The Coronavirus quarantine has me homeschooling my nine-year-old with our 10YO and 7YO neighbors for the last two weeks (and counting). I've been in charge of hands-on afternoon activities that reinforce their math and writing lessons. Thanks to the school programs I do through the Durham Arts Council, I had at least these first two weeks covered. We've made butterflies and tadpoles from recycled materials; we've produced and felt the sound waves inside didgeridoos and other hollow tubes and painted using the dot-art style of the Australian aborigines; and we've read Eddie the Electron and constructed circuits with Elenco Snap Circuits. Surprisingly, the snap circuits ended up requiring the least supervision and entertained the older students for two days with *no* adult supervision at all.

While the kids built increasingly complex circuits, including games they could play with one another, I spouted on about Ohm's law and the reasons their circuits were doing the things they were observing. You might think they weren't listening (I did), but when I asked them about Ohm's law during free time at the end of the day, each one of them told me how Voltage, Resistance, and Current are all related; and the two older ones actually remembered the equation.

I've been using Elenco Snap Circuits in my "Eddie the Electron and Your Future in Science" workshop for nearly ten years, and they have never ceased to mesmerize and engage the participating students (pre-K through 5th-grade). I've had a snap-circuits table at the UNC Science Expo and other events for years as well, and I've seen parents bribe their kids with ice-cream in order to get them to leave. The best part is that Elenco Snap Circuits are incredibly affordable now - less than the cost of a video game (and you tell me which is better for your kids).

Using clips from our experience with Elenco Snap Circuits last week, I made the video below to demonstrate just how engaging these things really are. (Note that the opening image was created by a 7YO artist using Spin Art.) After I took these videos, I left my Snap Circuits at our neighbors' house for two nights, and the 10-YO played with them *by himself* every chance he got for the next two days. He has built nearly all of the 300 circuits in the booklet provided (including an AM radio!), while engaging his spirited younger sister in the resulting games and activities.

While your family is stuck inside and phrases like "I'm bored" and "I have nothing to do" begin to dominate conversation, you should consider purchasing an Elenco Snap Circuit kit. You can currently order the beginner kit (with plans for over 100 circuits) for $16 at Mercari, $20 at American Science and Surplus, $22 at Best Buy, and around $35 at Walmart and Target. You can get 'em at even lower prices on EBay. (The product has been so successful that knockoffs are now being produced, so please ensure that you purchase family-owned-and-operated *Elenco* Snap Circuits where you can.)

My children's picture book,Eddie the Electron, makes a great accompaniment to your Elenco Snap Circuits, which is why I use both in my elementary and middle-school education workshops.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Eddie the Electron, you can do so here: https://www.amberjackpublishing.com/eddie-the-electron. And if you already have a copy of Eddie the Electron, consider purchasing the sequel, Eddie the Electron Moves Out, which discusses natural resources and our reasons for conserving and protecting them.

For information about my other children's books (and my mission, in general), you can check out my webpage at www.melissarooneywriting.com.

Thanks for supporting STEM literacy and education for the future leaders and caretakers of our world :-) !

P.S. In the meantime, here's how to make your own Spin Art Machine: https://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Spin-Art-Machine/

Here's a smaller one: http://www.housingaforest.com/homemade-spin-art-machine/

And here's an even easier one: https://babbledabbledo.com/diy-spin-art-art-spinners-from-steam-play-learn/

There are silver linings in every dark cloud. Please wash your hands regularly, stay healthy, and enjoy your family while they (and you) can't get away.

XO,

Melissa (Rooney)