Summer vacation should be fun, of course, but you don't want it to hurt you're child's progress in school. It's well known that kids can lose some of what they learned. One study suggests that kids can forget up to three months worth of lessons during summer break. 

But Creative Kidstuff in Maple Grove wants to fight the summer slump with fun.  

KID SHOPS
Kid Shops are hands-on, interactive classes that aim to keep kids’ brains active during the summer. Themes vary from week-to-week like Camp Out, Things That Fly, Mystical Dragon Voyage, Gardens To Go, Birds of a Feather, Inventors Workshop, and Book It!

Kid Shops are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 10- August 16 for ages 4 to 10. They cost $15 each or $60 for a summer pass. 

Click here for a full schedule of classes.

EDUCATIONAL GAMES & TOYS

Rockin' Math Totally Amped-Up
board game, ages 8 & up

$19.99 *sale price*

Home Workbooks
ages & subject vary

$3.60 *sale Price*

Hot Dots Jr.
ages 3-6

prices vary





FUN AT HOME
Creative Kidstuff sells a variety of science-themed activity kits with step-by-step instructions for experiments you can do at home.

Or simply open up the kitchen cupboards and let kids get their hands dirty with easy experiments... like Magic Mud.
 
Magic Mud Ingredients:
3 parts cornstarch
1 part cold water
food coloring (optional)
 
Magic Mud Instructions:
Stir ingredients together so that they form a liquid, then scoop up a handful and squeeze it. Watch it transition from a liquid to a solid as you hold it.

The science behind Magic Mud:
This mixture is a colloid. That is because the water doesn't actually dissolve the cornstarch. The cornstarch particles are fine and remain in suspension within the water. The water is the continuous phase and the cornstarch particles form a dispersed phase. Other colloids you might know include milk, gelatin, agar, aerosol spray, smoke and fog.


Friday, June 08, 2012