The Black Mountain College attracted artists, sculptors, musicians, dancers, thinkers, and poets from all over the globe. This week we invite you to learn from the work of the groundbreaking movement from 1933–1957 outside of Asheville, North Carolina.
Thursday, June 29, 2023 is International Mud Day. This camp celebrates a material that is often overlooked. Heighten the senses, and stimulate creativity with its bountiful possibilities. Invent, play, pretend, and experiment outdoors with mud.
The Pirate Code was a group of rules that all pirates had to follow aboard a ship. This was how things 'worked' and kept order among a group of possibly unruly pirates. Everyone had to sign it and live by it. Sounds like a good plan, no?
When you walk in the woods, you know that birds and animals nest and burrow there. It is also easy to imagine other creatures who live there tending to the flowers and community. In fact, this instinct to imagine that elves, gnomes, and fairies build h...
Travel through South America — a journey of thousands of kilometers in one short week. Start your journey in Puerto Rico and then embrace the culture of Cuba. Cruise over to Central America where you will take a look at the traditio...
We cannot ignore the creatures on Earth that often get a bad rap. Fascinating underdog creatures like dung beetles and musk deers must be valued. They are all essential to our ecosystem and have a role that we must appreciate. This week explore species...
On November 4, 1922 King Tutenkhamun’s tomb was discovered by Howard Carter and a team of archaeologists. One hundred years later the allure of King Tut remains as strong as ever.
King Tutankhamun became ruler of Egypt when he was nine years o...
In 1762, John Spilsbury, a map engraver, invented the first jigsaw puzzle. He cut the countries out of a paper map and gave them to a local school where students could experience geography first hand.
More than 100 years ago, A.C. Gilbert graduated from Yale. Rather than practice medicine, for which he trained, he practiced magic. He founded the Mysto Magic Company with John Petrie. Gilbert went on to build Erector Sets and other learning t...
In 19th Century America, thoughtful educators and organizations advocated reconnecting children (and adults) with nature. They organized parks and camps where the air was fresher, schedules could be more relaxed, and learning could be spontaneous.
Humans have always recognized electricity in lightning bolts and fur that crackles when stroked. But the practical uses of electricity - circuits - have been discovered mostly from Eli Whitney's time to the present in simple experiments and creative ac...
Every bird, beast and bug has earned its place on our planet. But crowding and sometimes contamination threatens many. Consider the stories of animals revered by the cultures they have shaped and yet still endangered. Animal stories are often not recor...
Architects in nature fashion honeycombs, lodges, hives, webs, and dens. They take on the intricate engineering of bird nests. Our forests are abundant with these constructions. From tiny to large creatures, builders of the oceans, woodlands, desserts, ...
There are too many dragons to remember. Dragons come from all cultures. Do all dragons fly? No! Do all dragons talk? Some do, and some tell clever riddles. Are all dragons dangerous? Not at all.
Some live alongside humans and bless them with ma...
Some castles are also palaces with a noble family and royal staff. Some castles are forts defending the edge of a kingdom. Some castles are outposts that protect travelers and trading caravans. Some are beautiful. Some are simply practical.
