Hot Mama Summer Camp - Week 3

Embrace the chaos and have fun! That’s what I’ve been telling y’all for three weeks now, right? Well let me tell you - the universe tested me this week and I was like “Aight bish, let’s go.” 

So the theme for Hot Mama Summer Camp - Week 3 was science and truth be told, your girl went into this week super behind on her prep game. Now for the sake of organization, I’ve usually been a week ahead in terms of scheduling and prep, but coming into this week, I just didn't have it in me (I blame the holiday weekend). So you should have seen me 9 AM on Monday, Googling the supplies I needed and trying to structure our schedule for the week. 

And how did that turn out you ask? Well in a nutshell, it didn’t. I am here to tell you that we didn’t get to do any of the three experiments I had planned for us to do. Sheit! Between the long weekend, work being super busy, and the several times I had to leave the house for long stretches of time, I wan’t around long enough to have any actual time to do any of our planned experiments.

But all was not lost. I happened to be in the park on Thursday for a Literacy, Inc. event when I noticed a “Y” shaped stick on the ground. And you know what they say, when life hands you a Y-shaped stick, you take that sucker home and make them boys figure out how to make a slingshot.

That’s right! We made our own homemade slingshot and I got to incorporate a quick STEM lesson about catapults, levers and the scientific process. This helped us hypothesize how many rubber bands it would take to make that jawn. Also, my stick wasn’t the sturdiest, nor were the ends even so it did present some challenges (shrugs - I was a Hot Mama working on the fly who hadn’t done a single experiment by Thursday). But my boys were up for it and really got into making predictions and trying different methods out to get our rubber band situation situated. And here’s what we got!

A very uneven and skinny slingshot courtesy of one Hot Mama and her boys.

So that’s Week 3 in a nutshell, folx! It definitely did not go at all as I planned, but the boys came away with a new homemade toy and I surprised myself by making up a lesson plan completely on my own and without the help of Miss Google for structure. I’m low-key very proud of myself (despite my to-do list side-eyeing the fuck out of me).

And yes - I still stand by my mantra to EMBRACE THE CHAOS AND HAVE FUN!! I feel like this week was the definition of chaotic, but I’ve made it through to the other side and I’m still dancing - mostly. So check back next week and let me know how your summer is going.