May 2nd Workshop Review

The winds of change blew through our recent Green Apple Kids workshop and got our young inventors thinking about alternative fuel sources. GAK co-founder Beatrice Tinio led the day’s lesson by starting with a picture book focused specifically on the how the suns fuels almost every energy source that exists on the Earth.

When Bea asked the class what makes the wind, parents were amazed to learn that the junior Green Apple attendees where in the correct ballpark. “The sun!” offered one GAK kid, while another added, “Because the sun controls all the weather.” The kids also recognized the differences between fossil fuels and sustainable energy sources (identifying solar panel and embracing the concept of hydro-electricity).

But enough talking, a Green Apple Kids workshop would be incomplete without a fun. hands-on activity. At their respective workstations, the kids decorated the arms of their anemometers (say that three times quickly) and colored one of the 4 cups that catch the wind in order to be able to measure the wind’s velocity. The stem was made from discarded pencils and the base from repurposed modeling clay.

With their anemometers ready, the Green Apple Kids constructed an indoor ‘wind farm’ counting off their cup revolutions (see video below) and then each kid left with a velocity chart in order to record wind speeds in their neighborhoods and advocate for the installation of an energy-producing turbine.

March 7th Workshop Review

“Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bicycle.” And ride they did. First the Green Apple Kids rode indoors – a treat facilitated by the fact that the library loaned us their large auditorium room for this workshop – then they had a blast riding outdoors on an unusually warm March afternoon. But first Will, of NYCBikes, instructed kids and parents on a bit of Bike 101.

After introducing himself, Will read the book 'Duck On A Bike' to a humored audience. He then ran through important tips for kids. “The most important part of a bike is not on the bike, it’s your…” asked Will. To which the Green Apple Kids responded, “Hemet!” Will also had tips for parents, “Keep tiny fingers away from the gears,” (see pic below) and “Always keep tires properly inflated."

After instruction on how to remove, mend and inflate an inner tube, Will introduced the Green Apple Kids to his favorite childhood bike accessory: the safety flag. Safety flags are especially important in metropolitan neighborhoods where kids share play space with busy motorists. The Green Apple Kids, grouped at a long communal table, got the chance to create their very own flags using recycled fabric (triangles cut from old canvas totes and t-shirts), bamboo stakes and crushed bits of unused crayons.

After creating their playful, but practical flags, there was only one logical thing left to do… Have a bike parade! Check out photos and bike parade video below. And also remember, biking is not only fun, it’s a mode of transportation that is healthy for both you and the planet.