Before you begin any science experiment, whether you do it at home or in a classroom, you should really take the time to make some predictions. Explain what you will be doing, i.e. putting pepper in the water but let them have time to explore the possibilities. Do they think the pepper will float or sink? Is the water hot or cold? Do you think the pepper would float if the water was cold?

Next ask them what would happen if you put dish soap into the water. Write down what the kids are saying for prosperities sake, or if you are in a classroom, and if you want, you could have the kids draw pictures of the bowl of water before and after you add the dish soap.

What you need:

• Pepper
• Water
• A bowl (it doesn’t have to be large but you want it large enough for all the kids to be able to see into it without pushing)
• Dish Soap

Directions:

1. Fill the bowl with water. Ask the questions, let the kids test the water and comment on it.
2. Have your child(ren) add pepper to the water. Discuss what is happening.
3. Place a drop of dish soap in the center of the water and discuss what is happening and why.

And that’s it. A 5 minute activity that you can do over and over again. This experiment actually deals with water tension and how it is affected by the dish soap. Generally, water has a very strong surface tension that pulls the water together. The pepper, which weighs less than the surface tension, floats. When you drop in the dish soap, the surface tension changes, becomes weaker, and the pepper is pulled away from the soap with the water. For kids, it looks like magic.

Sirena Van Schaik

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If you aren’t familiar with what I am talking about in regards to a plan, it is fairly simple. For the first, second and third placement, students have to write in-depth plans that are taken from observations in the class. I can’t remember what my observation was that led me to believe this was a great activity but in my madness I arrived at a decision on what sensory activity I wanted to do with the kids. My plan had the steps to take, the inferences I gathered and the developmental outcomes that I hoped to see.

Of course, like most well made plans, it didn’t go off perfectly and by the end of the activity I had children painted in a multitude of colors and a big box of brown sludge to clean out. I learned from that, tweaked a few things and found a better way to enjoy gelatin fun without having as much of a fuss over the mess.

*Word of caution: This can still be a messy activity so it isn’t for the faint of heart.*

What you will need:

• A large box of clear gelatin
• A large plastic tub or container
• Food coloring
• Water
• Spray bottles
• (optional: any little animals or items that you want to put in)

Directions:

1. Prepare the whole box of gelatin as it says on the box. This will leave you with a lot of gelatin so make sure you have a big enough container and a big enough space in your fridge. If you are adding animals or anything else, add them while the gelatin is still a liquid.
2. Once it sets, tip the gelatin over into the bin.
3. Fill up the spray bottles with water.
4. Add a few drops of food coloring to the spray bottles.
5. Give to the kids and allow them to explore.

This is a great activity because the gelatin looks wet. Kids expect it to splash up or for their hands to sink into it. When they feel a cool resistance, it gives them an opportunity to problem solve. Ask questions like, “Why do you think it is like that?”

The spray bottles of color also help children learn about mixing colors. They can spray one color onto the gelatin and then another to create a third color. They can also try different ways to get the colors to sink into the gelatin.

Regardless of what they are learning, the texture of the gelatin is a complete treat and one that most children enjoy.

Sirena Van Schaik

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He looked at her, thought about it and then said, “Played in flour.”

She looked at me confused and then continued to question him.  Where did you play with flour? at school?   Nope, at home.  Oh, were you helping mommy bake?

When I said, no, I just put flour play out for him for something to do, she went silent, looked at me like I had sprouted an extra set of eyes and changed the subject.  I was a little surprised by the response and it made me think about some rainy day activities that would be great to post here.

Sometimes, like today obviously, they won’t seem too imaginative but as I realized this week, sometimes you never think of doing things because it just isn’t the normal thing to do.  Flour play seems like an activity that you would do at school, not at home and it seems peculiar to do it.

If you do flour play, you should think about the mess.  Flour play is messy and I mean, messy.  There is flour on seats, on tables, on clothes that the kids manage to smear on every couch and bed on the way to the bathroom.  I often find that the clean up lasts a good half hour to an hour but the smile on my son’s face when he is done is worth the effort.

Now that I have given you ample warning; all you will need for flour play is a cookie sheet or other large container where the flour can lay flat and the flour.  Make it more interesting by placing animals, cars, soldiers or kitchen utensils in it.

The flour offers an interesting texture that is cool and soft.  It can be flattened so it is smooth, built up to provide snow drifts for soldiers to hide behind and it can also be drawn in.  There is a lot that you can do with flour play and I have seen kids sit for a good hour playing with flour and adults even longer when they play beside them.

So my first Rainy Day Activity is all about flour and I hope you have fun playing in it.

Sirena Van Schaik

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