How cool we are continuing to grow. Please take a moment to welcome our newest members, @Samuel Wendland and @Aurelie Delahalle. I know things can get a little chaotic here. Our goal is to have fun and bring more play into our lives and those of the children we care for and about. The classroom is going to be undergoing a makeover but I encourage you to take a look at the Start Here and when you are ready, please say Hello!

You might say I’m a bit obsessed with Peeps. In addition to the marshmallow treats I also have Peeps pillows, Peep scented hand soap, Peeps t-shirts. I once visited the giant Peeps store at the Mall of America (sadly the store is no longer there). I just recently learned Peeps are only available in the US and Canada. Sorry to my European friends. Maybe you have something similar? Let’s take a closer look at the chemistry of the treat.Whether you love them, hate them, or never heard of them, Peeps are a masterclass in food engineering. They are essentially "Sugar-Coated Air." Peeps provide a perfect opportunity to move from "consumption" to "investigation." When we stop just eating the treat and start asking what makes it expand or melt, we are practicing the "Wonder" we built in Science week. We’re taking a commercial product and reclaiming it for the Global Table of curiosity. Here are a few of my favorite Peeps videos. How Peeps are Made and How to Make Your Own Peeps.

For the next two weeks, we’ll be exploring some of the culture and traditions from around the world. The scavenger hunt ends today and for many this upcoming weekend may include a scavenger hunt of a different sort. The famous Easter Egg hunt. Later this week, we will explore its origins. Here’s what I have planned for the week, if you have first hand experience with any of these topics please feel free to a) correct me and b) share your knowledge. Day 1: Ukraine | The Geometry of Hope. Writing "secret messages" and prayers through traditional Pysanky symbols. Day 2: Germany | The Logic Link Hunt. Shifting the traditional egg hunt into a sequential mystery that builds problem-solving skills. Day 3: The Global Bakery | Kneading the Community. Exploring why the world’s most famous Easter breads require the two things achievement culture hates: warmth and time. Day 4: Guatemala | The Art of Letting Go. Building vibrant "sawdust carpets" and practicing the beauty of temporary, process-based art. Day 5: Sweden | The Easter Witch. Reclaiming agency and imagination through the "Easter Witch" tradition of trading art for joy. Day 6: Australia | The Bilby vs. The Bunny. Learning about stewardship and how we can adapt traditions to protect our local environments. Day 7: The Lab | The Science of the Treat. Investigating the "Chemistry of Peeps" (or the mystery of the Naked Bouncy Egg) to end the week with pure wonder. I’ll be posting the Education + Play challenges each morning. Which country or tradition are you most curious about? Let me know in the comments!

How many times at work or in your day to day, have you felt like you had to have an answer? In our always “on” always connected culture, kids and adults often feel they have to have all the answers. Admitting "I don't know" feels like a weakness. But in science, "I don't know" is the most exciting sentence you can say, it’s the starting line for a new discovery. When we model "I don't know" as adults, we give kids a massive gift. We show them that curiosity is a lifelong journey, not a destination. Science gives us a framework to move from "uncertainty" to "investigation." Today, we’re practicing the art of the Open Question. Do you find it easy to say, I don’t know?