Did you know that Styrofoam is no longer in rotation in the City of Thousand Oaks recyclable line-up!
Three cheers!
Although it was a material I collected and reused for years, the more I looked into it and how it is made, where it comes from in my spotlight program, the more I felt it is a concern for kids to work with. Even though it came from the earth as crude oil, it goes through chemically enhanced processes to become a material the earth can’t take back.
I am please to be in alignment with the City’s practices and look forward to seeing less and less of it in our world.

Learn more about the City’s break-up plan here.

-Jemma

Let’s CReATE together this summer for hands-on imagination exercising with wood working, eco art, jewelry making, doll and critter house creating and more… all summer long!

I have a variety of camp options- all with a connection to each kid’s creative flow and my love of re-using recycled materials! I can’t wait to explore with kids and community partners like the City of Agoura Hills and Conejo Recreation and Parks District to help kids imagine big!

Visit my camps page to sign-up here.

;-} Jemma

An easy way to honor earth day, anytime, is to reuse the things we have. These can be things like containers which are often the holders for things we really wanted. Cookies, mints, candles are all things I have wanted, which to buy, come in metal containers.

Metal is my spotlight material for April so theres a connection to one of the questions I ask in my spotlighting. Where do we see this material used? Metal is part of many things around us. Its a strong material that can be used again and again. It is also a material that is painstakingly mined from the earth so a way to honor that effort and care for our planet is to reuse it.

Next time you come across a tin from mints or a colorful tin from cookies- try asking yourself, what else can this be? The answer can be fun to explore!

-Jemma

Metal is the material I am exploring this month so I start off wondering where does it come from and Where do we find it in our lives?
Metal items can be found just about everywhere; from paper clips to Staples and twist ties, coins, steel gutters, and even containers. These items can be made of different kinds of metals. I look to PBS Kids to help me understand and share what I learn.
Check out this short video then explore where you see metal in your daily life.

Thanks for learning with me.
Jemma