Amazon Studios: Annedroids & National Recycling Week

Amazon Studios: Annedroids & National Recycling Week

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Celebrate National Recycling Week with Amazon Studios: Annedroids Inspiration!

What is this?  Read on to find out!

A few months back I told you all about a show, Annedroids, produced by Amazon Studios, that Molly reviewed with an enthusiastic two thumbs up!  She loved the show so much that we became Amazon Prime members as it is only available on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

She thinks Anne, the main character, is awesome and so do I. Anne spends her days in her father's junk yard building amazing inventions using the principles of STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). She is smart, considerate, creative, and teaches viewers all sorts of interesting things about science.  She consistently ponders, creates prototypes, and problem solves.As a mother of daughters, I am excited to see a show in which the main character is a girl who is a strong role model. In fact, Anne, the main character of Annedroids, was recently named one of TV's Best Role Models of 2014 by Common Sense media too!

Recently, we caught up with the remaining episodes from season 1 (there are 13 or so). In episode 8, Anne uses a prism to refract light into its individual colors. After some hijinks (I finally get to use that word!) Anne and her buddies successfully create a rainbow maker which uses the prism, mirrors, and water to create a rainbow in the sky.

Immediately after watching Molly declared that she too would like to make a rainbow maker and asked if we can hit up a junk yard for a garden hose we could poke holes in. Sorry to say...but I had to say no. Mom doesn't do junk yards. But I did remember that I had some old chandelier prisms that my neighbor's mom had found in someone's garbage and had given me to use in Christmas decorations. I had 4 left and I ran to dig them up. Could they be stand ins for a prism? Molly and I talked about if it could work and she said things like "Mom, I'm pretty sure these can refract light as the water drops did." My heart swelled.

She ran into our recycling bin and grabbed a few boxes and then gathered a stick from outside. Along with some fancy duck tape and a ribbon, she felt as though she had all the makings of a rainbow maker.

Molly then went about creating the design and putting it together herself. I contributed by holding one part while she taped another or by ripping the tape. Her first design didn't work in that it tipped over repeatedly. But after a few different design modifications she found that adding some rocks to the boxes and taping the stick to the inside of the box worked the best.

Once it was assembled, we put it in a sunny window and waited to the rainbows to appear!  And waited. And waited. We tried using a flashlight, one of Jim's work lamps, a different window, all without successfully creating a rainbow. BUT THAT WAS OK because she started brainstorming causes and decided the angle of the sun in our sunniest window may not be right to refract in the crystals. Maybe so!  We are waiting for a super sunny day to test it outside. In the meantime, I love that Molly was inspired to think, create, and reflect. SCORE!

I really can't say enough about this show.  It is quality programing that doesn't sacrifice the fun and it fills the science/math void in children's shows. Well done, Amazon Studios!  Thank you! And I'll let you know when we make a rainbow!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.