By Mary Ann Grassia, M.Ed.

Make a list of the types of dogs that live in your neighborhood.

Find the sunniest room in your home.

Use a refrigerator magnet to find out if there are any other magnetic surfaces in your home. Remember to keep magnets away from computers, CD’s and DVD’s (Find out why this is important.)

Check the labels on your favorite foods. How many contain sugar?

How many foods in your refrigerator grew in a garden or on a farm?

Ask an adult to slice a lemon into 3 thick slices. Place slices on a plate. Cover one slice with salt, one with baking powder, and one with baking soda. Use a fork to poke each slice to get the juice flowing. Observe what happens with each.

Save the seed of an avocado. Poke a toothpick on each side and use the toothpicks to suspend the seed in a glass of water. Place on a sunny window and observe for several days. When roots form you can plant the seed in soil and grow a leafy houseplant.

What other fruits or vegetables can you use to grow your own plants?

Place water in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle ground black pepper on the water. Dip a toothpick into a drop of dishwashing liquid, then dip it into the middle of the pepper. Watch what happens.

Learn to use a water dropper. Squeeze the rubber bulb and put dropper into a container of water. Release the bulb, then lift dropper from the water. Notice how much water you collected. Now count as you drop ten drops one by one back into the container. Practice.

“April showers bring May flowers.” Predict how many rainy days we will have this coming April. Keep a daily chart then check the accuracy of your prediction at the end of the month.

How long does it take an ice cube to melt? Think of ways to find out.

Try out your ideas.