For some reason the first thing that came to mind when I thought about the letter E was eating. While it is not really a hobby it can certainly feel like it some days. My little ‘hobbits’ like to eat three solid meals and multiple snacks throughout the day. Since I don’t really count eating as a hobby, today I’m going to talk to you about eggs and experiments.
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You may be wondering how eggs is a hobby, but I’m not talking about just eating eggs. My son raises backyard chickens and sells the eggs to family and friends. We have had chickens since my now thirteen-year-old was about three or four. At first, he would play with the chickens and watch me care for them, however, now he takes care of them each day and I only have to step in if there is an unusual problem. He handles feeding and watering, collecting eggs (with some help from the five-year-old) and making sure they have a clean and safe coop. He and his eleven-year-old sister have also started showing their chickens at various local shows as they learn how to properly handle the chickens to make them look their best. We have many different varieties and my son is learning about the pros and cons of each type of chicken. Some of them lay more consistently, some of them lay better in the winter, some of them have beautifully colored eggs, while some breeds have larger eggs.
I love this hobby because in addition to the many benefits of learning to care for animals, I get the freshest eggs around each morning. We mostly eat or sell the eggs, but my daughter also recently entered a decorated egg shell into our State Fair. We look forward to finding out how she fared.
Science experiments might seem more like a school subject than a hobby, but my children enjoy doing them in their spare time. There are so many great experiments and materials available to keep them learning while they play. Sometimes they come up with their own experiments using household objects, such as, what happens when I change this recipe, will this plant grow here, or do these things float? Other times, we use kits or books to help guide their explorations and experiments. By providing your children with some basic materials such as magnifying glasses, vinegar, baking soda, scissors, plants, water, and other household materials they can come up with many creative experiments to help them understand the world of science. If they need a little help getting started or being creative, a book of experiments or a science kit can help them begin to think about science in a new way. I will share some of our favorite products in the list below.
Do you raise backyard chickens or enjoy science experiments? What letter ‘E’ hobby is a favorite in your home? Share with me in the comments, I always look forward to hearing from you. Don’t forget to click the link below to check out all of the other wonderful letter ‘E’ blog posts from this week and come back next week for letter ‘F’.
Experiment Resources:
Everything Kids Science Experiment Book
Science in Seconds at the Beach
Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab
Magnet Science (a magnet kit is a great way to get kids thinking creatively about experiments)
Candy Experiments (my son just got this one but he is excited to start testing them out. )
Outdoor Science Lab (this one is on my want to buy list)
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This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Sally Clarkson just launched her newest book, a devotional for moms! You can purchase it at Amazon now .
We have been listening to Alice in Wonderland on audiobook to prepare to watch a live version of the play this week. I had forgotten just how ‘crazy’ the book feels. If you are interested in listening to it, it is only .66 on audio right now.
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)
Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)
Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!
The Schoolin' Swag Blog 
my lad and I are going to take an afternoon this coming week to work through a number of experiments for his biology course. Should be a lot of fun! 🙂
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We love those days when we can go through several experiments!
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Raising chickens is a great hobby or job. I loved the chickens we got to use for education when I worked at a zoo.
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