Yavapai Exploration and Science - YES

28/05/2026

🧊 Explorations and Expeditions Thursday! 🔍❄️

Get ready to dig into science, literally! This week, we’re doing Melting Ice Excavations! Kids become scientists and explorers as they uncover hidden treasures frozen in time using heat, tools, and a whole lot of curiosity.

🧪 Melting Ice Excavation Activity 🧊🔦

Supplies:
Small toys or natural items (plastic animals, pebbles, flowers, etc.)
Containers & water
Freezer
Salt
Pipettes, droppers, or spoons
Warm water
Optional: food coloring, vinegar, baking soda

Directions:
1. Freeze the Fun: Place your treasures in a container, fill with water, and freeze overnight. You can add layers with different colors if you're feeling extra creative!
2. Set the Scene: Remove the ice block from the container and place it in a tray or shallow bin.
3. Excavation Time: Using salt, warm water, droppers, and tools, begin the excavation! Watch how the ice melts and cracks. What helps it melt faster?

🔬 The Science + Discovery:
This chilly experiment teaches about states of matter, temperature, and how salt lowers the freezing point of water. Kids practice fine motor skills, make hypotheses, and observe cause and effect all while having a blast.

💡 Challenge: Try timing how long it takes to melt different-sized ice blocks or use vinegar and baking soda to cause bubbling reactions inside your excavation!

📸 Show us what you discovered beneath the ice! Tag your coolest creations and let us know what surprised you most!

26/05/2026

📄➡️ Tuesday Science Snapshot! ➡️📄

Dolphins give each other unique names! 🐬🔊

Scientists have discovered that dolphins use special signature whistles to identify and call one another, almost like humans using names.

Ocean communication is smarter than you think! 😲

19/05/2026

📄➡️ Tuesday Science Snapshot! ➡️📄

A giraffe’s tongue can grow up to 20 inches long! 🦒👅

Their super long tongues help them grab leaves high in trees and are even dark-colored to help protect against sunburn while eating all day long. ☀️🌿

Long tongue. Tall snack goals. 😲

14/05/2026

Explorations and Expeditions Thursday! ☁️🌡️

This week, become a backyard meteorologist with a DIY Weather Station! You'll measure rain, track the wind, and even watch changes in air pressure right from your own home. Grab your tools and let’s forecast some fun!

🌀 Build Your Own Weather Station! 🌦️🌬️🌧️

Materials:
Empty plastic bottle or jar (for rain gauge)
Ruler
Marker
Straw, balloon, and jar (for barometer)
Paper plate and pencil (for wind vane)
Compass (optional, for direction)
Thermometer (store-bought)
Notebook or weather journal

Directions:

Rain Gauge: Cut the top off a bottle, invert it, and tape it like a funnel. Add your ruler and start measuring rainfall.

Wind Vane: Attach a pencil through the center of a paper plate and use cardboard or cardstock to create an arrow. Let it spin and point out wind direction!

Barometer: Stretch a balloon over the top of a jar and tape a straw on top. Changes in air pressure will make the straw move and you can track it!

Thermometer: Use a thermometer to log the daily temperature or make your own as an extra project.

Record your data each day in your weather journal. Can you spot patterns or predict tomorrow’s weather?

The Science:
This activity explores how meteorologists use tools and data to understand and predict weather. Kids get hands-on with concepts like air pressure, precipitation, temperature, and wind, all while building observation and graphing skills.

Can you forecast a sunny weekend or an incoming storm? Show us your weather station and your daily reports! ☀️🌧️

12/05/2026

📄➡️ Tuesday Science Snapshot! ➡️📄

Jellyfish have been around longer than dinosaurs! 🪼⏳

These ancient ocean drifters have existed for over 500 million years, surviving multiple mass extinctions long before dinosaurs ever roamed the Earth.

Simple bodies. Incredible survival. 😲

09/05/2026

07/05/2026

Explorations and Expeditions Thursday! 🐞🏕️

This week, let’s roll out the welcome mat for the tiniest neighbors in your backyard with a DIY Bug Hotel! By building cozy spaces for insects, you'll learn about biodiversity, habitats, and the important roles bugs play in our ecosystem.

Ready to become a backyard bug architect?

🏡 Build Your Own Bug Hotel! 🐛🦋🕷️

Materials:
Empty cardboard box
Pine cones, twigs, bark, and leaves
Cardboard tubes, scraps , paper straws, and egg cartons
String or glue
Scissors
Notebook for observations

Directions:
1. Create the Structure: Use your box as the hotel frame. Divide it into small “rooms” using cardboard dividers.
2. Add Natural Materials: Fill each section with different materials like pine cones for beetles, bark for spiders, or hollow straws for solitary bees.
3. Place It Outdoors: Find a shady, dry spot near plants or bushes and set your bug hotel on the ground or tie it to a tree.
4. Observe: Check in daily! Who’s moved in? Record your sightings in your nature notebook!

The Science:
Bug hotels offer a safe space for insects to rest, nest, and hide. Through this activity, kids explore insect behavior, ecosystems, and the importance of pollinators and decomposers. It’s a hands-on way to build empathy for creatures that often go unnoticed!

Can you spot pollinators, recyclers, or predators in your hotel? Snap a pic of your bug hotel and share who’s checked in! 🐜📸

06/05/2026

✨ WOW Wednesday! ✨

This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Abundant Photobooth, a Pioneer Level Sponsor of the YES! Explorers Challenge! 📸✨

This incredible family-owned business is all about capturing life’s most meaningful moments. Built from a love of adventure, travel, and memory-making, Abundant Photobooth brings energy, connection, and fun to every event they’re part of.

For the YES! Explorers Challenge, they’re generously providing their interactive Selfie Station so families, friends, and explorers can capture high-quality, spontaneous moments while they learn, play, and explore together!

We are so grateful for their support in helping make this event even more memorable. From parties to fundraisers to corporate events, Abundant Photobooth delivers smiles, connection, and unforgettable experiences every time.

Check them out for your next event: https://www.abundantphotobooth.com/
📸✨

06/05/2026

✨ WOW Wednesday! ✨

This week, we’re excited to recognize Findlay GMC as a Pioneer Level Sponsor for the YES! Explorers Challenge! 🚗💡

Their support is helping bring hands-on STEAM experiences to life for our community, giving kids and families the opportunity to explore, create, and think in new ways. Partnerships like this fuel innovation and make events like the YES! Explorers Challenge possible.

Findlay GMC’s commitment to community impact goes beyond the road—they’re helping drive curiosity, discovery, and learning forward right here in Yavapai County. We’re so grateful to have them alongside us in inspiring the next generation!

Learn more about Findlay GMC here: https://www.findlaygmcprescott.com/

06/05/2026

✨ WOW Wednesday! ✨

This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Sparklight for helping us amplify the excitement around the YES! Explorers Challenge! 🚀

Thanks to their support, we’ve been able to reach more families, connect with our community, and keep STEAM momentum moving forward in a big way. Their commitment to strong communication and connectivity helps power opportunities for curiosity, creativity, and hands-on learning right here in Yavapai County.

We’re so grateful for partners like Sparklight who believe in making exploration and education accessible to all. Together, we’re inspiring the next generation of thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators! 💡