see the snow gone here.) Did you know that in Iqaluit, Canada, you can travel the snowy trails by dog sled? I'd love to do that. You can do that closer to home, of course, but check out the pictures of Iqaluit—it looks beautiful. And cold. Brrrr.

Looking for something a bit warmer? This link will take you to all kinds of farm tours. You can learn about dairy production, visit a sheep farm, "pick apples" from a virtual orchard, and so much more. I know a lot about canola because my grandparents own a canola farm, but I'm excited to learn more about where our food comes from!

That's probably enough to get you started, but try Googling some of your favourite places—like the Tyrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumhellar, AB. Most places are offering virtual tours...and many of them are free.

Gotta jet! My parents have a busy weekend planned—time to get the yard ready for planting. Dad says he's going to need extra time to tackle Mom's growing To Do list...

Have a great weekend. Don't forget, the Blogging From A to Z Challenge takes a break tomorrow, but the final few days kicks off Monday. See you then!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: U is for Umbrella STEM Challenge

It's Friday! (Not that time has much meaning these days...)

As you know, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—my sixth year in a row! My theme is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

Next up was knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. Yesterday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. How's that going?

This morning, I have another challenge for you—and it's kind of relevant because even though the sun is shining this morning, it's supposed to rain later tonight. Which means, if you're planning to go for a walk, you might need an umbrella....

U is for Umbrella STEM Challenge

The last few letters of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge are usually pretty difficult, so I was excited to find this Umbrella STEM activity.

What's STEM? That's science, technology, engineering and math...yeah, math. (I'm starting to like Math, if I'm being honest...)

The idea of this challenge is to try and design a better umbrella—and as you can see from the picture, you don't need a lot of supplies.

Here's what to gather before you start:

• Household materials (sponges, popsicle sticks, coffee filters, paper plates, etc.) 
• Small toys (such as dinosaur fiches, plastic bugs, etc.) 
• Play tray
• Glue, tape, string, etc. 
• Scissors 

The goal is to design a type of umbrella that will keep the small toys dry. Be sure to sketch out a blueprint first so you can identify any potential flaws in your plan.

When you've created your "umbrella," test your design by putting your toys under the umbrella and sprinkling water on it. Did the toys stay dry?

Who knows, maybe you'll design something we should all be using...

Gotta jet! I plan to enjoy the sunshine today, but I don't mind if it rains tonight—we're watching a family movie. Amelia suggested UP, which is kind of perfect since we're celebrating the letter "U" today!

See you tomorrow for another tough letter—"V."

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: T is for Time Capsule

Good sunny morning! As you know, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—my sixth year in a row! My theme is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

We started week two of the challenge with knitting. On Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to some nature activities and on Friday, we talked about Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, and yesterday, on Tuesday we talked about reading, and yesterday was all about science. How many of the five experiments I shared did you try? I'd love to see pictures!

My "T" activity is something that will forever mark this very unusual year....

T is for Time Capsule

Yup, that's right, we're going to make a Time Capsule. I know for many people, 2020 is shaping up to be a year we'd all like to forget...but some day down the road, we're going to want to remember it.

I won't lie—this isn't a quick activity, and you're going to want to take a few days to fill in the worksheets as a family, but there are about a dozen activities that include everything from writing prompts, to mini art activities.

The activities were created by a Calgary woman, and you can download the PDF worksheets here for free. It's even available in different languages!

I won't take up too much of your time today...you probably want to get started while it's still a bit chilly outside. Mom says Amelia and I can ride our bikes today, and I am itching to hit the sidewalks for a social distance run. Feels good to lace up my kicks again.

Gotta jet! But I'll see "U" tomorrow, right? <heh>

~ Chase Superman Duffy 

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: S is for Simple Science

Happy Earth Day! I don't know about where you are, but yesterday was a beautiful day in my part of the province—which meant we were able to go for a family walk (staying six feet away from others, of course), and Dad even brought our bikes out from the shed so he can pump up the tires. Spring Ius here!

But school is still in session—even if we are doing lessons online. To help, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—my sixth year in a row! My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus. And of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling. We started week three of the challenge with knitting. On Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to some nature activities and on Friday, we talked about Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, and yesterday, we talked about reading. Did you know that all of the Superman Duffy educational graphic novels are curriculum linked? Cool, right?

Okay, ready for "S?"

S is for Simple Science 

I know, we've done a lot of science in the past few weeks. But there's something fascinating about it—especially chemistry (which we of course covered in my "C" post.")

I don't think you can ever have too much science—so today, I found some simple science experiments that have big results. Like, check out this Tornado in a Bottle.

All you need is two plastic bottles, a tube to connect the bottles, and some water. For an even better effect, try adding glitter, food colouring, or lamp oil. Here are the full directions.

Next up, slime. I've made plenty of slime over the years—even some at Halloween that was orange and oozed out of a mason jar. So cool. There are a number of ways to make it, and this link includes seven of them. A few I haven't even heard of!

I'd recommend trying this next one with a parent—in fact, I insist. It looks fun, but it's definitely an outside activity. Check out this Pasta Rocket!

And how about this homemade lava lamp? This experiment also uses some basic ingredients, including canola oil. You can find the easy directions here.

Last up, my favourite experiment — Rainbow Instant Ice. This video explains exactly how to make it. You won't believe how pretty it is!

How's that for some fun science to kick off your day? I know which activity I plan to start with. How about you?

Gotta jet! Have a great day celebrating Earth Day (for some fun Earth Day crafts, check out Superman Duffy's Twitter account!) and I'll see you back here tomorrow for the perfect "T" activity. You won't want to miss it!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: R is for Reading

Morning! Welcome to Day 2 of the Third Week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. What a mouthful, huh? My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the link to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening for "G," celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus. And of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling. We started week three of the challenge with knitting, on Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. It was fun, right? For "N" I linked to some nature activities and on Friday, we talked about Origami. On Saturday, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Yesterday, I shared a tricky "Q" activity—did you make it? Did you have fun? Got any pictures? Today...well, you probably already know what today's activity is....

R is for Reading

Did you know that there are 16 books in the Superman Duffy series of educational graphic novels? And, did you know that seven of those were translated to French. (You may have heard me mention them in my "L" post about learning a new language.)

If you think about it, that's a whole lot of adventures you can read about—for free. Yup. If you don't already own copies of the books, you can order them from the Alberta Canola Producers' Commission, or download them from this website.

Sure, they look like comics, but they're jam packed with educational information. Like in the first book, Fields of Home, where cartoon me meets Mr. Slovonuk, the first farmer to bring "rapeseed" to Canada—a crop we now know as canola. (And if you have any farmers in your life, you know that now is the time crops start getting planted.)

In Gotta Jet, you can learn about canola biodiesel, which the fuel Kevin Therres uses to race his Jet Engine Funny Cars. They go fast! In It's a Blast!, you'll learn all about Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who took 250,000 canola seeds into space to see the effects of anti gravity on plant growth.

I talked about baking in my B post, and in Tasting my Story, Chase's quest to find a recipe for Monster Cookies (they're delicious) takes you on a fun mystery—plus, the book includes other kid-friendly recipes you're going to want to try. I also wrote about AMELIA in my gardening post, which is where Chase, his sister, and their friend Sophie are faced with bugs of unusual size. *shudder* But there's also a great lesson about good pests and bad pests—and what farmers can do about them.

Writing is a key lesson in Cut! To the Chase... Chase has to write a school play. It's a retelling of Aesop's famous fable, The Tortoise and Hare (and it also shares some excellent nutrition tips!) In 5-7-5 Errand Boy, Chase is given a list of errands to run—but his instructions are written in the form of a haiku. I talked about those in my H post. That book includes some very interesting facts about canola biotechnology.

Beneath the SOIL is the spookiest book in the series—Chase gets sucked under by quicksand (which you know if you read yesterday's post), but there's also lots of fun facts about soil. If you're gearing up for gardening in the next few weeks, this is an important resource. Plus, it's a spooktacular story.

I won't go through all 16 books, but you can read about them and download them here. Not only will you get in some good reading, but you'll learn about climate change, the importance of water, fun facts about Canada, and so much more.

Which book will you start with?

Gotta jet! I'm off to a late start today and need to get in some reading before I head outside for more nature activities. It's already starting to get warm!

See you tomorrow for the letter "S."

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z: Q is for Quicksand

It's Monday! And, it's also the fourth week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the link to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening for "G," celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus. And of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling. We started week three of the challenge with knitting, on Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. It was fun, right? For "N" I linked to some nature activities and on Friday, we talked about Origami. On Saturday, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

We start this week with a tough one—but I did some, er, digging....

Q is for Quicksand

Have you read the Superman Duffy educational graphic novel Beneath The SOIL? It's definitely one of the "spookiest" in the series—you wouldn't believe some of the "creatures" that hide out in your soil! But it's also one of the most fascinating books to because, well...creatures in the soil. (Most of them are so tiny you wouldn't be able to see them with the naked eye.)

Anyway, that adventure starts off with "cartoon me" getting stuck in "quicksand." When I—er, he—sinks "beneath the soil," we learn a lot about what makes soil healthy, which is important for growing good crops.

But how does quicksand work?

I did some digging into it and found this short but effective video. (I love watching the doodles as the "pirate" is narrating the information!)

Obviously, I could write about what I have learned, but Mom found a science experiment we could try instead. Yep, we're going to make quicksand. Want to join along? Here are the steps:

1. Gather your ingredients. You will need sand, cornstarch, and yellow food colouring.

2. Mix about a cup of sand with about a cup of cornstarch. Add a few drops of yellow food colouring. (So far, so easy, right?)

3. Add water to the mixture a little at a time until the cornstarch mixture starts to form a liquid. You want to go slowly here though, because if you add too much liquid, it will remain a liquid. If that happens, just add a bit more cornstarch.

4. At this point, you can try squeezing the quicksand—it quickly forms into dough! But what happens when you open your hand?

The quicksand oozes out!

You can play with this stuff for hours—but it looks like we're in for another sunshine day. I plan to spend some time outdoors—but not before I give this a try! (Maybe I'll use one of my sister's action figure toys. Ha!)

Remember to ask your parents before giving this science experiment a go, and always dispose of your quicksand in the garbage, not the sink. It can make your pipes clog up...and that would not be good.

Gotta jet! Catch you tomorrow for a "riveting" "R" activity. <groan>

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. If you want to read Beneath the SOIL, you can download it for free from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission website.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: P is for Play Dough

Happy sunny Saturday! In case this is your first stop at the blog this month, I'm participating in the annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all be fun activities. I promise.

Just to recap, I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We did some gardening for "G," celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus. And of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling. We started week three of the challenge with knitting, on Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. It was fun, right? 

For "N" I linked to some nature activities and yesterday, we talked about Origami. Make anything interesting? I think today is going to be a nice day, but until it warms up, I've got a great "P" activity.  

P is for Play Dough

It doesn't seem to matter how old you are—playing with play dough is fun. Even Grandpa likes to make things out of it whenever Grandma whips up a batch for me and my sister.

Yep, that's right, Grandma makes her own "play dough"—in a variety of colours. She says the secret is canola oil, which makes the dough pliable.

And that's important because you want to be able to "create" with it. Of course that's today's educational part of the activity...creativity. But what can you create?

Well, if you've ever been in one of the writing workshops put on by the author of the Superman Duffy books—Dawn Ius—then you know that one of the cool things you can create is a character. A character you can use in your next story.

It sounds strange, but when you start mixing the colours and just let your imagination run wild, you'd be surprised by the characters you can create.

And as you create, you have to make creative decisions—like, why your character's hair might be green, for instance, or why you chose to give your spider seven legs instead of eight. Maybe your character ate too much spinach and her whole body is turning green? Or that spider might be a superhero that lost his leg in a fight with...well, what is a spider enemy? Anyway, you get the ideas.

After you create your play dough character, you can share it with your family—give it a name, and be prepared to share a little about how it lives or who its hangs out with. You can use all of that information for when you write a story about your character.

Many of my stories were written about characters I created with play dough.

Want to make your own? You're in luck! I asked my grandma for the recipe on our Skype call last night and Mom printed it out this morning. I've shared it here, but you can also download this activity book from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission website, which has this recipe plus a bunch of other activity ideas.

Gotta jet! Don't forget the Blogging From A to Z Challenge takes a break tomorrow, but I'll be back Monday with the letter "Q."

Happy creating—and stay safe!

~ Chase Superman Duffy 

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: O is for Origami

*waves* Hi! In case this is your first stop at the blog this month, I'm participating in the annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge and my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all be fun activities. Honest!

Just to recap, I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We did some gardening for "G," celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus. And of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling. We started week three of the challenge with knitting, on Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. It was fun, right? 

Well, I hope you got outside yesterday for some nature activities because it looks like we could be in for some rain. Which means, my sister and I are back inside for today's "O" activity. Ready? It's a good one!

O is for Origami 

We have quite a bit of construction and coloured paper in the house—so much we could probably open a stationary store. Amelia is always doing some kind of art project (like doodling bugs), and every year, we make homemade Christmas cards to send out to the family. (I think this year we'll be making birthday cards, too!)

So when Grandpa suggested we try "Origami" today, it wasn't a question of supplies that made me hesitate—I just didn't know how it would classify as an educational activity. Boy, did I learn a lot!

In case you don't know, Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper—and if you take a look at pictures on the internet, then you'll see that you can fold paper into all kinds of shapes. And I don't just mean the popular ones, like swans and frogs and airplanes. I saw a shark this morning that I'm going to try!

But Origami can also teach you math skills—which is almost as fun as playing cards or using a Rubik's cube (which I talked about on my "M" post the other day...) For instance, if you have a square piece of paper, what shape does it make when you fold it in half? (Two rectangles, of course!) You can also learn about sequences and patterns, important math concepts.

The other subject Origami can teach you about is social studies—specifically, learning about other cultures and traditions. Maybe you could write an essay about the origins of Origami, or maybe how it has been used throughout Asian culture?

First up, though, giving it a try.

You can scroll the internet for all kinds of Origami ideas, but I love this one. Since we can't get a real dog, maybe this will be enough. (Not really, but I'll pretend.)

Gotta jet! Happy paper folding...share some of your creations in the comments or email them to chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com. And if you're on Twitter, be sure to tag @SupermanDuffy! See you tomorrow for the letter "P."

~ Chase Superman Duffy