We are famous!!

Sam and I went to help clean Briant Park in Summit for earth day, and ended up in the newspaper (Independent Press). We even got mentioned by name!

http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2015/04/residents_pitch_in_to_help_at.html

Field day at school

Hanging out outside on a warm day

 

and inside...

Dyno day at Morris Museum

Feeding a T-Rex

Making an imprint of a fossil (a shell in this case)

Excavating for fossils

Sam also got to see a live caiman - related to crocodiles - who is a distant relative of dynosaurs

Photo Scavenger Hunt at Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ

Sam is doing a scaventer hunt at this arboretum. He has a list of about 20 different things (related to trees and other vegetation) that he has to find and take pictures of them, in order to win a prize.

 

Found one of the items he needs for his scavenger hunt!

Last item on the scavenger hunt was to take a picture of your family. Sam took this picture!

Receiving his prize - a little basket where you can put straw and other things to help birds make their nests

Enjoying a well-deserved snack at Matilda's cafe

I'm in a good mood!

 

 

Commuting to New York with mom, to go to back-up school during regular school break

This started off ambitious... Sam decided to read a book on the train

A few minutes later... the I-pad won out!

Earth Day Festival at Essex Environmental Center in Roseland, NJ

This machine lets you see how hard you have to spin the wheel to power different devices (such as regular and LED light bulb, coffee grinder, or hair dryer). Hair dryer was the hardest - even dad could not make it spin, because it uses so much electricity.

More in the energy laboratory

Earth day craft - making a planet earth

 

Playing games - throwing a wheel make of sticks into other sticks. This was really hard!

Of course, climbing trees is a must!

Painting was fun too

and one of Sam's favorites: spin art!

"Touch a Truck" and "Wild Earth Fest" at Trailside Nature Center in Mountainside, NJ

Sam got to touch a snake and thought it was kind of scary

There were all kinds of industrial and municipal trucks that kids could touch and climb

This is a wolf!

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Thomas Edison had a lab here (in West Orange, New Jersey) in the late 1800's - early 1900's. He advanced the commercial lightbulb, perfected music recordings, among many other useful inventions.

Working hard on the Junior Ranger booklet. Sam completed it and got a Junior Ranger badge, as well as a patch.

Thomas Edison's laboratory

A park ranger is telling Sam about Thomas Edison's library

Some kids activities at the lab - putting together a puzzle

  

Today was Katherine's first time in the sitting stroller

Alexander Hamilton Grange and President Grant Memorial

Sam travelled two places within the National Parks system today. The first one was the Hamilton Grange, the home of Alexander Hamilton, who was the first secretary of the treasury, founded Bank of New York and created the U.S. currency. His house is located on W 141st St in Manhattan.

 

The second place (also owned by the National Parks system) was the General Grant Memorial. It is where General/President Grant (18th President of the United States and civil war general) is buried, on W 123st St and Riverside Dr in Manhattan. 

One of the favorite activities was jumping on benches outside

Sam completed an activity booklet at both sites and earned Junior Ranger badges. Here is is being sworn in as a Junior Ranger.

Receiving his Junior Ranger badge

Sam's new Junior Ranger badges