Explore Your World! is divided into two chapters: one of zany, quirky science projects and tech crafts, and another of eye-opening explorations that make every child's backyard seem like a haven for discovery. In the first chapter, kids experiment with electricity, magically squeeze an egg into a bottle, isolate their own DNA, make an eclipse-viewer, and have fun with optical illusions. In the second chapter, readers will learn how to collect water from a tree branch, recognize animal tracks, raise a butterfly, and make cool fossils. This stealth-educational title gives kids the chance to learn and grow, without making them feel like they're stuck in class. Table of Contents Science Project Chapter Erupt a soda geyser Squeeze an egg into a bottle Bend water with static Ring a bell with a tv Light a room with a ponytail Make tissue defy gravity Tell time with a potato Mold a bouncy ball Grow a crystal initial Lift a friend's fingerprint Isolate DNA Encode notes with a scytale Send secrets by morse code Spy with a periscope Write in invisible ink Turn the world upside down Spin a mini kaleidoscope View an eclipse Make a sun print Get cooking in a solar oven Rig a lightbulb Trap shadows Light up a lava lamp Flash a matchbook light Build a tiny robot Set off an exploding volcano Launch a rocket Backyard Adventures Chapter Estimate remaining daylight Set up a solar compass Make a magnetic compass Locate the north star Spot pictures in the moon Identify moon phases Find the south pole Construct a lean-to shelter Get water from dewy grass Collect water in damp sand Drink from a tree branch Identify clouds Predict a rainstorm Blaze a trail Identify scat and tracks Learn dog body language Greet a new dog Read kitty's body language Make friends with a cat Build a bat house Set up a lizard lounge Welcome butterflies Make a hive for mason bees Raise a butterfly Start an ant farm Spy on sea life Construct a dam Nurture tadpoles Cultivate carnivorous plants Hollow out a birdhouse Personalize a melon Dry and press flowers Stain clothes on purpose Save poppy seeds Sprout an avocado pit Dry tomato seeds Pluck marigold seeds Mix up seed paper Dig up a lost civilization Fossilize footprints

Sarah Hines Stephens first learned to cook in order to get out of doing the dishes, and she still prefers making messes to cleaning them. One of three creative sisters, Sarah hails from generations of do-it-yourselfers: quilters, artists, writers, and gardeners. When Sarah is not facilitating semiexplosive science experiments and kid-friendly crafts, she writes books for kids. She has written more than sixty books, some for kid-friendly brands such as Gymboree and Scholastic. She lives with her husband and two children in a home filled with glitter, fabric scraps, glue, and power tools in Oakland, California.

Bethany Mann is Sarah’s sister and partner in creative mess-making. With a rallying cry of, “Hey, we could totally make that ourselves!” she has fearlessly led her family and friends in numerous craft adventures. These days Bethany channels her artistic powers for good by using recycled materials and growing vegetables. Her projects have been featured in craft books for adults and on DIY TV. She lives with her husband, teenage son, and a menagerie of rescued pets in Santa Cruz, California. Read her blog at BitterBettyIndustries.blogspot.com.