This post was originally published on this site
It was another day in quarantine, and 5-year-old Sawyer was bored. He wasn’t going to school, he couldn’t hang out with his friends, so he and his dad pulled out a book of 50 science experiments made for kids that Sawyer had received as a gift — and began trying them out. The first project was a wind vane. And that’s when his dad got an idea.
Sawyer’s dad happens to be Mark Holley, chief meteorologist for Gray Television’s WSAW, in Wausau, Wisconsin. His dad’s idea: a new twice-weekly series on Facebook Live called “Mark’s Weather Classroom.” But it’s not really about the weather: instead, the meteorologist turns mad scientist to teach a variety of low-budget experiments to all the kids in his community who wish to watch.
“I try to pick experiments that most people would have in their home,” Holley said. “[It’s] just something to do in this day and age where, you know, close quarters, close walls, parents are looking for something fun to do. Maybe this gives them a five, ten-minute break to try something with their kids.”
Many of the experiments are weather-related, like making clouds appear in jars. But others include blasting off balloon rockets or creating silver eggs.
Holley, who has Sawyer and also an almost 2-year-old named Reid, is no stranger to showing off science to kids. He used to travel around local schools — usually using Sawyer’s book to guide him — to inspire children to get involved with science.
