What are some of your favorite science activities?

[JessicaS]

What are some of your favorite science activities

We are planning on continuing to school this summer but more of a "fun" activity type of theme than Latin and grammar.

What are some of your favorite science activities that kids can do outside?

[SundayCrepes]

I keep meaning to do a shadow tracing. Mark a spot on the cement, stand there, have someone trace your shadow. Come back several times during the day and trace your new shadow location.

My son is 4 so we're just doing simple stuff at this point: mixing vinegar and baking soda. Also mixing oil, water, and food coloring.

We don't do soda so we altered this experiment and did it with frozen yogurt and carbonated juice: http://thehappyscientist.com/science...ice-cream-foam

I just posted this in the pre-homeschool thread. You could have the ice melt inside the house and outside or under various conditions outside. The original poster of this said they put toys in the ice but my son didn't want to do that:

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes

We just did the iceberg experiment. We filled two identical plastic bowls with 4 cups water and let them freeze overnight. Then we had to decide what two places to put them to melt. My son decided on the counter and in a sink of hot water.

When we went back to check only a mini ice cube was left in the water, the other was barely sweating. I got all excited about it and acted surprised. He did the same. Then he put the remaining iceberg in the sink. He keeps running into me all excited to come and look how small the ice is.

It's the excitement I love. I hope we help him keep that joy going.

[elizawill]

mentos and diet coke never gets old for my kids (well, really for my husband - but my kids enjoy it too). my children also love to take 1/2 a crayon and drop it in a glass of water (it sinks). remove it & add a tablespoon of salt and stir well. add the crayon back & it floats. another big hit was making a homemade compass. that is especially great when the weather is warm & you can go on adventures (you can also google how to find the true "north", and that is fun to do outside too!). hth.

ETA - oh! make a volcano! my dd is in the process of doing this. we used a small bottle and crayola air dry clay, and a cookie sheet for the base. you can use flour & water too, which is even cheaper. let it dry, paint it, decorate it. then add ingredients into bottle for an explosion. just google it & you'll find lots of instructions.

[JessicaS]

My dd is nine but she might enjoy some mentos and diet coke fun


My MIL has a microscope so I was thinking about us getting some nasty water and slides.

[spruce]

Right now we're on our second "potato maze," and also have a huge pickle jar full of growing beans on water-soaked paper towels.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by spruce

Right now we're on our second "potato maze," and also have a huge pickle jar full of growing beans on water-soaked paper towels.

What is a potato maze? Why a pickle jar?

[cyberfish]

We lie on a blanket in the yard after dark and note sky objects on clear nights. DD is 4 and learning phases of the moon and constellations.

[meetoo]

observe and explore nature.

[Chicky2]

subbing for ideas.

Lately we've been working on anatomy lessons on butcher day (we live on a farm).

We have a constellation finder (tells what constellations you should be able to locate on any given day). That's alot of fun--we can really see lots and lots of stars out here.

We make kites and made a potato gun.

[JessicaS]

There are some awesome projects from Make Magazine

http://www.youtube.com/user/makemagazine?blend=1&ob=4



So far on list I have

Catapult

http://www.youtube.com/user/makemaga...89/EVzorAMTnFM

the jam jar jet

http://www.youtube.com/user/makemaga...83/fciwFk0IfF8

the biosphere

http://www.youtube.com/user/makemaga...79/s_WWG9rTUyI

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

a potato gun.

Awesome!



We do have a telescope. It was FIL's telescope and he got a new one.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes

What is a potato maze? Why a pickle jar?

http://www.imsa.edu/programs/kidsins.../wheels/p1.php

[binxsmom]

i really like the activity pages in considering God's creation. check out the sample pages. the tree detective, in particular. they really do assist you in developing nature observation skills are are very un-schooly. there are also flower and rock detective pages as well as tons of other good stuff. honestly, well worth the price.

don't be put off if you are looking for something secular. we haven't been through the entire book as we mostly do the "detective" pages and they aren't religious at all. i did note that the scientist detective pages have God references (which i am fine with).

it's a science fave around here.