Vivian wanted a science birthday party. I said - how about jumping at the jumpy castle place (jokingly)? But she was set on the science party. For decorations, Jo printed out pictures of five scientists (Einstein, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall, astronaut Mae Jemison and a sexy paleontologist - Jo didn't want "just a bunch of ugly scientists") and we put them on the wall. I also photoshopped Vivian's face on to a crazy-hair Einstein image.
If Grandpa was alive we would have pressed him into service. But Jo rented a scientist to come over and give the kids a demo. About 25 children trying to fathom the concepts of energy and gravity and states of matter and making slime. But the best part was watching the rent-a-scientist make hydrogen gas in a ballon (sodium carbonate and aluminum foil and hot water in a flask with a ballon over the top) and then she ignited it to make a nice fireball.
Later in the afternoon, after the formal science portion, the kids played out in the beautiful sunshine. Boys of every age took up sticks and fought each other. Then Vivian got them carrying old bamboos from a corner up to a tree to build a "fort". Dried leaves were collected in a pile and then everyone went to work to make sparks by banging rocks together so they could make a fire. After about fifteen minutes of this I gave them a barbecue gas lighter and in seconds we had a nice fire going. One girl told me that this was the first time she had seen a fire. Another asked if she could live here for ever. When the fire burned out, it was a good end to a great party.
If Grandpa was alive we would have pressed him into service. But Jo rented a scientist to come over and give the kids a demo. About 25 children trying to fathom the concepts of energy and gravity and states of matter and making slime. But the best part was watching the rent-a-scientist make hydrogen gas in a ballon (sodium carbonate and aluminum foil and hot water in a flask with a ballon over the top) and then she ignited it to make a nice fireball.
Later in the afternoon, after the formal science portion, the kids played out in the beautiful sunshine. Boys of every age took up sticks and fought each other. Then Vivian got them carrying old bamboos from a corner up to a tree to build a "fort". Dried leaves were collected in a pile and then everyone went to work to make sparks by banging rocks together so they could make a fire. After about fifteen minutes of this I gave them a barbecue gas lighter and in seconds we had a nice fire going. One girl told me that this was the first time she had seen a fire. Another asked if she could live here for ever. When the fire burned out, it was a good end to a great party.
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