Enjoy our educational activities from the safety and comfort of your own home! Follow along in our videos and activity instructions below . . .
IGTV VIDEO 1 - GEOLOGY
Demonstrate to children at home that there is lots of interesting geology in their backyard and help gain a greater understanding of the geological history of Summerland. Furthermore improve their working knowledge of the glacier and volcanoes that once existed in the Okanagan.
Activities In the Video
Volcano
Plastic cup
Water
3-4 Tbsp of baking soda at least (or 4-6 for multiple eruptions)
1 tsp of dish soap
1/2 oz to 2 oz oz washable paint, depending on the intensity of the color desired
1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar to start with per eruption
Glacier Goo
Two 8-oz. (237 mL) bottles of white glue
Borax (a powdered soap found in the grocery store)
Large mixing bowl
Plastic cup (8-oz. [237 mL] size works well)
Spoon
Cookie sheet or plastic tray
Measuring cup
Blue food coloring
Water
Paper towel
Zipper-lock bag (to keep it when you’re done)
Start with the glue. Empty one 8-oz. (240 mL) bottle of white glue into a mixing bowl. Fill
the empty bottle half-full with warm water and shake. Pour the glue-water mixture in the mixing bowl and use the spoon to mix.
Mix the Borax. Measure ½ cup (120 mL) of warm water into the plastic cup and add a heaping teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. Stir. Don’t worry if all the powder doesn’t dissolve
Add Borax to glue. While stirring the glue in the mixing bowl, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. You will feel the long strands of molecules start to connect.
Abandon the spoon and use your hands to mix. Keep adding the Borax solution to the glue mixture until the goo has a putty-like consistency. You should be able to roll it on the table like dough. Let it rest for a little bit and it will spread itself out.
Repeat the first three steps to make your second batch of goo—but this time, add about 10 drops of blue food coloring to your glue mixture before adding the Borax solution. Try to keep this batch the same consistency as the first.
Now it’s time to combine the blue and white batches together. There’s no right or wrong way, just start twisting and folding the large pieces together until you get a cool swirl of blue and white goo. It’s a lot like pulling taffy.
IGTV VIDEO 2 - PIONEERS
Have children understand the experiences of daily life for pioneers who came to Summerland. Finish the live video knowing how people came to Summerland and how they lived while they were here. The goal is for children to be able to draw comparisons between their lives and the lives of the pioneers.
Activities In Video
Tin Lantern
These super pretty decorations perfect for any pioneer occasion can be painted any color and decorated any way you want. Grown up supervision is required!
Supplies
Washed and dried tin cans from your recycling bin
Permanent marker
Hammer and nail
Protective eye gear
Tea light or candle
Procedure
Designed the lanterns by making dots with a marker on the outside of the can, light will shine through wherever the dots are
An adult can use a hammer and nail to poke through the can (protective eyewear!)
Once it is dark but candles inside and admire new tin can lanterns
Thaumatrope
This was the first cartoon that involves science where you eye blends images together when seeing them quickly change. This was a very fun toy for pioneer kids
Supplies
Cut out of thaumatrope design (or create your own!!)
Straw (or string their is alternate ways of creating the toy)
Scissors
Two pieces of tape
Procedure
Cut our the circles containing the bird and the branch
Tape down the straw to the backside of one of the images
Tape the backs of the 2 images together so that the straw is behind them
Spin the straw between your hands or tun the string - the cartoon should appear
Buttermilk Scones
Supplies
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup currants (optional)
1 tablespoon heavy cream, for brushing
Procedure
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined. Add currants, if desired.
Transfer dough to a floured board and divide into 2 parts. Roll each to 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the cream, and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, split in half with butter and marmalade.
IGTV VIDEO 3 - KETTLE VALLEY RAILWAY
Learn about the CPR and KVR railways and how they helped to create Summerland as well as how they were phased out.
Activities in Video
Activity #1
TRUSS ME! app
Activity #2
Spaghetti + Marshmallow Bridge
Supplies:
Spaghetti sticks
Marshmallows
Space between two flat surfaces
Instruction:
With the marshmallows acting as connectors between the spaghetti sticks try to make the strongest bridge between two flat surfaces
Activity #3
Morse Code
Supplies:
Morse code PDF
Pencil and Paper
Instruction:
Try to decode the words using the Morse Code Alphabet
IGTV VIDEO 4 - SUMMERLAND DEVELOPMENT CO.
Summerland Development Company and its origins, how Summerland came to be full of millionaires and who they were.
Activity #1 Paper Plate Fruit Baskets
One of the reasons that drew Shaughnessy to Summerland was our fruit industry and the rich future it had
Go out into your garden or neighborhood to see just how good this fruit is and use a handmade fruit box or basket
Just like how Robinson sent a fruit box to Shaughnessy to convince him to invest here, maybe give some of the fruit you collect to a friend!
Supplies
White paper plates (1 plate per basket)
Scissors
A ruler
Pencil
Washi tape or rubber bands
4 paper clips.
Method
Trim about 1/4″ off of the circumference of the plate with scissors
Flip the plate over so the front side is facing down. Use the pencil and ruler to make a 9-section grid. Try your best to make the center square in the center of the plate. If you want you can measure it.
Use the regular scissors to cut a slit along every other vertical line. Stop cutting where the vertical line intersects with the center square.
Fold one side at a time up to form the “basket”. Use one paper clip to hold each side together as you assemble the basket.
Use washi tape and wrap it around the basket and then remove the paper clips. If you are using rubber bands, simply wrap the rubber bands around the basket. And you’re done! Now fill them up with summer treats!
Activity #2 - POSTCARDS
Shaughnessy may have used cards to convince his wealthy friends from Montreal to invest and build homes in Summerland
You can act like Shaughnessy and send postcards like the ones provided to your friends to convince them to come visit or just say hey!
Supplies
Paper printout
Scissors
Pencil
Stamp (if you want to mail it)
Method
Draw in the post card and write a note to your friend on the back
Write their address and attach a stamp
Put in mail!
IGTV VIDEO 5 - STERNWHEELERS
Learn how sternwheelers work, the first sternwheelers in the Okanagan, what they were used for and why they eventually stopped being used. Understand the importance of transportation for the beginning of Okanagan communities.
Activities
Activity #1 ORIGAMI BOAT
You can make a boat that could potentially boat at home with just a piece of paper. Try to decorate it how you would imagine the sternwheelers that once roamed Okanagan Lake were decorated. Watching the video makes this craft a lot easier
Supplies
Printout
Piece of Paper
Decorating Supplies (i.e. pencil crayons, glitter, markers)
Method
With one side up, fold the paper in half widthwise, with the folded edge away from you.
Fold in two top corners of the folded edge to meet at the middle, forming a triangle with a double-layer flap sticking out underneath.
Fold front layer of the flap up to front; fold back layer flap up to back.
Fold the end of the front flaps to the back.
Fold the end of the back sides around to the front.
Take hold of the center front and back of the triangle and pull apart, pushing in opposite corners so they lie flat against each other, creating a diamond shape.
Fold front and back bottom corners of the diamond up front and back, respectively, to meet at the top corner.
You should now have an open-bottomed triangle.
Pull wings at top gently apart, forming half of the ship. You may need to pop up the center and smooth the sides to form the boat.
You are Finished!
*if you need any help make sure to watch the video as it helps a lot to see it being folded!!*
Activity #2 Self Propelled Boat
This craft demonstrates how the original sternwheelers moved. The boat will be moved with the tension from an elastic band but the sternwheelers were propelled with steam.
Supplies:
margarine tube,
yoghurt pot,
2 craft sticks,
super glue (!) or strong hot glue gun,
duct tape,
acrylic paint,
elastic band
another piece of plastic (lid of an ice cream tub)
Method:
Secure your craft sticks to the side of your margarine tub. PVA glue is actually very good, but often not that water resistant. A hot glue gun can't grip the surface of the tub very well and may come off. Super glue is also not ideal, as wood absorbs the glue. But works well enough with duct tape put around it
Repeat the same for the yoghurt pot stuck down on the lid – a little bit of superglue and then some duct tape to secure it.
Then paint the boats in chosen colours.
Once dry choose some tape as decoration and maybe add some windows for them. They did have the choice to do the windows, but they wanted me
Then cut a piece of plastic from your extra lid for the paddle. Make it fit the width of your craft, but not too wide, so that it gets stuck as it goes round. You may want to trim it. Cut slits through and then put ONE piece of the elastic through it.
Wind your craft up and let it swim!