OWL is in the process of opening a Winter PlaySpace & Children's Musuem on Main Street in Oneonta! We will be open Tues, Thurs, Sat, & Sun starting January 18th, 2014. This is a short term experiment (thru April.) If we meet our fundraising goal before then, we may extend the lease for another year. This project serves the dual purpose of providing families a warm place to play during the winter, while determining if a brick & mortar space is a viable option for OWL's future.
Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) is an all-volunteer registered 501c3 not for profit organization and is registered with the New York State Board of Regents.
For this endeavor, we need:
-cash donations
-volunteers! click here to get involved
-primer & (white) paint
-brushes, rollers, & trays
-laminate flooring
-gift cards to Lowes, Home Depot, Price Chopper, Walmart, OfficeMax
Please contact us at WorldofLearning@live.com or via Facebook with questions/comments.
Pictured above (left to right): OWL board members Caitlyn Davey, Aaron Sorenson, Ariann Tubia w/ Tanner Tubia, w/ Palace Cigar owners Tom & Karen Oliver @ 277 Main Street.
Thanks so much for your support!!
Many many thanks to all of the volunteers and attendees of this past weekend's Ice Cream Social! What an amazing event!!
An extra-special thanks to Mary Peterson, a member of OWL's education committee. She is such a knowledgeable and generous person- truly an asset to the OWL community. Below, Mary has shared her special recipe for "Phunny Putty"- an intriguing ooze & sensory delight.
Thanks, Mary!!!
Materials
20-Mule Team Borax®
Water (some hot, some cold)
Dosage cup or measuring spoon
Elmer's Glue-All® white glue
Plastic cup
Food Coloring
Craft Stick
Small zipper-type bag
Glow-in-the-dark pigment (optional)
Process
1.) Pour 12 oz. of hot water into a container. A soda bottle works well. Add 2 tablespoons of Borax, and cover tightly. Shake the bottle. Most of the Borax should dissolve, but some should settle to the bottom. If not, add a bit more Borax until you cannot dissolve any more. This is called a saturated solution, which means that the water has absorbed as much Borax as it can.
2.) Pour 25 mL (5 teaspoons) of glue into the plastic cup. Try to get all the glue into the cup for accurate measurement. (you can measure 25 mL of water into a cup, mark the line at the water level, then pour the water out and measure glue to that line.)
3.) Pour 20 mL (4 teaspoons) of water into the glue and mix it up with the craft stick. The ratio between the glue and water is important for the phunny putty to be the right consistency. In some settings, it is a good idea to premix a large quantity of glue and water in the right proportions, then use 45 mL of that mixture and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
4.) Add 3 drops of food coloring to the glue and water mixture. Mix well with the craft stick. You may add 1/8 tsp. of glow-in-the-dark pigment now. The colors will be pastel. Adding enough color to make red, for instance, instead of pink, will cause the putty to ooze color and be very messy.
5.) Add 15 mL (3 teaspoons) of the Borax solution to the glue and water mixture. Mix well with the craft stick and watch what happens! If your cup has more gluey-looking liquid, add a little more Borax solution. Stir until you have no large globs of glue. You may need to scrape the phunny putty off the stick and stir some more.
6.) When your Phunny Putty forms a fairly solid blob, pull it off the stick and squish it between your hands. It becomes less sloppy as you play with it. Set the putty on the table (not a paper towel), wipe your hands on a paper towel, then mop up the sloppy stuff on the table. Push the towel into your cup, and put in the trash.
7.) If you keep your Phunny Putty in a plastic bag between using it, it should stay nice for a long time!
CAUTION: Phunny Putty will stick to paper and fabric! The kitchen table is a good place to play with your phunny putty.
Chemistry Explanation: Elmer's Glue contains polyvinyl alcohol, a polymer whose molecules are cross-linked to form an extended network. The cross-linking agent is the tetraborate ion. This ion is formed when the Borax, sodium tetraborate, is dissolved in water forming a mixture of boric acid and tetraborate ions. The result is a gel that is similar to Silly Putty®.
Please join us on Sunday, June 2, 2013 from 1-5pm at the Oneonta Boys & Girls Club (70 River St, Oneonta, NY) for OWL's 6th Annual Ice Cream Social! (No admission, donations are welcome)
FREE ice cream & activities brought to you by Oneonta World of Learning and our local sponsors! The day is just packed full of activities, performances, & demonstrations including:
Phunny Putty (see the rainbow of colors available in the photo above!)
Home Depot Crafts
Remote Controlled Aircraft
The 4-H Robot
ARC obstacle course
& much much more!
Pit Crew BBQ available for purchase
The OWL Pop-up Gift Shop will be open for business.
Live Entertainment
1:00 Stanley and Wade School of Dance
1:30 Oneonta Tae Kwon Do
2:00 Zumba
2:30 Miss Pam/ Music Together
3:00 Schenevus a cappella choir
3:30 Jin Shil Martial Arts
4:00 Tinny Wilkins Indonesian Music and Dance
4:30 Elite Dance Studio and the Stallionettes
Join OWL on Thursday mornings 9:30-11:30 at the Wilber Mansion (11 Ford Ave, Oneonta) for our new playgroup! We have a wide variety of toys and activities (including a room full of tunnels and playhuts!)
Suggested donation: $5 per family
(Beverages, snacks, & baked goods are also available for sale)
Follow us on facebook for information about more OWL events and local opportunities!
https://www.facebook.com/OneontaWorlofLearning
Science Saturday - Go Green!
Join Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) and the Science Discovery Center to explore green energy, learn about soil and build your own composter. The event is at the Southside Mall on Saturday Feburary 2nd from 10am to 1pm. Activities are appropriate for children ages 2 and up with a grown up. $5 suggested donation.
Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) Presents:
KidzScience: Alternative Energy
Kids in grades 3-5 will participate in a hands on, inquiry based program to learn about alternative energy, solar and wind power, and how to use less fossil fuel. This is a 4 session cumulative program. Attendance is expected at all 4 sessions.
When: Thursdays January 17,24,31 and February 7 from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Where: Oneonta Boys and Girls Club, 70 River Street
Cost: FREE
Membership to the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club is required and can be completed on the first day of the program. Membership is free. Parents are not required to stay with their children.
In the event that a session needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather, a make-up session is scheduled for Thursday, February 14 from 3:30-4:30.
Space is limited, sign up early. To sign up, follow this link: KidzScience sign up. For more information, call 607-431-8543 or email WorldOfLearning@live.com.
OWL is happy to announce that we will be providing family friendly games during the First Night festivities in Oneonta. Join us from 5 to 7 pm on Tuesday December 31st in the atrium at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on Market Street. There is no cost for participation in these children's activities.
There is a long list of additional festivities available during First Night. Check out their website at FirstNightOneonta.com!
Paintfest volunteers and organizers took this popular, annual event to a new level this year, with over 180 children in attendance, and nearly as many grown up companions.
The Oneonta High School Art Honor Society did a wonderful job, acting out a scene as Jackson Pollack working in his studio and allowing participants to 'interview' this enigmatic artist. In the next room, children got to create their own works in genuine Jackson Pollack style - needless to say it was bit messy!
Spin art (with and with out a strobe light), marble painting, string painting, bubble painting, and milk 'painting' were among additional activities, all in keeping with this year's theme of 'Paint in Motion.'
Our volunteers this year were wonderful: OHS Art Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi, Alpha Phi Omega, Hartwick Art Department, Hartwick Art History Students & our friends and families.
Many thanks to our sponsors: The Arc Otsego, Directive, Townsquare Media Group, The Daily Star, Hometown Oneonta, CSEA workers through-out Otsego County, A&D Taxi & Transport, Rent-A-Wreck, Insurance Professionals of Chenango Valley (IPCV), Bella Michael's, The Tubia Family, Tom and Amy Pondolfino, The Rissberger Family, Tri-County Glass, Ed and Helen Sorensen, Romanzo and Company CPA's, The Cook Family, Catskill Mountain Embroidery, Golden Artist Colors Inc, WSKG Education, Lowe's.
Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) is proud to announce our
5th Annual Paintfest!
Co-sponsored by The Arc Otsego.
Join us on
Saturday November 10th
10am - 2pm
at The Arc Otsego day services center
63 Lower River St.
(Turn onto Co. Rd. 8, off Oneida St.)
This year's theme: PAINT IN MOTION. Experience painting in fun, creative and unexpected ways! Discover what it is like to paint like Jackson Pollack, and learn more about this enigmatic artist. Additional activities include spin art, roller painting, and more! No registration required.
Dress for a mess
* Free t-shirts for participants while supplies last! *
For ages 2-12 with a grown-up. Suggested donation $5 per child.
Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors: Directive, Townsquare Media Group, The Daily Star, Hometown Oneonta, CSEA workers through-out Otsego County, A&D Taxi & Transport, Rent-A-Wreck, Insurance Professionals of Chenango Valley (IPCV), Bella Michael's, The Tubia Family, Tom and Amy Pondolfino, The Rissberger Family, Tri-County Glass, Ed and Helen Sorensen, Romanzo and Company CPA's, The Cook Family, Catskill Mountain Embroidery, Golden Artist Colors Inc, WSKG Education
For more information call 431-8543.
This event has been postponed, at least until February. The SUNY Oneonta Science Saturday team has suddenly become understaffed due to unforeseeable circumstances.
Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) and the Science Discovery Center are proud to announce their next Science Saturday: Go Green!
Science Saturday is a popular collaboration with OWL and the Science Discovery Center that brings kids, science, college scientists, professors and fun together in one spot. The theme for this Science Saturday is Go Green.
Activities will include learning about the Earth, alternative energy and ways to protect the earth. Participants will get to experience cooking with a solar oven and build their own mini-composter, and much, much more.
Wightman's Lumber has invited Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) to join them during their annual Open House, Saturday October 6th from 9am to 3pm. Mary Peterson, long-time volunteer with OWL and creator of Amazable Science Adventures, will be helping children to make their own abacus, at no cost to participants.
Wightman lumber is located in Portlandville, NY. Their number is 607.286.9201.
To learn more about the open house and Wightman Lumber, visit their website at http://www.wightmanlumber.com/first-menu/first-nav/about-wightman/open-house/.
Join us for a special day of SciGirls Spooky Science, presented by WSKG, Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) and SUNY Delhi.
Attend a screening of the PBS show SciGirls and participate in hands-on science activities presented by Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) and SUNY Delhi students.
When; Saturday October 27th, 11am-2pm (drop in anytime)
Where: Farrell Student and Community Center, SUNY Delhi Campus, 2 Main St, Delhi NY 13753
SciGirl activities are free and open to the public. Donations to OWL are welcome.
Activities are recommended for school age children (not just girls!) through 8th grade, with several activities that will appeal to younger children as well.
SciGirls is a weekly television series and educational outreach program for elementary and middle-school children based on proven best practices for science technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for girls.
The Girls in Science program is made possible by a grant from the Women's Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York.
***Alert - Cancellation***
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the International Mystery Train for July 15th has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvience that this may cause. Please check back to see when it will be rescheduled.
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Join OWL on board the historic Cooperstown and Charolotte Valley Railroad! Travel the globe, use forensic science and track down an international art thief all in about 2 hours! This will be an interactive experience for the whole family. Activities will appeal to all ages.
International Mystery Train Ride
Sunday, July 15th, 2012
Train departs Milford Depot at 1pm
136 East Main St, Milford NY
Tickets $10, ages 3 and under free.
For reservations call the depot at 607-432-2429.
The train departs the Milford Train Depot at 1pm and returns to the depot about 2 hours later.
Presented by Oneonta World of Learning (OWL), this event is made possible with the assistance of a Broome, Chenango & Otsego County Decentralization Grant.
OWL is sponsored in part by CSEA workers through-out Otsego County, Insurance Professionals of Chenango Valley (IPVC), Bella Michael's and NYCM Insurance.
Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) is proud to present
An Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social
Sunday June 3rd from 1 to 5pm in the upper level of Oneonta's Wilber Park.
If it rains, the event will be held at the Boys and Girl's Club on River St.
NEW THIS YEAR: Pit Crew BBQ offers food for purchase.
Join us as OWL presents Physics Olympics, an interactive science event for children from preschool through middle school, with their grownups. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT will include performances by Miss Bala's Flying Dancers, the Stanley and Wade School of Dance, Schenevus Central School A Capella Choir, Cardio Club of Delhi, Oneonta Taekwon-Do and MTC DJ Service.
Activities for all ages will include Disc Golf by RattingChains.com, Home Depot crafts, and National Baseball Hall of Fame activities. Remote controlled aircraft demonstrations will be conducted in the lower level of the park, courtesy of Leatherstocking RC Buzzards.
Meet local child advocacy groups and learn more about local resources for parents.
Icy pops - donated by Hannaford! Ice cream provided at cost or gratis by Friendly's, Stewart's shops, Pie in the Sky, and Golden Guernsey.
Park in the middle school lot and follow the trail at the back of the parking lot into Wilber Park. Handicap parking only will be available be in the upper level of the park.
Please thank our many sponsors. Without their support none of this would be possible! The Arc Otsego, Directive, Town Square Media, Five Star Subaru, WSKG, Insurance Professionals of Chenango Valley (IPCV), Bella Michael's, MTC DJ Service, NYCM Insurance, Oneonta Boys and Girls Club Inc, Friedman LLP, The Catskill Regional Teacher Center, Exit Realty, SUNY College at Oneonta, BJ's Wholesale Club, Hannaford.