Lemon Battery

Holly has been enjoying her science curriculum, Real Science for Kids, with Daddy this year! I love watching them spend some learning time together and she adores having this one on one time with him doing something she really enjoys!

This week they worked on a fun experiment regarding chemical energy. They have worked through all different sorts of energy with experiments, but I'd have to say this has been Holly's favorite by far, a lemon battery. And, I have to admit... it was pretty cool!

She pretty much did the entire assembly as she worked through her directions. The only two places that Bryan helped out was stripping the wires and then slicing a small slice into each lemon for the pennies to be inserted. Other than that, Holly built the whole thing working through her directions and the lab. Fortunately, the experiment worked... always a good thing!! She hooked a little LED up and it lit up -- success!!!

Pine Cone Experiment

This week during Nature Club Holly did a small collection of pine cones for her nature table area. She found what appears to be three different kinds of pine cones. While observing them we had a discussion on how pine cones are beneficial in nature. Aside from animals eating the seeds we talked about how they reseed.

I explained how the pine cone warms and dries then opens in which loose seeds can fall out. We talked about how forest fires are actually prime for pine cones and regenerating forests after a fire. The heat from a fire dries the pine cones for quick reseeding. She found this fascinating.

So, to show Holly how a pine cone is dried and open with loose seeds OR wet and tight without loose seeds we first examined a dry and open pine cone. Then I filled a bowl with cold water and we soaked the pine cone. The pine cone closed back up, securing the seeds within. It was a great, simple science experiment!

Side Walk Chalk Paint

I love when we come across recipes online for the everyday items we buy at the store for art supplies - like doughs, moon sand, finger paints, etc. Recently I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade side walk chalk paint. We had to try it!!

We gathered with some friends today and enjoyed a fun morning of mixing and blending to create so many colors of sidewalk chalk paint - the kids had a great time! The recipe worked perfectly, it was simple and best of all it is very low cost. In fact, I bet you already have the ingredients in your baking cabinet.

Side walk Chalk Paint

1/3 cup corn starch
1/3 cup water
food coloring (couple drops)

Holly made her creations all on her own, for the most part all the kids did. This was a great activity - fun and easy!

Rubber Egg

Holly has completed the Rubber Egg experiment that she started last week.... and she was amazed! Today she took the egg out, dried it off and explored it a lot - then bounced her 'rubber egg'. We discussed what happened to the shell. She then completed her science sheet on what happened to the egg and finding out if her hypothesis was correct or not.

Cranberry Fun

We are still enjoying schooling through the weather we are enjoying too! In between sneaking out to play in the snow, sipping hot cocoa and enjoying some playtime we are also dipping into a bit of school work. Holly did some work on math, writing and reading - then we had some fun with a few crafts and cranberries.

I saw a great blog where a gal did some fun with cranberries and was inspired so we broke open the cranberries and played! We first read on cranberries, enjoyed the book A Cranberry Thanksgiving, learned how they were apart of the first 'Thanksgiving' and then opened a bag to inspect. Do they sink or float? Why? What do they look like inside? Are there seeds? What do they taste like? How do they taste compared to dried cranberries? So many questions.... After answering these questions we watched an episode of Dirtiest Jobs on cranberry harvesting and making cranberry jam and syrup. It was a fun time.

Then we made cranberry colored play dough with the colored water after simmering them for an hour or so. The play dough smells really good, is cranberry colored and even had little cranberry seeds. It is really cool!

Candy Experiment

This afternoon Holly did a small candy experiment (great way to enjoy the Halloween treats). We chose four candies and placed them into a dish containing cold water. Before she placed each candy she made a prediction as to what would happen. At first she predicted whether it would float or sink and then a longer prediction of what the water would do to the candy.

She pretty much guessed that the water would soak off the outer layer of color. But she tried predicting what was under that color layer. What smells she might encounter? If the candy would stay intact. Some guesses were correct and some were a surprise. For instance, the Skittles were colored through and the 'M' off of the M&M soaked off in tact and was floating on the top of the water. It was very cool!