VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Home » Fun Stuff

Fun Stuff

By

vortexLooking for cheap inexpensive, fun, safe, engaging, yet educational activities for kids? Did I mention inexpensive? There is rarely a time that inexpensive entertainment isn’t on my list of things to look for. But even free boring ideas are too expensive because our time is very valuable.

The ideas found in this section will be related to science in some way. The difference between this section and others on this site is that they will be DYNAMIC:

1. Dynamic:  In a state of change. You can help with this with comments and suggestions. Send them to me at: ASK VANCLEAVE @aol.com

Dynamic: Great, excellent, superb, etc…………….I will evaluate this by reactions from kids who have tested the activity. Again, you can send in your evaluation. If you change the experiment to make it better, please share your ideas and I’ll post them. Send you comments and suggestions to me at: ASK VANCLEAVE@aol.com
Let’s Have Fun!!!What are the children in the picture so absorbed in? Tyler is stirring warm water in a cooking pot. The water has been colored blue with food coloring. As Tyler stirs, Krista is dropping small pieces of crushed ice into the pot. Note: Adding color increases this activities rating on the Fun Scale!!

What’s Happening?

The main thing is that the kids are having fun. Krista let her hair down and climbed on the table so she had a better view as she dropped in the ice pieces.

vortex1

They observe the ice melting in the whirling water.

  • So what happened to the ice? Even at five years old, they know it “melts,” meaning it changes to water.
  • Something More!!
  • Does stirring make it melt faster?
  • How about the temperature of the water…Would it melt as fast in cold water?
  • Does the color of the water make it melt faster? At mom’s suggestion, Krista tested this idea and to be safer, pulled her hair back and used  a chair instead of sitting on the table.

I WONDER… WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX THE BLUE AND RED WATER?

What does this have to do with melting? Nothing. That is the fun of these ideas. You can safely experiment just for fun.

What can be more fun than a pot of water, food coloring, and a spoon? Maybe adding glitter??? YEA!!! A way to use glitter without fearing that kids will get it in their eyes or nose.

I can see a small boat on the surface of the water. It could be cut from a piece of stiff cardboard–poster board–file folder–etc……

Please encourage kids to IMAGINE!! MAKE MENTAL PICTURES!!! Encourage them to create imaginary stories. TV and computers are absolutely wonderful learning tools, but they don’t always encourage kids to make mental pictures, which is an important educational development.