Sink Your Fingers Into This...

Cornstarch and water make a super fun, simple goo.  It acts as a solid and as a liquid!  It's a bit messy, but easy to clean and doesn't stain (unless you add food coloring).  My kids were entertained and engaged for a good 45 minutes and keep asking to make this again and again. 

(For more info on the science behind this non-Newtonian fluid you can check out this website.)

Hunting for Signs of Fall

It is beginning to look and feel like fall around here!  In an effort to blend Isaac's love for taking pictures with a little learning, we made up a new game called Hunting for Signs of Fall.

The way we play is pretty simple:

-Isaac gets to walk around the yard with the camera strapped to his wrist.

-Whenever he sees something that reminds him of Fall he can take a picture of it.

-After taking the pictures we load them onto the computer and talk about what he found.

The last step is my favorite because once again I get to see his thinking as he tells me why each picture reminds him of Fall.

Here are a few examples from our first game:

A dirty welcome mat.  Apparently Fall is a dirty season because we get to spend so much time outside.  And after the rain we got last week we have lots of mud to go around!

A rake with leaves.

A bucket of rocks and sticks.  Isaac informed me this is because beavers use sticks to make their houses for winter.  That was a pretty good answer to me!

This will  a fun game to continue through out the fall.  I can already imagine pictures of pumpkins, apples at the local orchard and garbage bags full of leaves!

Growing Seeds in a Bag

Here's an easy terrarium idea that doesn't require dirt (therefore it's a little less messy that planting a garden!) It's a fun way for young children to be able to observe how plants grow.

Here's what you'll need:

-Paper towel
-Ziploc bag
-a few dried beans (or other seeds if you'd like)
-water

1.  First fold the paper towel so it will fit into the Ziploc bag:

2.  Get the folded paper towel damp.  You can do this with a spray bottle, or in the sink.  I got my hands wet and patted them onto the towel until there were no dry spots left. Put the wet paper towel into the Ziploc bag.

3.  Skater a few dried beans (or other seeds) on the paper towel.  The moisture will somewhat hold them in place.  Seal the Ziploc bag.

4.  Tape your bag planter/terrarium to the window.  The warmth from the sun will case the water to condense on the inside of the bag and will create a cozy environment for your seed to sprout.  Check back regularly to see how the seeds are doing.  Within a week you're seeds will begin to sprout!

Home made bird feeder

We live in an apartment and don't have a yard, but we still love to see wildlife out our window. (Having a golf course right next door helps with seeing birds and other animals, but we still wanted to invite more!)

To invite more birds we decided to make a bird feeder out of a large yogurt container.  I just cut two large holes on the sides of the yogurt container. 

 Then we filled it up with birdseed and put the lid on.  Here are the kids inspecting the new bird feeder:

Now the birds can come eat right on our balcony!

Museum Passes

My kids love museums! And I love taking them there, except that admission prices can really add up. Our latest museum love is a reciprocal museum pass!

We bought a pass for the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery when we visited Dayton, Ohio last year. The pass has more than paid for itself as we've been able to visit science museums and zoos where ever we visit! (The Boonshoft Museum is one of the few museums that gets you into both science museums and zoos.)

To find out more about about reciprocal Science Centers and Museums across the country, visit the ASTC Passport website.

More information about the Association of Zoos and Aquariums can be found here, including a list of participating zoos.

Is there a museum you love going to?

Sink or Float?

This may be one of my son's all-time favorite activities! And while it is lots of fun outside during the summer, it is also a blast inside now!

I fill one bowl with water and give another to my son to fill with objects he find around the house.

We then cover the table with a towel and he places objects one at a time into the water. Sometimes I ask him to guess if an object will sink or float...he hasn't really figured out any means for guessing yet. And I'm fine with that. Someday he will understand all about density and buoyancy, but for now, it's all just fun and play!