Science At the Park

The story behind the book "What Should We Do" actually began when my oldest child was in first grade. I wanted him to have fun with his friends while learning about science (which he loves). So I

came up with this idea I called "Science at the Park" where we would get together once a week to do experiments, build, and learn. I included kids from his class and also anyone who happened to be at the park when we were meeting.

A funny story from this time is when I lost my shoe during our bottle rocket launch. The kids designed and build their own rockets using water bottles, and decorated them to their hearts' content. One by one, I helped them launch their rockets by dropping a baking soda pouch into the bottle partially filled with vinegar. The kids ooh-ed and aaah-ed over the heights their rockets reached. One kiddo's rocked flew to great heights...and into a tree. We tried everything we could to get it down. We threw pine cones, sticks, anything we had...to no avail. Then I had the bright idea of taking my shoe off and chucking it at the rocket to loosen it from the grips of the branches. I wanted the kiddo to be able to bring his rocket home, so I was determined to make it happen. I squinted one eye shut to focus in on my target, drew my arm back and hurled my black Converse shoe. The shoe flew towards my target. It then sailed past the rocket I was aiming for and disappeared in the dense bush underneath the tree.

A couple weeks later, I hear a knock on my door. It is one of the kiddos in our group who came to bring me my shoe. He and his Mom came to the park repeatedly to try and recover my shoe. To this day, if you mention "rocket" to my kids, they can still recall how I had to come home hobbling with just one shoe that day. And it makes my heart grow three sizes when one of my mom friends tells me their child still recalls the events of that day.

I am so grateful for this tribe that me and my kids get to do life with, and am so glad they got to learn all these things together. My hope with this book is that it ignites other children's imaginations as well. If other moms pick up this book and band together to make their own "Science at the Park" , that would be amazing. Just take my advice...don't use your shoe to get things out of trees.