Hobbies And Interests
Mini Ocean
This project teaches the weight difference between oil and water. It involves filling a clear, 2-liter bottle with 3/4 water, filling the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil, adding four or five drops of blue food coloring and screwing the lid on tightly. The water will separate from the oil since they are different weights, and the food coloring will cling to the water. The result is a bottle that looks like a blue ocean. When the bottle is moved, a wave effect occurs. Kids love this project because they can keep the ocean and play with it. This project also allows for a little creativity. Sand, glitter, and even plastic sea creatures can be added to the bottle.
Volcano
This project is best done outside, because it can get messy. Children get to use chemistry to create their own erupting volcano for this experiment. To make the volcano look real, kids can shape modeling clay or play-doh around a small glass baby food jar and place it on top of a metal tray. Add 1 tbsp baking soda and a few drops of red food coloring. Slowly pour white vinegar into the jar and watch the volcano fizz and bubble over. This experiment teaches children some basic chemistry and how certain solutions interact together. Safety goggles and gloves should be worn for this experiment.
Magic String
This little experiment teaches children about the properties of salt and ice. Fill up a clear glass of water and drop in one ice cube. Have the child put a piece of string on top of the ice cube and try to pick it up. The string will not pick up the ice cub. Next have the child lay the piece of string back on top of the ice cube, this time adding a sprinkle of salt on top of the ice cube and string, and wait 10 seconds. The properties of salt will quickly melt the ice and then the ice will freeze back, causing the string to be attached to the ice. Have the child pull on the string. This time the ice will be hanging from the string.
Invisible Ink
For this project, kids learn about the oxidation, the process of substances interacting with oxygen. Have children write secret messages on white paper using lemon juice and a cotton swab. Once the lemon juice dries, the message will be invisible. Since heat speeds up oxidation in fruits and fruit juices, if you place the paper near a warm light bulb for a few minutes, the lemon juice will start to turn brown, revealing the secret message.
Dinosaur Bone Hunt
This is a fun science exercise for children that engages the imagination and allows children to pretend to be paleontologists for a day. Boil a chicken, freeze the meat for a later meal and clean the bones, making sure there are no splinters. Bury the bones in your child's sandbox. If you do not have a sandbox, get creative and purchase a good sized shallow plastic bin at a discount store and fill will a bag of playground sand. Let your child dig and find "dinosaur" bones!