Exploring "Science" and Experiments
jlh44music
My daughter has always enjoyed science in school (that hands on
thing!). Does anyone have any suggestions/books/websites etc
(experiments) that we can have "on hand" for when the moment strikes
(whenever that may be). It IS something she says she would like to be
able to do from time to time when we're homeschooling. She wants to do
more than just "living your life" type science (trying to not sound
schooly here but it seems to be coming out that way!)
Jann
thing!). Does anyone have any suggestions/books/websites etc
(experiments) that we can have "on hand" for when the moment strikes
(whenever that may be). It IS something she says she would like to be
able to do from time to time when we're homeschooling. She wants to do
more than just "living your life" type science (trying to not sound
schooly here but it seems to be coming out that way!)
Jann
soggyboysmom
--- In [email protected], "jlh44music"
<jlh44music@y...> wrote:
common household things like vinegar and baking soda and elmer's glue
and such. You might find a couple (check them out at the library until
you find ones you like a lot to buy). Look through and maybe stock
a "science cabinet" with bottles of vinegar, baking powder, baking
soda, dried beans, paper towels (lol), assorted cleaned out jars, a
set of measuring spoons, food coloring, assorted extracts, (keep
packets of dry yeast handy in fridge), etc. That way you're ready to
go at a moment's notice. Maybe even keep an "inventory sheet" so you
know when to replenish stuff at the market.
Also, google "steve spangler science" - lots of cool science gear
available. Edmond Scientific is another place DH likes (that's where
he got his 11" square fresnel lense for $5 so he can start fires at
will with just a little sunlight and some tinder - yes I said DH, he's
such a kid at heart lol).
<jlh44music@y...> wrote:
> My daughter has always enjoyed science in school (that hands onThere are books of kitchen table science - experiments you can do with
> thing!). Does anyone have any suggestions/books/websites etc
> (experiments) that we can have "on hand" for when the moment strikes
> (whenever that may be). It IS something she says she would like to
>be
> able to do from time to time when we're homeschooling. She wants to
>do
> more than just "living your life" type science (trying to not sound
> schooly here but it seems to be coming out that way!)
> Jann
common household things like vinegar and baking soda and elmer's glue
and such. You might find a couple (check them out at the library until
you find ones you like a lot to buy). Look through and maybe stock
a "science cabinet" with bottles of vinegar, baking powder, baking
soda, dried beans, paper towels (lol), assorted cleaned out jars, a
set of measuring spoons, food coloring, assorted extracts, (keep
packets of dry yeast handy in fridge), etc. That way you're ready to
go at a moment's notice. Maybe even keep an "inventory sheet" so you
know when to replenish stuff at the market.
Also, google "steve spangler science" - lots of cool science gear
available. Edmond Scientific is another place DH likes (that's where
he got his 11" square fresnel lense for $5 so he can start fires at
will with just a little sunlight and some tinder - yes I said DH, he's
such a kid at heart lol).
TreeGoddess
This is info copy/pasted from the Unschooling Discussion that I saved.
Thought it might be helpful for this thread. :)
-Tracy-
these things as safe, I wouldn't give rubbing alcohol to someone who
might taste it. This is all stuff that she likes to mix together just
to see what happens. She was enormously pleased with herself, for
example, the day that she discovered that oil and colored water in her
test tube would make something sort of like a wave bottle, or a lava
lamp.
She has a large supply of plastic test tubes and plastic pipettes and
test tube stands and some recycled glass and plastic jars to mix and
play in.
In DD's science "kit" she has little baby food jars filled with things
from the house and kitchen: sand, cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, baking
soda, baking powder (fizzes in water, since it has a dry acid already
in it), vinegar, antacids (she is past the stage of eating things like
this), vitamin C, fruit fresh (a combination of dry acids), cocoa,
sugar, salt, rock salt, oil in different colors (i.e. xvirgin olive oil
is greenish, canola more yellow, etc.), rubbing alcohol, coarse
glitter, fine glitter, borax solution, glue, tub tints (little dry
pellets of color sold for use in playing in the bathtub), liquid
watercolors, and probably some other things I'm not thinking of. Oh,
yeah, some packets of dry cool-aid in different colors. I'm thinking
of getting different colors of lamp oil, but haven't yet.
She has little baby food jars filled with other things purchased from a
kid's science supply house: fake snow (superabsorbent polymer), the
kind of superabsorbant powder that they put into baby diapers, a kind
of superabsorbant powder that turns into little gelly "crystals," glow
- in - the dark powder, magic sand (stays dry in water).
She also has kid-sized plastic eye protectors that she wears for the
dress-up pretend factor of being a chemist when she plays with her
stuff. I am planning to make her a kid-sized lab coat with her name on
the pocket, but haven't done it yet.
As I said, she just likes to play around and see what happens -- but
here are a few combinations that definitely "do" something: slime
(borax solution and glue), fizzy bath bombs (oil, baking soda, and
Kool-aid mixed together and formed into a small ball - fizzes and
releases oil and sent when dropped into a bath); cornstarch and water
turns into a weird substance that seems liquid until you push on it and
then it seems solid. If you put plain whole milk in a shallow saucer
and drop little bits of watercolor or foodcolor in, the colors will
mostly stay in place -- touch the center with a toothpick dipped in
dishwashing liquid and the colors will instantly begin to mix and
swirl.
I second someone's suggestion of the Kampf experiment of the week --
it's great.
We get some of our stuff from www.stevesspanglerscience.com. Lydia
sometimes likes to keep her concotions in test tubes, rather than
rinsing them out to start over, so we get them in bulk - they're about
40cents each, when you buy them 120 at at time.
Hope some of this is helpful.
Thought it might be helpful for this thread. :)
-Tracy-
>>>DD doesn't eat non-food items (at nearly 7) -- while I think of all of
these things as safe, I wouldn't give rubbing alcohol to someone who
might taste it. This is all stuff that she likes to mix together just
to see what happens. She was enormously pleased with herself, for
example, the day that she discovered that oil and colored water in her
test tube would make something sort of like a wave bottle, or a lava
lamp.
She has a large supply of plastic test tubes and plastic pipettes and
test tube stands and some recycled glass and plastic jars to mix and
play in.
In DD's science "kit" she has little baby food jars filled with things
from the house and kitchen: sand, cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, baking
soda, baking powder (fizzes in water, since it has a dry acid already
in it), vinegar, antacids (she is past the stage of eating things like
this), vitamin C, fruit fresh (a combination of dry acids), cocoa,
sugar, salt, rock salt, oil in different colors (i.e. xvirgin olive oil
is greenish, canola more yellow, etc.), rubbing alcohol, coarse
glitter, fine glitter, borax solution, glue, tub tints (little dry
pellets of color sold for use in playing in the bathtub), liquid
watercolors, and probably some other things I'm not thinking of. Oh,
yeah, some packets of dry cool-aid in different colors. I'm thinking
of getting different colors of lamp oil, but haven't yet.
She has little baby food jars filled with other things purchased from a
kid's science supply house: fake snow (superabsorbent polymer), the
kind of superabsorbant powder that they put into baby diapers, a kind
of superabsorbant powder that turns into little gelly "crystals," glow
- in - the dark powder, magic sand (stays dry in water).
She also has kid-sized plastic eye protectors that she wears for the
dress-up pretend factor of being a chemist when she plays with her
stuff. I am planning to make her a kid-sized lab coat with her name on
the pocket, but haven't done it yet.
As I said, she just likes to play around and see what happens -- but
here are a few combinations that definitely "do" something: slime
(borax solution and glue), fizzy bath bombs (oil, baking soda, and
Kool-aid mixed together and formed into a small ball - fizzes and
releases oil and sent when dropped into a bath); cornstarch and water
turns into a weird substance that seems liquid until you push on it and
then it seems solid. If you put plain whole milk in a shallow saucer
and drop little bits of watercolor or foodcolor in, the colors will
mostly stay in place -- touch the center with a toothpick dipped in
dishwashing liquid and the colors will instantly begin to mix and
swirl.
I second someone's suggestion of the Kampf experiment of the week --
it's great.
We get some of our stuff from www.stevesspanglerscience.com. Lydia
sometimes likes to keep her concotions in test tubes, rather than
rinsing them out to start over, so we get them in bulk - they're about
40cents each, when you buy them 120 at at time.
Hope some of this is helpful.
jlh44music
....>>>>>check them out at the library until you find ones you like a
lot to buy). Look through and maybe stock a "science cabinet".....>>>
Great idea!
Another great idea - this really appeals to my organizational
temperament!!
Found both, now bookmarked!
- yes I said DH, he's such a kid at heart lol).>>>
Got a chuckle out of this one - my DH is a kid at heart too so I know
exactly what you mean!
Thanks!
Jann
lot to buy). Look through and maybe stock a "science cabinet".....>>>
Great idea!
>>>> Maybe even keep an "inventory sheet" so you know when toreplenish stuff at the market.>>>>
Another great idea - this really appeals to my organizational
temperament!!
> Also, google "steve spangler science" - lots of cool science gearavailable. Edmond Scientific is another place.......>>>>
Found both, now bookmarked!
- yes I said DH, he's such a kid at heart lol).>>>
Got a chuckle out of this one - my DH is a kid at heart too so I know
exactly what you mean!
Thanks!
Jann
jlh44music
> Hope some of this is helpful.>>>Awesome! I've saved this one!
Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions! (I'm loving finding such
great stuff "outside the four corners of a textbook")
Jann
Pam Sorooshian
Robert Krampf's experiment of the week emails - always interesting,
always everyday stuff.
You can subscribe to the Krampf experiment of the week list by sending
a blank email to:
<[email protected]>
-pam
always everyday stuff.
You can subscribe to the Krampf experiment of the week list by sending
a blank email to:
<[email protected]>
-pam
On Jun 7, 2005, at 6:49 AM, jlh44music wrote:
> My daughter has always enjoyed science in school (that hands on
> thing!). Does anyone have any suggestions/books/websites etc
> (experiments) that we can have "on hand" for when the moment strikes
> (whenever that may be). It IS something she says she would like to be
> able to do from time to time when we're homeschooling. She wants to do
> more than just "living your life" type science (trying to not sound
> schooly here but it seems to be coming out that way!)
jlh44music
> You can subscribe to the Krampf experiment of the week list bysending a blank email to:
> <[email protected]>Once again, thanks!
Linda Knauff
>> Does anyone have any suggestions/books/websites etc(experiments) that we can have "on hand" for when the moment strikes<<
http://www.backyardscientist.com/
Hope this helps~
Linda
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