More Fun Kid Science

I really do love doing science projects with my kids, we keep it simple so that they can fully understand the process. They're always amazed with the things we do. I don't just do science projects with the kids either, though they are my favorite because to them, it's like magic. Really from a psychological point of view, Bubba tends to enjoy the science projects and chemical reactions a bit more than the girls do. To me, that's evidence in itself as to why boys do tend to do better than girls in Science class. It's just more understandable to them I suppose. Maybe it's just that they're more into blowing stuff up and making messes. Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails and all that. Several of my friends have really liked the other kid science projects I've posted and linked to so I thought I would do another one, here it is.


Bouncy Balls:

• 1/2 tsp Borax (found in laundry section) You may have some left over if you made the laundry detergent.
• 2 TBS warm water
• 1 TBS corn starch
• 1TBS glue (clear glue makes a see transparent ball and white glue makes an opaque ball)
• 2 small mixing bowls or cups
• a stirring stick (plastic spoon)
• food coloring (optional)

mix together the warm water and borax till the borax dissolves. In your other mixing bowl/cup add the glue, 1 tsp of the borax/water solution you just made and the cornstarch. Wait 10-15 seconds before stirring. Rolls around in your hands once mixed until it forms a not so sticky ball. This will dry out after a couple of days but it's a fun project. You can add the food coloring with the borax/water mixture for a solid bouncy ball or wait till the last second after you've mixed everything to create a swirly effect like the ones you buy- just don't over stir the food coloring or it will completely blend and become solid.


Acid Based Reaction to Blow Up a Balloon:

• baking soda
• vinegar
• small funnels
• empty bottle like a soda or water bottle

Fill empty bottle(s) about 1/3 of the way full with vinegar. Use your funnel to fill your balloon about half way full with baking soda. Attach the lip of the balloon to the top of your bottle- be careful not to spill your baking soda yet. Have your child hold the balloon to the bottle and then, when you're ready, have your child lift up the balloon- dropping the baking soda into the vinegar. This creates an acid based reaction that creates carbon dioxide to fill the balloon. It's not helium and it's pretty much the same thing as blowing them up yourself.



Density Project:

• 1/4 c. dish washing liquid
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 1/4 c. karo syrup
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol

Carefully pour these one at a time into a bottle, using a funnel. You want these to try to hit dead center without touching the sides. Each of these things will layer together. Seal your bottle with an air tight lid and shake it. Watch and see how long it takes each to separate, if they do.


Hot/Cold Balloon:

For this project you're learning how the air around us will expand and contract when exposed to hot and cold conditions. You could even use the balloons you blow up from the project above. Your tires do the same thing by the way, that's why it's important to know how to air up your tires.

First you'll need to measure your balloon at room temperature. A fabric measuring tape works best for this, which you can find in your sewing/fabric aisles- that's what they're normally used for. Mark down your measurements throughout the project.

Expose your balloon to heat first, a hair dryer will work perfectly for this, just point the blow dryer at the balloon for a few minutes, allowing it to heat up. Be careful with this, it may pop with the expansion. Quickly measure the balloon and mark down the measurement- it should have gotten larger.

Then, using the same balloon, pop it in the freezer for let's say 15 minutes. Take it out and quickly measure it again, it should be smaller. Then allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to make sure it's completely back to it's original temperature and measure again. Is it the same size as your first measurement? Discuss your findings with your child.

Keeping the Kids Busy

The house we're moving into has a fenced in back yard that's actually pretty large. It will still be too cold for a while though to go outside. I like finding different activities we can do inside; the kind you can do when it's too cold, or raining. It keeps the kids busy and allows me to do whatever it is I need to get done. With the new move it's gonna take a lot of work to get every thing in the shape I want it in, with the bedrooms mainly. We still haven't been able to get in touch with the landlord about the toilet in the first bathroom or the kitchen sink being stopped up. These are things I'm going to have to fix completely myself if I can't reach him. I won't sit and wait and we'll talk about paying me back or taking it off the rent afterwards. Anyway, these type of activities are going to come in handy BIG TIME while I'm trying to accomplish all this. They're also cheap- which you guys know I love.

Smashing Balls:

1 C. water
1 C. Flour
food coloring

mix together, the mixture should be kind of thick and add whatever colors you'd like. Cover the cotton balls and bake at 300 degrees for around 45 minutes. They may have some annoying flat edges, if you don't like these you can snip them off with some scissors. TIP: line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for an easy clean up. When they're done and kind of hard hand them over to the kiddos with a kid hammer or rubber mallet and let them go to town. They can also stomp them to bits. Some people say there's no real educational value here but I can find it. It's scientific, explaining how the chemical composition of the gooey mixture changes with heat and becomes hard. There's also the question of density which is why the cotton balls aren't always colored all the way through with this mixture where they would be with water and food coloring. There's also the subject of fine motor skills here, let them use tweezers to pull the cotton balls out of a bowl.These are ALSO great therapy for aggression issues. Seriously though, it's a game. It's just fun. Get over yourself. I used to throw rocks at the side of a barn. Mom didn't question the educational purpose behind that and I can assure you that I turned out just fine. Oh, and go follow the blog I linked in the title, she's awesome.




Masking Tape Race Track:

Basically for this activity you just need a floor and some masking tape. Which, if I'm not mistaken can be bought in lots of different colors. Painters tape is also a good option and, in all honesty, is pretty much the same thing. Here's the pin I saw this on originally:


I can't seem to figure out who to give credit to for this so if you know, please let me know. It's a wonderful idea, it really is, masking tape is cheap, it pulls up easily and can provide hours of fun, not to mention a different track each time. Upon googling this I found even more similar ideas (yet never the original) that really were awesome.

Here  (at Maddycakes Muse) is a picture I found that was about a race car/ race track themed birthday party. This is made out of black plastic table cloth and masking tape:

I have a friend who's son is race car crazy and she's gonna love this

Isn't that great? Go show her some love too, she did this party for a wonderful reason and there are several other ideas on that particular post. She seems to be a very good hearted person.

This (from Motherly Loving) is also a great idea, using the same concept and is also for a little boys birthday. Being from Corvette City, I loved the car in the driveway :)


Honestly, I went crazy with ideas with masking tape after seeing all this. Other things you could do would be hopscotch, tic tac toe and any game you could play using chalk on the sidewalk or driveway. It's really more versatile than I realized until today.

Discovery Bottles:

Discovery bottles are geared specifically toward learning. The way I look at it, the more you jump start your child's mind into thinking the more they learn, it's just like reading really. These really focus on sight, sound and smell. They make your child turn and twist or shake the bottle, making a different reaction each time and jump starting their little minds. Here's my favorite but this blogger has so many on her site, I believe I'll create every single one.

It's just some pipe cleaners in a glass jar with a magnet to make them move. It's simple but it takes me back to the little magnet shaving faces where you could add hair to the blank face on a board- does anyone else remember these? I loved them. Seriously though, click that link- go show her some love too, these are amazing. Magnets can be bought here, horseshoe 6.25/12 and will be useful for other projects as well.

Balloon Ping Pong:
Bouncing a small ball around the house can always turn into trouble. I don't know about your kids but mine would most certainly break something. So, the solution is, turning the ball into a balloon. It's hard to break much with a simple balloon. Tobers, Bubba and Livvy are all obsessed with balloons. They're a big deal at my house. They're also really cheap. If you're kids are as in love with them as mine are go check out Oriental Trading where you can get them (and so much more stuff) cheaply. The ones I linked to are 144 for 5$. Basically balloon ping pong is your basic ping pong game using popsicle sticks (500 large ones for 7.25 at OT) glued or stapled to paper plates as the paddles and the balloon as the ball. Lots of fun for the kiddos.




More Great Links:
SavingStar- 10 activities for kids I absolutely love this, and it's got 10 more links to 10 more places for great ideas, check out the ocean in a bottle. That makes me so happy and wouldn't that be a great idea to use keepsakes from a beach trip?
Oriental Trading they have just so much stuff for really cheap, go check it out. I can't say enough about this website. They have stuff for everything from decorations for any party to soap and candle making to paints, crayons, and markers to costumes to anything. It's really great. It's also a great place to get soap dye for those homemade bathtub crayons

The Fort, a Staple of Every Childhood

THE FORT

Everyone has built a fort at one time in their life. Whether that fort was made of blankets and chairs, the cushions off of grandma's sofa, snow or a cardboard box, everyone has built one. If they say they haven't, I would call them a liar. Forts can distract kids for a long time, that's for sure. I can cut some "windows" in a box and let the kids just draw on it with some crayons. They'll play with that box until it's almost completely broken down and I have to throw it away. Even then, I have to fight them off all the way to the trash can. I remember placing my Nanna's chairs not far from each other and draping sheets over the chair backs. That was my fort. A lot of the time my cousins and I would pile up cushions as floors and extra insulation. Forts are a great feeling for a kid, you can pretend they're anything. A fort can be a castle, a house, a tent in the deep woods, a submarine at the bottom of the ocean... anything, all you need is imagination. Children have no shortage of imagination, that's for sure.

Sure, you could go and spend the money to buy the cute little playhouses that are sometimes hard to put up and always take up space. Usually a child outgrows those pretty quickly, or loses interest. I just don't think they're worth the money. A fort can be made out of any thing, but lately I have noticed that the basic every day fort has evolved slightly. I've seen some really great ideas that we never bothered with as children. Some of us may have thought about it but most of us never really followed through. I love the different options people have thought up, most of them space saving, easy to hide and easy to put up. I've decided to share them here with you guys.

1. The Tablecloth Fort:

Aren't these so cute? The sewing skills required for this are minimal depending on how detailed you want to be. Their construction would be exceedingly simple and you could use any type of material that you like. Canvas drop cloths can be purchased for next to nothing at any hardware store, and can be dyed in your washing machine with Rit Dye. You could purchase your own fabric from a fabric store or even use old sheets! The doors in 1 and 2 are held open or closed by little ties and in 3 the creator has implemented a zipper; velcro would also work wonderfully. I especially like the detail in the third picture, the plastic on the windows is a wonderful touch. Bubba would love the cammo fort as well. The best part about this type of fort is that it can be easily folded up and put away. Remember this doesn't have to be perfect, so get to sewing!

2. The Tension Rod Fort:
These little forts are also a great idea and can be easily put away! I think whoever came up with this was a genius. All you need for this type of fort are some tension rods and cloth. You could drape the fabric over the tension rods (curtain rods) but I feel that it would easily slide off this way. I think that creating this by attaching the rod via pocket like a curtain would be the best way and very simple. You could also use curtain hooks to attach the rods, also much like a curtain. In this fort the little door is held up by velcro but when you drop it down it doubles as a welcome mat. How adorable is that? The tension rod fort can also be folded and put away or just hung up somewhere for storage.

3. The Cardboard Fort:

Cardboard is a great resource for making things for kids. The cardboard fort isn't usually as easy to put away but can also be completely free standing with no issue. You can piece together cardboard forts or just cut up a large box. I can't count how many times my friends, family and myself have spent quite a bit of money on some high rated fantastic toy and the children have had more fun with the box! The great thing about cardboard forts are that they can be as detailed or as simple as you'd like. You can go from this,

             to this....

or this....

 Yeahhhh... take one more look at that cardboard castle. Just look at that. I stared at it for at least five minutes. When looking at that fort, I feel that I have been out done in my creativity department... this picture is what has determined me to build the greatest cardboard fort ever. This idea has been so popular recently that you can even buy pre-made pre-cut cardboard houses that only need a little paint or coloring and some kids. I, however, am not going to pay over 20$ for any box. Never. I prefer the DIY get the boxes from the grocery store for free kind of playhouse/ fort.

4. The Window Shades Fort:

I love this idea because there is no real work in putting it away, it's always there, just out of sight. This concept plays off of the table cloth fort with just a little difference. This uses window shades. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I could find where someone had done this. The idea apparently came from Country Living. It's as easy as placing roller window shades beneath your table and drawing on them. I'm not sure if cutting windows or doors into a roller shade would weaken the structure but it would be worth a shot! Then, when the kids are finished with it a quick tug would pull the shade right back up- out of sight and out of mind :D













Links for more Fort Inspiration:

• All For the Boys
• How To Build A Box Fort
• A Wicked Happy Life
• Four Bad Apples
• The Amazing Up House from Piccolina Designs
• The Fold Up Cardboard Playhouse at DIY FYI
• Roller Shade Fort
• How to Build a Cardboard Fort at Thingamababy
• Tablecloth Fort at It's Personal

More Images for inspiration!

The Toddler Spy

Years ago, when I was pretty young a movie came out called Harriet the Spy. This movie was awesome and inspired me to pretend to be a spy for a while after that. I can't wait for my kids to get interested in being little spies. Bubba already really thinks he is, sneaking around and trying to see what everyone else is doing! He's always got that mischievous little grin too. They do like movies like The Great Mouse Detective, anything where Daffy Duck plays a detective, Inspector Gadget, Scooby Doo and the Pink Panther. I think that making a spy kit for them will be really interesting. Even if they don't use it for spying it could also double as a bug kit for the up close and personal inspection of bugs. Bubba loves bugs.





Here's what I would put in the spy kit:

• a magnifying glass to "look for clues" (also good for looking at bugs)
• a pair of plastic tweezers for picking up evidence (also good for picking up bugs)
• a fake cell phone to call for help (I've got nothing for the bugs on this one! :))
• flashlight for finding criminals and suspects in the dark (or for seeing bugs under stuff)
• a cheap camera to take pictures of the criminals and crime scenes (also for taking pictures of bugs)
• a notepad for writing down clues (or drawing the bugs they find)
• a pair of gloves for inspecting the crime scene or not leaving finger prints (and for touching super nasty bugs)
• binoculars to investigate from a distance (and search for bugs in trees and other high places)
• a pair of costume glasses. You know the kind with the nose and mustache.

That's really all I would include in mine for my kids till they get a little older. When Nick (my brother) and I were kids we had a device for listening in to conversations in the next room. I'd put that in one for older kids for sure. I would also switch out the fake cell phone for cheap walkie talkies. I would also add something like a yak bak or talkboy (remember those?!). Right now the kids will most likely only use this for looking at bugs but later on I could make them a great spy kit for next to nothing! I also found a pin that was a cute game they could play now while pretending to be spies. All you need is some red or green yarn and some paint safe tape like the blue painters tape.

                                            

Isn't that great? It's just like the lasers from the movies! It's also pretty good exercise for the kids. I can't seem to find the original poster for that, sorry. If you know who to give credit to, just let me know!

Cheap and Easy Kid Science!

Being "thrifty" means a lot to me. Neither Brandon or I are making lots of money. We do a little better than minimum wage but we're not making enough to afford many luxuries. If I could, I would go to my local Walmart and purchase every single one of those DIY craft kits and science kits for my kids. Unfortunately, even though they are *cheap* they're just not feasible. I could spend that money on more important things that we really truly need. So, when I have the time, I scour the web for cheaper ways to create a good learning experience with more than just construction paper and glue. Not that I'm knocking construction paper and glue. Those two things combined have given me a little mommy time on more than one occasion.

Learning is a big deal in my house, and I love finding new ways to teach all three kids new things. At the toddler age I feel that science is the best. You can create a lot of interesting reactions that can keep their attention for hours. The important part of teaching these reactions to kids is discussing how it happened and why. In any case, if you have a toddler, they are going to want to know so try to have the correct answers waiting for them. Try to stray away from big words, and use smaller more understandable words to explain what the big words mean. I still believe in mentioning certain words like malleable and brittle for example- those are huge words to a child. I want my kids to have them in their vocabulary. They don't have to use them, just have a general understanding. I did.

Dinosaur Eggs:

These are so so much fun. Go to your local dollar store or Walmart and purchase a bag of tiny plastic dinosaurs. Then you're going to need:

• 1 1/4 c. dirt
• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. salt
• 1/2 c. sand
• water

Add water slowly to your dry ingredients until it forms a stiff dough like consistency. While it's still wet form balls of the mix around the little dinosaurs, completely covering them. These should resemble rocks. Then just set them in the sun to dry and harden. You now have fossils. Bury these in sand or loose dirt and give your child a shovel and a paint brush or even a plastic sieve. Allow them to dig through to find their fossils and then have them use the paint brush and something like a screwdriver or stick to dig the dinosaurs out of their fossils. Here is a great website to help you out in explaining fossilization to your kids.

Plant Science:

This lesson is very popular with children and very easy to do though it does take a while to work. You'll need several things:

• cotton balls
• dirt
• rocks (like small gravel)
• seeds (like lima beans)
• styrofoam cups or plastic bottles (cut an empty 20 oz. in half, I feel that these are the best because they're clear and allow for a better view of roots)
• paper towels
• water

ok so take your containers and line them up. You will put just dirt in one, just gravel in another, just cotton balls in another and just paper towels in the last one. Now, for your cotton balls and paper towels, wet these down before moving on, you'll want the container to be almost full when damp, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Then "plant" a lima bean in each container, about one inch deep. You'll have to shift your gravel to do this without hurting the seed. Remember that you're not putting dirt in all of these containers, just the one. Once every container has a seed planted place them in the sun and wait. After about a week (that's roughly how long it takes for a lima to sprout) check them every day with your child. Make note of which seed is growing the best. Your child may be very surprised that the seed doesn't need dirt to grow, talk about what plants need to survive and how each growing material is different.

The Naked Egg:

I remember doing this as a child, it was very very fascinating. This experience explains how acids work. All you will need is vinegar (our safe acid of choice), a container with a lid and some eggs. You could do this experiment with just one egg but I can't guarantee you that it will survive. Place your eggs in your container, making sure that they don't touch. Cover your eggs with vinegar and place the lid on your container. Bubbles will almost immediately form on the shell of the egg, this is the acid beginning to eat the shell and be sure to point out this reaction to your child. Then place the container in your fridge over night. After 24 hours pull the eggs out very carefully, rinse with water and cover again with vinegar. Note any changes in the shell with your child, and again note any bubbles. Place back in the fridge for another 24 hours. At this point the shell should be completely dissolved leaving only a rubbery membrane and the yolk- a naked egg.

Germ Farm:

warning: this experiment may just turn you into a germaphobe. It's gross. So, so gross. You are going to realize just how dirty every thing is.

I did this project in high school science but I see absolutely no reason to not do this with your child. This lesson is all about germs and how even though you can't see them, it doesn't mean they're not there. With a little bit of food and the right conditions however, you will see them with this. You will need:

• several cotton swabs
• flavor-less gelatin (bought easily at any grocery store)
• small containers with lids (dollar stores sell small tupperware like containers for really cheap)
• masking tape
• marker

Now, make the gelatin according to the box directions and let it set. It's basically flavorless Jell-O. Now, take your cotton swabs and start swabbing different places. Only use one cotton swab for each place, do not reuse. You could swab:

• different door handles in the house
• the toilet
• the bathroom sink
• the gear shift in your car
• the interior door handles of your car
• the floor
• a pets food bowl
• a bed rail
• keyboard
• mouse
• your own hands

The list goes on, you can swab anything. Now, take one of the cotton swabs and rub it lightly across your gelatin. This transfers the germs from your swab to the container. Place the lid on loosely and use the masking tape like a label to let you know which area you swabbed is in the container. Don't skip this step you're, at the very least, going to want to know what you need to spray with disinfectant. Throw the swabs away. Place the containers somewhere dark and room temprature. Under the sink or in a cabinet would be perfect. After a few days take out each container and check it. Eventually you will see things starting to grow. The bacteria and micro-organisms will feed off of the gelatin and grow like crazy. There will be all kinds of different forms of fungi and mold and in all different colors. It's morbidly fascinating. 

Volcano Explosion:

This is a lot of fun and you probably already have most, if not all of what you need already in your home. Here is what you're going to need:

• kool-aid
• baking soda
• vinegar
• glitter
• a small vase like a bud vase
• a baking sheet

Ok, so first take a small bowl or plastic bag and put in enough baking soda to fill the bulb of the vase 3/4 of the way full. Then add your kool-aid packet and glitter. Mix these really well and pour into your vase. Set the vase in the middle of your baking sheet and have your child pour in the vinegar, let's say a 1/2 c. and stand back. Mixing vinegar and baking soda in any application will cause a chemical reaction- making a lot of fizz and bubbles. The vase forms pressure causing the bubbles to rise to the top and pour over (this is what the baking sheet is for- easy clean up) and the glitter and kool-aid just make it pretty.


That's all I'm going to do for this post as it has gone on long enough, enjoy the experiments and comment if you'd like to let me know what happens with your child!