I printed off info about discovery bottles and took the list of various ones into work this morning. I asked the staff to choose 2 that they would like to make or have the children help make. One member of staff chose one that has confetti and clear corn starch. What is clear corn starch - none of us know - do you know what it is ?
Hope you can help
Sue J

Apparently, cornstarch is the american equivalent of UK cornflour according to google. To make it clear it says you add an equal amount of cold water ...not sure how accurate the info is, it's off a cookery website..maybe any delia smiths or Jamie olivers out there can confirm this ?

Thanks kermit, I'm going downstairs to sort out dinner, hubby home soon, so I'll experiment with the cornflour. I'm not sure that it will go clear though - but 'I'll give it a try.

Sue J

If you add boiling water to cornflour it goes almost clear. I think if you boil it up and leave it you will get the best results good luck.
Cold water just makes a white paste (runny gloop)

have you thought about using baby oil... fro the Discovery bottles that is

Liquid glycerine works really well.

What are discovery bottles???

http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/in...scovery+bottles

http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/in...scovery+bottles

got a list of discovery bottles from a course i went on just before christmas . left it at work of course but will try to remember it tomorrow and post some of the ideas. but the one that comes to mind is using hair get and things like marbles .perhaps clear hair gel and glitter would work.

They are sealed bottles filled with interesting objects for want of a better description.

Thanks for that Marion. They look really interesting and seem relatively easy. Can't wait to try some with the kids tomorrow.

This website has pictures and other ideas for what to put inside.

http://www.mrspohlmeyerskinderpage.com/discoverybottles.htm

Sue

I was just going to put in that link to discovery bottles Sue
I tried the cornflour mix as suggested but it came out white but I haven't tried boiling it - I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks

Sue J

Boiling it will turn out a cloudy mix not clear, for a clearer mix thicken water with arrowroot, well thats how it works for sauces in the kitchen!

Perhaps a glycerine would be better or we used baby oil

Inge

Hi, I'm new to the wonders of Discovery Bottles, but they sound like good fun to make and play with. I'm in my first year of teacher training and so of course need to justify everything I do (I'm even beginning to justify everything I do at home...or is that just the first sign of losing it?!!) Anyway, back to the point. How would I justify the making / use of the bottles in relation to the six areas of learning?
Thanks in advance,
Lynn.

i havent done them yet but i'll start it off
PSE- working together,making decisions,using diff materials
CLL- labelling,new words,show and tell?explaining what they see,following instruction
MATHS-use of lang such as empty,full half full etc,counting bottles,items in the bottle
PHYS-pouring ,using funnels,shaking the bottles,using pincer grip to put items in bottles
CREAT-decorating bottle,shaking to music/rhythm,using imagination,making up stories about the bottles
KOW-changes in the materials,experimenting with different materials,talking about the dangers of drinking it etc
Sorry its late and Im tired im sure all these lovely people will add much more tomo

Thankyou Andreamay, very helpful.
Lynn.

Awe and wonder

Peggy

We used cheap baby oil in ours and have had them for at least three years and they still all look as good as the day we did them, you can add food colouring , Glitter, sequins, beads, silver snowflake sequins look really good in blue oil. The children love them and the adults find them very therapeutic! Well worth doing.

I think you can use corn syrup- it is thick like glycerine