If you are only planning on doing this activity once, then you can easily make a temporary one with only a few items.

What you need:

• 2-2 liter pop bottles
• Water
• Food Coloring (optional)
• glitter and confetti (optional)
• 1-1 inch washer
• Duct Tape (the handyman’s secret weapon according to Red Green)

What you need to do:

1. Fill one bottle with water. Usually the half way mark or just below three quarters is more than enough. Don’t fill it to the top.
2. Place in food coloring or glitter if you are using any.
3. Place the washer on the opening of the bottle and invert the second bottle, placing it on top of the first so that both bottle openings touch with the washer between them.
4. Duct tape them together securely to prevent leaks from happening.
5. Turn the bottle so the one with water is on top. Give a circle shake to the bottle and a tornado will form in the water as it drains into the bottom bottle.

And that is all it takes. Children love watching the tornado twist around the bottle and it has occupied many children that I have taught for hours on end. My own kids love the cyclone tube and they will turn it repeatedly just to see that tornado.

You can use this activity to teach about weather or you can simply use it as an enjoyable rainy day activity.

Sirena Van Schaik

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Since everyone loves bubbles, why not have a recipe ready to create gallons upon gallons of bubbles for hours of fun.

What you need:

• 10 cups of Water
• 1 cup of Liquid Dish soap (Any type will work but many bubble solution makers swear by Joy or Dawn.)
• 1/4 or .25 cups of glycerin

Directions:

1. In a large container with a lid, pour in the water.
2. Stir in the cup of liquid dish soap
3. Stir in the 1/4 cup of glycerin. Stir until it is well blended.
4. Use with any type of bubble blower. For best results, let the bubble solution stand overnight.

After that, all you will need to do is make more whenever your child either uses it up or if they are anything like mine, spill it.

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I think everyone has those thoughts, well, except children. To them the world around them is filled with wonders. Adventures that we have forgotten in the daily press of adulthood. I remember being so content each summer as I scoured the woods for adventures or pulled fresh water clams out of a cold clear stream. I hated travelling and preferred to stay tucked into my own yard (mind you my yard was a town), and explore to my heart’s delight.

Now you are probably wondering why I am rambling about my childhood and forgotten adventures and it is simply that I have been reminded of the many wonders in my own backyard and all the opportunities for learning that takes place almost under my nose.

Spring is here after all and the world is full of new sounds, new sights and new life. It is a great time to start a growing project with your children or to start mapping out the backyard and all the animals that are making a home in it.

For my own yard, I have a Kildear pair that have laid four speckled eggs (right on the ground) for all to see. It is an amazing experience and it has opened up the door to learn about how other animals protect themselves and their young. (If you aren’t aware of it, Kildears are birds that will pretend to be injured to lure predators away from their nest.)

I also have a red fox that raids the compost and a raccoon that does as well. They offer opportunities to look at tracks in the mud, and discuss animals and how to take care around them. I also have a Turkey Vulture that loves to sit on a post across the road and watch me. I probably look tasty but I have taken some amazing pictures of him and answered a thousand questions about him and the Hawk that is nesting in a tall spruce in our yard.

There is an eco-system just waiting to be explored and I don’t have to travel to the Caribbean (although that would be nice too) to experience wonders and adventure.

So today was just a reminder to take a few minutes and explore your backyard with your child. You will be pleasantly surprised, as I was, at how much life is teeming in your back yard.

Mini Project

Since I am sending you out in your backyard, why not take the time to have a mini project.

What you will need:

• Twine
• 4 sticks
• graph paper
• brushes
• shovels
• magnifying glass
• containers

What you should do:

1. Section of a square in your back yard with the sticks and twine.
2. Allow your child to explore the space and show her how to mark the item on the graph paper.
3. Explore with all the different materials and save some things that can be saved, such as seeds, stems from plants, soil.
4. Label the containers and the graph to remember where you took the samples from and when
5. Spend the next week or so going back to the spot and checking to see if things have changed or if they are the same.
6. Also take the time to exam the items you took from your backyard. This is great for rainy day activities.
7. If you happen to find something really interesting, start a mini project on the topic, i.e. snails (which I will go into the proper care of snails at a later date.)

Sirena Van Schaik

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Although the whole landing and Mars stuff was a huge hit in my home, what was even bigger was a new World Wide Telescope that launched this weekend. I stumbled across it at 4:30am on Sunday morning, unable to sleep so I decided to work…ugh.

This is a great program that you download onto your computer. It has features where you can explore different planets and different parts of our night sky. It covers planets, solar systems, galaxies, stars, black holes, and many many more topics. When you click on a section of the map, say Mercury, you can pull up the basic information about the planet; size, ect., ect. You can also hit a button for more information and it will take you to websites with more in depth information about the topic and will also upload telescopic images of the object that you are studying.

The big draw for me, more than the self discovery, although I love that too, are the guided tours. In these, a scientist is talking about a certain topic, i.e. black holes. On the screen, they show you where you can find the black hole with a proper telescope, i.e. beside the constellation sagitarius and they talk about the research and information that they have gathered from it. It is very informative and they are short enough to keep the attention of young children.

Parents can also connect to an online telescope but the downside of this is that after a few hours of trying, I gave up. I couldn’t get the programs and drivers to work so I am not sure what I need to get the telescope to work or what it is like when it is working. I couldn’t find any helpful information on the site for loading but it may have been the hour and my state of mind by that point.

So if you are looking for ways to learn about the solar system, I would strongly recommend this site. It is an amazing program and can really help older children with their science projects.

Sirena Van Schaik

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.