Forever in Frozen Blue Jeans - Experiments with Kids When It's Really Cold Outside

 For a few winters now I've seen some fun social media post showcasing frozen jeans standing up as if they'd come alive in some amazing Fantasia based Sorcerer's Apprentice spell.

Image Courtesy of Your Classical

Creating A Frozen Jean Family

First we wet our jeans in the kitchen sink. Then we hung them over our back porch railing for 30 minutes. To provide some weather related contect the day we conducted this experiment it was -15C outside (said to feel like -20C), for you Americans that's 5 Degrees F to -4 Degrees F. If it's colder than your clothes will likely freeze faster, warmer out they'll freeze a little slower.

It didn't take long to realize the genius of Molly's idea to go with overalls. I was able to truly hang them off the railing to get a perfectly perpendicular frozen jean. The jeans that we laid over the porch railing were folded over frozen a bit and harder to pose in the snow compared to Molly's overalls.

Our jean garden in all it's stiff and frozen glory.

With a second successful experiment under our belt (see what I did there? Feel free to groan now) we're ready to take on more. Next time I'd use a close line or only use overalls to freeze because the result was so nice. Molly wants to try to also make frozen shirts next time to make full frozen phantom scarecrows. When that happens I'll be sure to post the results.

Stay tuned for more extreme cold weather experiments this winter!

To view our frozen spaghetti optical illusion click here.

The Frozen Spaghetti Incident - Things to Do with Kids When It's REALLY Cold Out!

It's really cold outside. How cold is it? Really. Freaking. Cold. In Toronto this year we were throttled with a record breaking (seriously it broke records) ton of snow and now we're enduring blasts of arctic cold and no hope of that melting any time soon and apparently another 20cm of snow next week.

While getting outside for extended periods of time is not the easiest right now, short times outside is how we're logging our vitamin D, whether it's walking the dog or shovelling snow. 

We've managed to log just over 20 hours outdoors so far this year towards our annual goal of 1000 hours outside and have turned to my 1000 hours outside Facebook group to get some inspiration for things to do when it's really cold outside. This weekend we decided to try some fun experiments to show just how cold it is here in the big smoke. Here is our first one.  Behold:

Our Frozen Spaghetti Optical Illusion

First we boiled the spaghetti as per usual and put it in a collander to cool.

Next we piled the spaghetti onto two plates and brought them outside along with our forks and used a box to prop up the fork-fulls of spaghetti on to let them freeze mid-air. I put a hoodie over top of the forks on the box to keep them in place while the weather took care of the rest. I probably should have taken a picture of the process, but hindsight is 20-20.

We left the spaghetti on top of the BBQ to ensure our dog Ted wouldn't eat the spaghetti while it froze. 

Look Ma, no hands!

Fear not, no spaghetti was wasted in this process. It has since been thawed inside and Molly will be enjoying it for dinner tonight.

Stay tuned for our next Baby it's Cold Outside Experiment!

Thankful Reflections

Happy New Year! No, we haven't disappeared completely into a COVID related abyss, but I have been struggling with what to write the past few months. 

As the news continues to roll in about COVID numbers being at an all-time high in Ontario, alongside news that many kids will be going back to school in less than a week is an emotional rollercoaster that is stressful and infuriating. At the same time I understand how lucky we are in Ontario and Canada, after reading about Uganda's 84 week shutdown of in-person school, with many students not even having the option of remote-learning, and instead having to get jobs. 

I have thought a lot lately about writing school boards, my local governments to try and make change, but unfortunately my efforts surrounding this in the fall fell flat. Instead of giving into my feelings of defeat my hope is to begin this year from a point of gratitude. Here are some of the things I am grateful for right now.

A rare sighting of our cat.

1. Frontline workers who have kept everything running for the safety, health and comfort of the rest of us.
2. Daily breakfasts and lunches with my kids (and often husband) while we all work from home and had virtual school.
3. Having received our booster shots and having M&J's second dose appointments in less than a week.
4. Having a flexible enough job that my kids can attend online school until they are fully vaccinated and it is safer to return to school.
5. Amazing online teachers who have kept my kids engaged and learning for what's approaching two years now.
6. Outdoor programming for kids in Toronto that allows for safer interaction with other kids throughout the pandemic. (this week they snow shoed in High Park and it was amazing)
7. Two amazing kids who support each other in their learning, and have come along way in terms of attention span. managing their workloads, and their computer and typing skills.
8. A wonderful tutor to help both kids when they're struggling with new concepts or studying for tests. 
9. Jack's IEP, it has increased his confidence and grades, tenfold.
10. Our family and friends who have managed to stay in touch virtually, endured chilly outdoor visits, and remained engaged, even when there is literally nothing to talk about.
11. Our pets, who are always up for cuddles when we're feeling down.
12. Messenger Kids, Zoom calls, and Text.
13. Online Trivia games and the site Trickster cards for euchre.
14. Puzzles....We have completed 60 puzzles (and counting) since the beginning of the pandemic and have found a new hobby to give us all some zen.
15. Binge-worthy shows to enjoy.

Keep safe and take care of each other!