Sparkle Stories Blog

This week’s craft project is very easy to put together, but — as with Martin’s microscope — getting it to work well will take a little bit of inventive tinkering. If you stick with it, however, it’s really neat to see how common objects and creatures look at a microscopic level.

There are few things more inspirational than the thought of rockets blasting into space. While this week's craft won't quite get you to the stars, it is a great science project to get your future astronaut on the path to space exploration.

I’ll admit, I find the mechanical information of trains a little boring, but I love the history. Especially, that of the glamorous era of train travel, when you slept in Pullman cars and awoke to a special breakfast in the dining car. This French toast recipe is one of those historic breakfast options.

Perhaps it's because our family just finished our first season of pinewood derby, but I can readily identify with Jane's deep dive into learning about cars. What makes them go faster? Is aerodynamics important? Or is it all about weight? The research and reading and testing is fascinating.

While these are commonly thought of as camping food, there's no reason you need an open fire to enjoy them. Plus, with just a few, commonly on-hand ingredients, they can be pulled out when cabin fever sets in, without too much advance planning.

Topped with the tail end of this year's fresh pesto, these two dragons are an easy—and delicious—introduction to tangrams. Couple them with a few slices of bell pepper (or, “dragon fire strips” if you want to keep with the theme), for a healthy, savory snack.