Want to prevent the summer slide?
Scroll down for some fun and educational activities!

Check out these websites to see LIVE animal videos from zoos across the country. 

Zoo Atlanta: PANDA CAM

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Houston Zoo: GIRAFFE FEEDING PLATFORM

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San Diego Zoo: 13 CAMS TO CHOOSE FROM

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Monterey Bay Aquarium: 10 CAMS TO EXPLORE

Check out these websites for some cool summer fun

• Weave a cute baby turtle

• Make a shell refrigerator magnet

• Create origami animals

• Make taste-safe kinetic sand

• Create a sea animal coffee filter suncatcher

• Find sea creature knitting patterns here

• Create bubble foam for summer play

• Make your own pool noodle fishing game

• Have fun making this Earth seed paper

Make an ocean in a bottle

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You will need:

* Clear plastic water bottle with cap

* Water

* Cooking oil

* Blue food coloring

* Funnel

* Strong tape or hot glue gun

* Optional: small toys that can fit in bottle

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Instructions:

1. Fill bottle a little less than 1/2 full of water.

2. Add food coloring and shake a little to mix

3. If you are adding optional items, do so now.

4. Using the funnel, fill the remainder of the bottle with oil. Leave about 2 inches at the top - this helps the "waves" roll.

5. Screw the lid on tightly. 

6. Secure the lid with heavy tape or glue. 

7. Move the bottle to watch the waves.

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Because oil and water do not mix, the movement of the two separate liquids within the bottle gives the illusion of waves. Try different colors and make a rainbow of oceans!

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Talk about science!

Why doesn't the oil and water mix together? 

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Water molecules have a positive charged end and a negative charged end. The positive end of one water molecule is attracted to the negative end of another water molecule. So, like a magnet, opposites attract. 

The oil molecule doesn't have the positive and negative ends like the water molecules.

This means that oil molecules are more attracted to each other and the water molecules are more attracted to each other. So the two never mix. This is known as being immiscible

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Bonus question: When you turn the bottle, why does the water always end up on the bottom and the oil always ends up on the top?

Encourage your child to play AND learn this summer

• So much to see and do at the Tennessee Aquarium

• Plan a trip to GulfQuest Museum in Mobile

• Dauphin Island Sea Lab has great resources

• Visit TVA Kids for loads of great activities

• Learn and create with this underwater volcano craft

• The National Ocean Service has great activities for kids

• Check out these NASA images of Earth's oceans

• Learn about naval history here

• Don't just make bubbles; learn about them too

• Discover the role of water in our lives

• Learn about oceans from the Smithsonian Institute

• Find loads of ocean facts here

• The Sea Turtle Conservancy is the place to go for sea turtle info.