As the weather begins to grow a little darker and a little colder each day, it’s time to move some of our activities indoors. This means that we have long evenings ahead of us, and I love that. It gives us a chance to connect in ways that we haven’t in the summer time.
One of the things that we are fascinated with right now is the science experiment. What are your favorite science experiments? They don’t need to be all that complex. Here are a few of our favorites:
Ooblek: Cornstarch, water, and fingers. That’s the recipe for ooblek. This goopy substance is part liquid, part solid, and it’s a lot of fun. Mix water into a bowl of cornstarch until all of the cornstarch is dissolved, then try to lift the mixture with your fingers. You will find that it hardens when touched, then softens when you’re not touching it. This is a very fun way to explore the properties of solids and liquids.
Baking soda and vinegar and gas: We’ve all created a fizz with baking soda and vinegar. Simply add vinegar to a bowl of baking soda and watch it fizz. Did you know that you can also capture the gas released? Do the experiment in a pop bottle and attach a bag or a balloon to the top, and watch it fill up with the gaseous results of the experiment. This is a good one to do when kids start asking about what air might be, because it shows that gases exist even when we can’t see them.
The vinegar and the egg: to do this one, you need a cup, some vinegar, and an egg. Play around with eggshells and discover how hard they are when you place something on top of the arch of the shell. What is an eggshell made of? Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium in the shell. First, make a vinegar and water solution and put the egg in it. Check it every day and you will find that the acid gradually corrodes the shell.
What are your favorite science experiments?