Are you up for an art adventure that’s messy but loads of fun and teaches a little science? On one of my summer visits to my granddaughters it was too hot to go outside. So Juliet got out her
National Geographic Little Kids Magazine and said: “Let’s make Blue Goo, Baba!”

We probably should have followed the directions and covered her art table with lots of newspapers. But since it’s washable, we just put our supplies right on the table. We used one large mixing bowl, a measuring cup of water, a box of cornstarch, 4 small bowls, and a box of neon food coloring.

In just a few minutes we had whipped up a large bowl of white goo. We divided the goo into the four small bowls, added about ten drops of food coloring into each bowl and the fun began. The weird goo hardens in your hands when you squeeze it and feels like a solid. When you open your hands, the goo feels like a liquid and rolls out of your hand. Juliet squealed and giggled as she squished her hands into the bowl, happily enjoying the physical sensations of the “goo.”

Two hours later we had four bowls of greenish, bluish, reddish goo all over our hands and smiles on our faces. Reluctantly, we cleaned up the mess but promised to make it again with Amelia next year.

Blue Goo Recipe

You will need:

• Newspapers
• Mixing bowl
• Cornstarch (16-ounce box)
• Measuring cup
• Water
• Blue food coloring

1. Pour a box of cornstarch into a bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups (240 milliliters) of water.
3. Add about 15 drops of food coloring. You can also try this with different colors.
4. Mix it all together with your hands.

Have fun squishing!

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My husband and I visited the California Academy of Sciences to check it out before we bring our granddaughters. We bought a senior membership for $59 (fully tax deductible), which includes admission for one member plus one guest. Family memberships are $159, which includes admission for two adults and all your children or grandchildren 18 years of age and under each time you visit. Memberships are well worth the price if you live in the area because one adult admission is $24.95. Members get free unlimited admission, express entrance and special members-only hours. There’s underground parking, which is the most convenient but you can also search for a space on Martin Luther King Drive.

Volunteers are available everywhere to answer questions and describe the exhibits. We arrived at 9:30 am and got our pass for the 10:30 am show at the Morrison Planetarium . The planetarium has 300 stadium-style seats and six cameras that create an “Imax” effect. The current show “Fragile Planet” is spectacular and is appropriate for ages seven and up.

Before the show, we visited the African Hall, where we saw the newly painted dioramas and all the wild animals from the original Academy. In addition, they’ve added a penguin exhibit. Your grandchildren will love watching the colony of 20 African penguins dip and dive in the 25,000-gallon tank. According to a volunteer, these penguins are becoming extinct.

From the planetarium, we went to the Rainforests of the World exhibit where butterflies and birds fly freely around the trees and visitors. A beautiful red-winged butterfly landed on my hand and I watched a panther chameleon unfurl its long tongue to catch an insect.

For lunch, we checked out the Moss Room, which is a full service restaurant, but opted to serve ourselves at the bountiful Academy Café, which has a wide variety of tasty multicultural dishes.

We ended our day with a visit to the Living Roof, a 2.5-acre expanse of native California plants. The roof is designed to provide insulation for the museum as well as a new habitat for native birds.

Although we didn’t see all of the exhibits, we were satisfied with our four-hour visit. We saw many grandparents with their grandchildren of all ages. I know we’ll go back again and can’t wait to take our two granddaughters, and maybe their parents — if they’re good!

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More and more grandparents are volunteering in the classroom, and the result is beneficial for both the volunteers and the children. “There is a special bond that develops between these two generations,” says Jyllian Halliburton, Manager of Avenidas Volunteer Corps, a private, non-profit agency that has been helping Mid-Peninsula seniors live well, learn and maintain their independence for 35 years. “There are important benefits for older volunteers: working in the classroom gives them a sense of purpose and independence, an increase in socialization, and an overall improvement in their health.”

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