Unschooling Homeschool: March 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Nasi Lemak & Egg Experiment 27 November 2009

Friday evening.
EnHui wanted to eat non-spicy nasi lemak !, just cucumber, egg, nuts and anchovies. I prepared it in a healthier way but it's not as yummy as the usual one we eat. We cooked the rice without santan(coconut cream), bought ground nuts from the "kacang putih" uncle! :) and baked the anchovies in the oven.

We boiled eggs and did an experiment with it. The experiment goes like this. Spin the raw egg. While it's spinning, lightly place a finger on top to stop the movement and quickly remove your finger. The stationary egg will start to spin again, all by itself. Boil the egg. Try the experiment again with a hard boiled egg. When boiled egg stops, it stays still. They learnt the science momentum and the difference on how liquid and solid contents moved.

Left- EnHui love eating the cucumber this way, and not slicing it. Right- Mom who loves chilli, ate it with kimchi (yummy in my tummy!) bought from a Hobahn Korean Restaurant @dpc, RM4 per tub.

EnHui knows their "all the time food" and "sometimes food". I tell them as and when we eat the food. There is one particular book about food which they love to play again and again. Eat Your Colors! A Puzzle Book (Sesame Street Happy Healthy Monsters)

En's thought on Earth Hour 27 March 2010

Friday pm.
En found out about Earth Hour that falls on Saturday, from the radio.
En told Hui, "you know tomorrow is Earth Hour, Zhang Hui. We need to switch off the lights". I love Earth day. I asked En, "Why do you like Earth Hour?". En replied " I love to save the Earth".

Saturday am.
En woke up and she remember today is Earth Hour. She said "Today is Earth Hour! I am so happy".

As a matter of fact, our lights are usually off by 8-9pm. EnHui are early sleeper.

En's drawing for mom 27 March 2010

Saturday night.
En drew a picture for me and coloured a page of her kitty colouring book. She was self-directed in her learning most of the time. Then, she spent the night replying emails.. and she likes her email-pal, Chloe whom she hasn't met before! She refused to delete any of Chloe's emails.. so I showed her how to create a folder and moved the old emails from Chloe to this newly created folder... and that's when she said " Mom, I want to sleep now.. " So, I said "Ok, Good night". She went to bed.

Left- A picture for mom. Right- En coloring.

Spy Bug 26 March 2010

Friday night.

En self-made spy bug. She still very much in love with her spy book. :) How to Be a Spy in 7 Days or Less

Magnificent Caterpillar 28 March 2010

Sunday am.
Our caterpillars are spinning silk cocoon now..:)

Friday morning. 26 March. There are so huge.

On Friday afternoon, we saw 2 caterpillars crept to the top, we guess they are going to spin cocoon soon. So we put a curry leaf branch inside the container.

Left- Friday evening. We noticed silky effect on the wall. Right - Sunday 12am. The right side caterpillar was hanging in the air! hold by the silk.

On Saturday morning, the third caterpillar crept to the top on the left side. The other two caterpillars were hanging next to each other on the right side. Interesting......

Now, I experienced what it means by learning can be fun. :)
An alternative way of learning beside the traditional 'sit down', 'shut up' and do as I say" model.

On Sunday morning, we found the third caterpillar which was on the left side, has moved to the right side, hanging next to the two caterpillars. It seems that they wanted to be together.

EnHui's pocket Butterflies and Moths nature book with internet links. Butterflies and Moths

Harvest Spring Onion 26 March 2010

Friday 9am
When we were back from Singapore, EnHui were so delighted seeing their spring onion plant.. ready to be harvested. :)

En took it to the kitchen sink and gave it a good wash!

We eat raw spring onion almost everyday, sprinkle on the soup, porridge or noodle with soup. Eat not only the green leaves but the white part as well.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Cooperative Learning Initiative Preview 27 March 2010

Saturday 3pm.
Briefly, for children aged 4-7, a playgroup would be set up. Children above 7, will have Math, Science, project, outdoor activity and sport (basketball), facilitated by parents :)
En wasn't interested with the playroom and wish to join the meeting. So she sat with us, frequently walking to the playroom to check on Hui.
At the end, I asked En, "Are you interested to join?". En surely said "NO".

http://learningbeyondschooling.org/category/cooperative-learning-initiative/

Hui in the white dress, running from the meeting room to the playroom and vice versa!

Singapore trip 22 March 2010

Monday 5am.
At 445am, we were on our way to LCCT. Hui has fallen asleep in my arms. I told En to close her eyes and rest. En replied "No, I want to see the world". This startled me. She really loves the world, little children loves the world! Singapore has lots of great educational attractions.. hence, I make 1-3 trips a year to this fascinating island.

At Changi airport, we took a skytrain from Terminal 1(Air Asia's flight terminal) to Terminal 2, as the MRT station is located at basement of T2. We boarded the MRT to Outram Park station, where there is a free shuttle bus to Hotel Re, a cozy boutique hotel.

Here we are at aunty J's hotel room, with her family members. We were so excited to be there, watching Aunty J got ready for her special day!, from applying make up to signing on the dotted line of her marriage certificate. :) I feel so happy for her. En enjoyed watching the whole process so much..

Left- En observing aunty J, posing for photos.

Right- En took photos of the loving couple, while I carried Hui was sleeping.

En was so focused throughout the whole process.. enjoying every moments, and when it ended, she asked "Can I have two husbands?" and mentioned "I will get marry 12 years later" :)

The wedding solemnisation ended with a Singapore Flyer ride. EnHui being the only two children there, made the loudest noise.

Tuesday am

We took MRT to Jurong East and caught a bus no. 335 to Singapore Science Centre, which is just two bus stops away. In fact, we could have walked to Science Centre from the MRT station.. but it was raining when we arrived the MRT station.

Hui loves the bus. She prefers the bus more than the MRT, the cab or the car.

EnHui kept all the bus ticket stubs.

Left- Can you see the picture? Right- Check out the reflection on the glass.

There are so many things to explore.. and it's only SGD6 for an adult, and SGD3 for a child. Below 3 is free. Hui made me carried her from one display to another, "what is that? what is it called? " We watched a 40minutes documentary, "Forces of Nature" at its Omni - theatre where Hui fell zzzzz and me half- zzzzz but En immersed in the crystal clear image and commented "huh.. it's so real!". Omni

Right- En's favourite experiment of all. She was there for couple of times.

Left- Tesla Coil Show. EnHui took an interest in the electrical current display .

Wednesday 730am

We took a cab to the zoo. EnHui didn't like the idea of taking a cab. They love the bus! There is a bus no 927 from Choa Chu Kang MRT station that takes you to the zoo. I wanted to arrive Zoo on the dot, 830am when ticketing counter opens, so EnHui could watch the elephant bathing at 915am (daily). Hence cab would be the best. :)

Ah Meng kopi(coffee) which is located at the entrance opens at 8am. Its teh (tea) and toast is yummy! :)

Elephant bathing 915am & Polar bear feeding 1005am

Left- EnHui with a tiny snail. En used her pet snake to scare the snail!. Right- I usually rent this wagon sgd15, to pull EnHui the whole day! I started with pulling just En. The seat back can be pushed down and made a flat surface for napping toddler. Follow by, pulling EnHui who seated comfortably. Today, the wagon seems cramped as En has grown taller. :)

En caressing 3 toed sloth & fed giraffe with carrot.

Flying fox - just next to us in an open space, flying freely.

Must not missed - Fragile Forest. It's an enclosure of beautiful rain forest with animals roaming freely,swooping flying foxes, iguana, ring tailed lemur, blue crowned hanging parrot, red lory, clipper, tortoise, stingray, ducks, sloth etc etc.

Giant Tortoise Experience 115pm to 145pm daily

En fed giant tortoise apple.

We were observing Hamadrya Babboons... till Hui said she wanted to poo!

En said "she is training this emu". She has changed her ambition from author to animal trainer. :)

Thumbuakar Tribe show at night safari 7pm. It's near the entrance of night safari. So, you can still catch it without entering Night Safari.

We went to the Night Safari after S'pore Zoo, which is about 3 minutes walk from S'pore Zoo. The tickets costs cheaper if you buy 2 parks (S'pore Zoo and Night Safari), instead of just 1 park. You will save even more if you buy tickets for 3 parks, that are S'pore Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Park.

The night safari tram ride will take you close to the nocturnal animals that frolic and graze at night.. (if you are lucky!). We had malayan tapirs, mousedeer, babi rusa, sambar deer etc just next to our tram!

Thursday am.

We took the MRT from Choa Chu Kang all the way to the last station E1 Pasir Ris. EnHui loves the long cozy, scenic MRT ride. We headed to Downtown East, Wild Wild Wet water park. Unfornately, it rained when we arrived. So, we got into the Explorer Kids indoor playground instead. This place is not attractive at all. Register as a member would be wiser, SGD2 cheaper and the membership last till the child turns 12. Member entrance fees is SGD9. Non member is SGD20!!!