Science

I was a good student in school, but science was never my strong point!  Too many definitions, too much to memorize, and it all seemed rather pointless since I couldn't really make it relate to day to day life. But I managed to get through it :0)

So I've tried to take my weakness in the science department and try to make it a little more fun for Samuel.  I can probably only teach science on a toddler level, so I figure I better get at it while I'm still somewhat knowledgeable!!!  We go out and catch bugs and examine them and talk about them (of course this brought flashbacks to my 9th grade science project where I had to capture 100 different bugs, poison them, and then pin and label them on a board, YUCK!).  We talk and learn about dinosaurs (Samuel's favorite, he can even say fossil!), and I found a great activity to do on weather.  However, one of my recent favorite project was about reactions.

The project is super simple, and while Samuel doesn't get the whole "concept" of chemistry and reactions, he LOVED the project!

What you need:

Some type of glass baking pan

A box of baking soda

Vinegar

Food coloring

Dropper (like for medicines)

Shallow containers to hold the vinegar

This can get a little on the messy side, so prepare yourself (and probably why kids like doing this!).

Put baking soda in the glass baking pan.  You can use as much or as little as you like!  We did a little at a time to hold Samuel's interest.

Put vinegar in the shallow containers.  You need a container for each color you want to do.  I used a disposable cupcake pan I had on hand and it was perfect!  Add a couple of drops of food coloring to each container you have (we just did the basic colors!).  Mix.

Give your child the dropper and show them how to suck up the colored vinegar and then drop it into the pan of baking soda!  You'll have one fascinated child!!!

This was a simple project to do.  Samuel had a blast!!!  It kept his attention for about 30-minutes, which is great for him!  It does get messy, but that's part of the fun too!  Non-staining, non-toxic (yep, he took a bite of his colorful creation when I wasn't looking!!!)

It's a great chance to talk about scientific reaction, and it actually gave me a chance to talk to him about reacting in general.  We still have a biting issue, so I told him that when he bites me, it hurts, that's why my reaction is that I'm so upset.  Or when we have to come inside and he gets upset, that it's OK to react that way, but a tantrum reaction isn't necessary, he can just be a little sad.  Did he catch any of that??? Probably not, but it was a good starting point for us!  And made for a fun morning!!!