Another science experiment we attempted in the chill of winter.
Did you know that you can make your own snow? All you need is boiling water and sub-zero temperatures. After boiling your water, proceed quickly and carefully outside. While the water is still boiling, toss it in the air away from you and others in the vicinity. The boiling water will immediately freeze because of something called the Mpemba effect. Ultimately, we don't know why this occurs but this video from Sciencium explains a few of the theories behind this. Check out our YouTube video of our experience here:
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With temperatures staying below freezing for many days in the row it was time to test our artistic skills and make some outdoor ice sun-catchers. We made ours for decoration to hang on the porch so we wanted to use all natural materials. As we have been walking the property we have found many beautiful plant material in their winter rest and wanted a way to use it for decorations. Material: Pie and bread pan Natural material Rope/yarn/string Water Science with a five year old - Ice Sun-catcher
1. Hot water or tap water? we wondered if hot water vs tap water would make a difference in how it froze and how quickly it froze. Result: Because we froze them through the night we missed out on finding out which froze quicker, but we did find that the one with the hot water had more bubbles left in the ice, creating a cool effect. 2. What was the best way to hang our creation? Freeze something in the pan to create an empty space....Or freezing it with nothing and drilling a hole later...Or freezing a string into the creation. Result: we found that freezing the rope into with the material to be the best way to create a way to hang the finished design. We had a very hard time getting the bottle we used to create the hole out of the ice and the drill just broke the ice. 3. Decorative material or water first? Would putting the material or water in first be easiest for small designers? Results: Adding the water first, but only deep enough to cover the material allowed for the material to stay where it was placed, but carrying it did jostle the design slightly. The one we added the water to after the material shifted the design quite a bit. We would suggest, if you are able to create the design where it is going to freeze, that would be best. We did a few winter science experiments during the coldest months in Canada. Here is one we did in February. When the dead of winter sets in and temperatures are constantly staying below freezing, it is a perfect time to create some beautiful outdoor art to decorate your property. We also found that the tops of our globes have a divot the perfect size to hold seeds for the birds. Material needed: *balloons *water *food coloring *consistent freezing temperatures Instructions: Fill each of the balloons with water from the tap, put 5-10 drops of food coloring in the balloon, tie it closed and play outside for about 24 hours. Although these globes make a beautiful addition to the yard, they also create many open-ended science-based questions. Here are a few that were discussed in our household...
This easy to make pocket bear was sparked by a group I joined in January that focused on expanding your outdoor time as a family. It is a group of people, all over the world, who recognize the value of outdoor time and support each other with ideas and inspiration for activities to do as adults and with children. Although this is something we always strive to include in our lives, it is nice to see this movement growing and see some of the things other families are doing to participate. As part of that, the idea of Adventure Bear came along. It is a small, hand-stitched, personalized felt bear that fits in your child's pocket that they can take on adventures wherever they go. I found it to be an amazing idea for those kids who sometimes have a hard time spending expended periods of time outdoors. This bear can help by giving them a partner in crime and make them accountable for ensuring that their bear has a fantastic time. Dylan loved hers so much that we made one for Carver and Bridger and sent them in the mail for Valentines Day! Below is the pattern for creating the bear as well as the Facebook movement if you would like to join:
Facebook group Adventure Bear Pattern Last year was the first year we attempted to dye our eggs using natural dyes and they turned out OK. This year we wanted to try a different method to see if we could get more vibrant colors - and it worked. I think the key was to use a good amount of vinegar, and soaking overnight.
Here are the steps we took to dye our egg... How to Make Boiled Easter Egg Dyes
An added version would be to wrap a natural object (flower or leaf) around the egg after it is boiled, and then put pantyhose material around it and pull it secure so that it holds the object in place on the egg. Tie the pantyhose tight on the top (as if you are are closing a bag). Then place it in the jar of the colored water over night. As most of you know, our little family tries to make strides to live a more sustainable, less wasteful life. Our Easter tradition has always been to spend it camping in the desert as a family. The Easter bunny always seems to find us and leave a basket of goodies outside of the tent for each of the kids. We then have a huge egg hunt, in which the parents hide plastic eggs all over the area and the kids fill their baskets. Now that we are living in Nova Scotia, we are switching up our traditions slightly. As we don't have any of our belongings yet (they are still in storage in Colorado), we didn't want to buy more plastic so I found a pattern to make felt eggs to fill and hide. They were quite easy to make but were quite time consuming. Knowing that they will be used year after year does help justify the time it took to make them. If I had my sewing machine here, I probably could have made them much quicker - but hand stitching did take a good amount of time. I do love the fact that they will stack and pack away much smaller than all of the plastic ones we have in storage.
Carolyn |
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |