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- 1 bottle liquid detergent
- 1 small bottle of glycerine
- Water (amount will vary depending on number of children)
- Wire loops
Mix 1 cup of detergent with 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of glycerine. Mixture should be smooth. Test by dipping in the bubble wand and blowing.
Pick a lot of dandelions – the ones with the thickest stems are the best. Peel the stems length-wise from either end and then submerse in a bucket of water. It’s fascinating to watch the stems curl into all shapes. No two are the same!
Bury plastic creatures in a sandbox, and conduct a mini-archaeological dig.
Science
- Lie down on the lawn and watch clouds. Make up stories about what you see. Try it again at night on a blanket, and gaze at the stars or watch in style in a hammock.
- Find big garden pots or a little piece of land to show children how to plant a garden. Remember to water it.
- Borrow (available in our ECE Resource Library) or buy a bug kit and go on a bug safari.
- Ask children to collect leaves, flowers or clover, and help them iron the items between two pieces of wax paper.
- Feed the ducks or birds at the park.
- With yard sale buckets in hand, spend time together gathering rocks, leaves, and outdoor goodies. Return home to sort them in different shapes and sizes.
- Create a time capsule at the beginning of the summer by filling an empty chip can or shoe box with drawings or written wishes of summer activities your children want to do. Open it late August and have fun remembering the highlights of those summer activities.
- Plan a visit to the library once a week to stock up on summer reading material.
Now is the time to join your youngster in learning scientific concepts while gardening. Give your child their own “plot” whether it is a corner of your vegetable or flower garden, a flowerbox or a variety of small containers (pots, an old wagon, a lined basket), it will be his/hers to prepare, sow and watch. Use seeds that will delight little gardeners with noticeable growth within days or weeks (marigolds, nasturtiums, beans, peas, radishes, lettuce). Add some seedlings for instant colour, then water daily and let nature take its course. A spray bottle is fun and exercises hand and wrist muscles. Children love to add “ornaments” to their landscape – rocks, shells, hand-made or purchased ceramic figures, a saucer bird bath, or whatever else catches their imagination.
Here are four practical ideas that you can try with your preschoolers. Enjoy these fun activities together and watch your seeds grow!
Beans in a Bag
You need:
® 1 ziploc bag
® 3 different bean seeds
® 2 cotton balls
® 2 tablespoons of water
1. Place 2 of each different kind of bean in Ziploc bag.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Add 2 cotton balls.
4. Close bag.
5. Tape bag onto a window to watch the beans sprout roots, stem, and leaves.
6. Beans can be transplanted in soil later.
Marigolds in Peat Pots
You need:
® 2 peat pots
® 6 marigold seeds
® Soil and water
1. Fill pots ¾ full of soil.
2. Plant 3 seeds in each pot.
3. Add 1 more tsp. of soil to cover seeds.
4. Add 1 tbsp. of water to dampen soil.
5. Place pots in sunny window.
6. Water daily to keep soil moist.
Grass in a Shell
® You need:
® 2 half egg shells
® Soil
® Pinch of grass seed
® Water
1. Fill shells ¾ full of soil.
2. Sprinkle a pinch of grass seed on soil.
3. Top up with 1 more tsp. of soil to cover seed.
4. Add 1 tbsp. of water to dampen soil.
5. Place in a sunny window and keep soil damp.
6. A face could be coloured on the shell, and grass will sprout as hair on the head!
Magic Soil
Encourage children to help cut up all organic waste such as vegetable and fruit peelings. Layer with soil, grass clippings, leaves and other plant trimmings in a composter or hole dug in the garden. Keep moist, aerate by turning over weekly and voila! A fertile food for plants and reduced curb side garbage.
The simple science experiments in these fact sheets could be useful in helping a young child take an interest further. They may also be a good place to start if you are wanting to increase the visibility of science in your learning environment and don’t have a lot of confidence in this area.
