Parents

Super Science Sunday is a great program that introduces children to the wonders and surprise of science! Last month, we made some different explosions that resembled fireworks.

Here is how you can make your own soda-pop fireworks at home. You will need a two-liter bottle of diet soda and a roll of Mentos candy, original flavor.  (Tip: Use warm or room temperature soda and make sure you do this activity outside!)

Open the soda and place it on level ground. Open the whole package of Mentos, and, on the count of three, drop all the candies into the soda and run away! Stand back and watch it erupt. Ask your kids why they think the eruption happened. What caused the reaction? Why did we use warm soda?  

Experiments like these are an amazing way to instill a love of science with your children; an unforgettable one!

 

 

Last month, we learned about how fossils are made and created our own fossil imprints!  You can make your very own fossil imprints at home using the following recipe. Simply press leaves, shells, and toy dinosaur feet into the dough, then let it dry & harden. How many different types of fossils can you make?

Fossil Dough
1 cup coffee grounds
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cold coffee or water
1/2 cup salt

Mix ingredients together to form dough. If mixture is too wet, add more flour.

 

In July’s Backyard Explorers, we learned about ultraviolet light and how it can be used for photography. Try making a solar oven at home and cooking up some “banana boats” in the summer sun!

Cut a 6” X 6” square out of the top of a pizza box. Tape a piece of plastic wrap over the hole. Next, wrap a plate in foil for the banana boat. Slice the length of the banana down the middle, keeping the peel on. Break up a couple of pieces of chocolate and have your child place them inside of the banana slit, and place the banana on the foil plate.

Put the plate inside the pizza box, underneath the cut out square.  Crumple up pieces of newspaper to fill the empty space around the plate inside the box.  Close the box and leave out in direct sunlight.  After about 5-10 minutes, check your banana boat to see if the chocolate has melted.  The foil can get very hot, so make sure to bring out the pot holders!  Once the chocolate has melted, put the banana on a plate, grab a spoon, and dig in to your solar-baked treat!

 

 

During Stellar Science month, we experimented with all kinds of art! Here is a fun experiment to try at home using lemon juice as “Invisible Ink!”

To make your very own “Invisible Ink” pour two tbs. of pure lemon juice into a small container. Soak one end of a cotton swab in the lemon juice. Use the soaked cotton swab as a paintbrush to write a secret message on a sheet of paper. 

When you are ready to reveal the secret message, help your child by holding the paper near a heat source, such as a lamp. The heat will slowly reveal the message written by turning the lemon juice to a darker color.

 

During July, we introduced toddlers to science through water play, and focused on vocabulary like squeeze, float, sink and pour.

An activity to do at home with science learning is “Dunkin Ducks."

Fill your sink with a few inches of water. Add a few drops of food coloring and water to plastic squeeze bottles. Place rubber ducks in the sink, and position a step stool in front of the sink for your child to stand on. Allow your toddler to aim and squeeze the plastic squeeze bottle at the rubber ducks and watch them move from side to side with water pressure. When the squeeze bottle is empty simply submerge it in water to fill it back up. Try having a race with your child to see who can move the ducks faster.

Water play is a great way to beat the heat, and have some good clean fun!

 

 

Last month in Make Believe Matinee, we learned how to make sound effects for a radio show. This is a great springboard to talk to your child about their five senses and experiment with sound.

Spread a blanket outdoors, sit back, close your eyes and listen. Ask your child to describe the sounds around them. Is that a bird? Do you hear other people talking? Are they children or grownups? Are they close or far away? Can you hear the weather? This will help them focus and really think about what they hear. 

Another great sound game is to put dried beans, pennies, bells, and rice into plastic containers. Let your child shake each one to see if they can guess what is making the sound. This is also a great way to make music together!

For older children, talk about the idea of sound waves. Listen for loud sounds and imagine tall sound waves, while soft sounds make short sound waves. Ask them to illustrate a wave for each sound heard while outside. Sensory science is all around us!