Category Archives: Uncategorized
Ready for Takeoff?
Flight Adventures
Fly away with us on a flight adventure! Discover the physics of flight, create your own model aircraft, test flight dynamics, and explore air using a wind tunnel.
These are a few of the activities for families at Children’s Museum Night at Zion Lutheran School, sponsored by Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center.
Join us Feb. 11, 6-8 p.m. – concessions will be available by the Zion PTL.
How will El Nino affect your winter weather?
Dani says – Want to find out what the weather will be like this winter and learn about El Nino?
Check out this link from WeatherBug.
Guess the Right Answer and Win a Free T-shirt!
Dani’s Creature Quiz
Dani’s Dreams is celebrating summer with newsletters, quizzes, special events and prizes. Check in every day – Like us on Facebook!
The first kid to guess the name of this week’s beach creature correctly and post a photo of their drawing of the animal with their answer on the Dani’s Dreams Facebook Page will win a free registration, including T-shirt for the Dani’s Dreams Memorial Walk/Run Aug. 2 at New Palestine High School.
July 1: I am a bird in the large family named Larus, which means “ravenous sea bird” in Latin.
Sign up for Dani’s Dreams Walk/Run NOW! Get the Coolest T-shirt on the Planet!
The wait is over…the community has spoken and Audrey Poole, a Zion Lutheran sixth grade student created the design for the 2014 Dani’s Dreams Memorial Walk/Run. Audrey’s design was chosen from many creative ideas and interpretations of the theme, “Remember Our Roots,” this year’s theme at Dani’s Dreams. Her design (above) will be on all T-shirts for the event Aug. 2 at New Palestine High School. Katie Taylor took second and Eli Boyd won third place, both are also sixth graders at Zion Lutheran.
CLICK HERE to SIGN UP now and make sure you have a T-shirt.
Remember the Farmer’s Day hayride? Remember the Peace Bear Project? Remember preschoolers digging for rocks and minerals? Remember planting seeds that are growing in the Grandparents Garden? Remember Weird Animals VBS activities and the Silly Safari family night presentation? Your registration will support another innovative, exciting and education year at Dani’s Dreams with lessons and special projects that give Southern Hancock children, grades K-8 unique science activities focusing on environmental education.
Click on the link above and sign up today!!! Remember Our Roots!
Dani’s Dreams Helps Troop 924 Earn Badges
Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education at Zion Lutheran School partnered with Hancock County Girl Scout Troop 924 for a special Badge Day event May 18. The Junior Troop of Megan Brinley, Lyssie Davenport, Alaina Davis, Lyndsay Diefenderfer, Cassie Moch and Sarah Warner earned their Animal Habitat badge and the Brownie Troop members Sarah Stonerock and Lilly Warner completed the requirements for Bird and Bug badges.
The girls and their leaders spend the afternoon at Dani’s Dreams, discovering the types of birds in the area, observing several types of bugs and learning about endangered animals and how they can help. They also filled bird feeders at Dani’s Dreams and made one to take home.
After their hands-on activities, troop members became Dani’s Dreams reporters and shared their knowledge with others through posters, written and video reports.
Here’s a sampling of what the girls learned:
Cassie Moch reported about parrots in the rainforest:
“It is important so there is more animals around and to save them. Kids can help by doing research about the animals and what can help them.”
Lyssie Davenport reported on endangered animals in the Amazon, specifically the scarlet macaw:
“This is important because we need these animals in the eco-system or more animals will go extinct. Kids can help by spreading the word. Sometimes the only things that adults listen to are children.”
Sarah Stonerock found out that the ladybug is found all over the world. It can play dead when it is threatened. Its favorite thing to eat is aphids.
Lilly Warner discovered that the dragonflies eat tadpoles and like to be near the water.
Check out more fun facts in the Dani’s Dreams video reports the girls created and plan your Scout, daycare, preschool or class trip to Dani’s Dreams or email Donna Griffin, director, at dgriffins96@gmail.com. Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook!
Celebrating Earth Day – Making Ideas Happen at Dani’s Dreams
Recycling and the water cycle became hands-on learning experiences for Zion Lutheran School students thanks to Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center. Dani’s Dreams partnered with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to bring special Earth Day presentations to all grades on April 12.
Preschool through grade four students learned how to recycle and saw the products made from recycled materials. Students in grades 5-8 became water drops and traveled through the phases of the water cycle, picking up beads for their water cycle bracelets
Thanks to Stacy Jones, of IDEM who conducted the presentations.
Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is a resource for Hancock County schools, teachers, Scouts and all community groups for hands-on, innovative environmental education opportunities and state standards-based activities and projects. We’ll design a one-of-a-kind tour, activity or project for YOUR CLASS, based on YOUR NEEDS at NO CHARGE. Email dgriffins@netzero.com or call 317-640-4430 – Dream It, Do It!
Every Little Drop Helps Dani’s Dreams Grow!
Dream It – Do It! at Dani’s Dreams
Hancock County students can take the lead and Dream It – Do It! during the fifth annual Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center Earth Day Dedication Event April 12, 3:30-5 p.m. at the center, located at Zion Lutheran School, 6513 W. 300 S, New Palestine.
Join the student-led interactive demonstrations on recycling, composting, and saving water; be a Dani’s Dreams Nature Detective and win prizes, create crafts, sign up for space in the Community Garden and tour the Go Green Discovery Center that features interactive exhibits on environmental and conservation education.
Stay for a free will donation pizza supper and a showing of “The Lorax” and don’t forget to vote on drawings for the T-Shirt design contest for the Dani’s Dreams Walk/Run Aug. 3.
Bring your nickels, dimes, pennies and quarters for our “Every little drop in the bucket helps Dani’s Dreams grow” to raise funds for a garden watering system.
Learn how you can be a member of Dani’s Dreams Club and make a difference in the world around you. Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center is open to all classes, Scout Troops and community groups for state standard-environmental education lessons, projects and activities – AT NO CHARGE.
Log onto to http://www.danisdreamsoutdooredcenter.wordpress.com or email dgriffins@netzero.com for more information.
Children’s Museum Comes To Town Oct. 19
Fit Minds, Healthy Bodies
will be the order of the day when the Children’s Museum comes to the Southern Hancock area. Dani’s Dreams Outdoor Education Center will host a School Outreach for all Hancock County K-5th grade students Oct. 19, 6-8 p.m. at Zion Lutheran School, 6513 W. 300 S., New Palestine.
The focus of the event is for families to learn and interact together. Museum educators will facilitate presentations and provide activity supplies.
The event will include presentations on:
Portion Distortion
Did you know that two tablespoons of peanut butter are about the size of a ping pong ball and that one pancake should be the size of a CD? Families will create their idea of serving sizes using play dough, and then compare them to actual healthy serving sizes using everyday objects.
Sugar Shock!
Learn about the sugar content that is contained in the drinks that your family might consume on a regular basis. Are you making healthy drink choices? Play a matching game to test your knowledge, and then practice measuring sugar amounts and learning more about the drinks that you consume.
Feel the Beat
Keep your heart healthy and strong! Families will enjoy learning about the heart using scientific models. Learn ways to take your pulse and explore active and resting heart rates and then graph them on a chart.
What’s Bugging You?
Good nutrition and lots of active play builds strong bodies. However, germs can make even a healthy body sick. Work together as a family to learn how easily germs are picked up and the importance of proper hand washing by using germ models and a black light box.
Health Around the Clock
Healthy habits are important 24 hours a day — especially while you sleep. Take your time at this station to explore sleep habits and learn about your ‘stop’ and ‘go’ times for adults and children. Quiz one another about who is getting enough sleep in your family and make clocks to take home as reminders.
Color Me Healthy
Take the pyramid challenge with your family. Take a look at the food pyramid posters and talk about foods that you like to eat that are in each category. Create magnetic art as a reminder to eat healthy every day!
Investigation and Recreation
Explore health related books and write down some delicious healthy recipes to try at home.
Active Play Every Day
Did you know that kids need 60 minutes of physical activity every day? Make it fun for the whole family by participating in our active play stations: jump ropes, hopscotch and hula hoops!
For more information on the Oct. 19 event, log onto: http://www.danisdreamsoutdooredcenter.wordpress.com, call Zion Lutheran School, 861-4210 or email: dgriffins@netzero.com.
Dani’s Dreams Crop Report – Girl Scouts Get Green Thumbs!
By Abby Hayes
Girl Scout Troop 1170 started a garden along with three other gardens at Dani’s Dreams. We planted green beans and cucumbers. We did it for the outdoor community garden project. When the vegetables are ripe and delicious they will be used or donated for a community event. If you want to do a garden at Dani’s Dreams next year be prepared so you can plant a spot of delicious plants yourself.
Dani's Dreams Outdoor Education Programs 