Science Week

[Guest]

We are doing a whole school science day on 1st December with a christmas theme! I am science co-ordinator so feel somewhat under pressure to perform! in the foundation stage!

 

Does anyone have any ideas for whole class or small group activities that i could have running through the day? Have got floating & sinking presents, cooking, ice meting but need a few more to last the day!

 

Please help

[JacquieL]

Christmas is synonymous with sparkle and shine so you could have a sparkle and shine treasure basket full of all sorts of Christmasy sparkly items for the children to play with. You could provide mirrors and transparent papers as well. If you have a light table you could provide a selection of transparent and opaque materials for the children to experiment with. I have used an old overhead projector in the past and some white paper on the wall. The children place items on the projector top and can have fun making patterns. You may need to do a risk assessment for that one!

Perhaps you could do something on simple circuits providing bulbs, wires, crocodile clips and batteries, and seeing if the children can light up the bulbs.

[jennyjenkinz]

I remeber when I was little, absolutley loving an activity I had. It was a christmas tree that you put in water (with a special mix I think...maybe salt?) and it grows beautiful coloured crystals as decorations...it's something you can still buy x

[katekit]

how about discovery/snow storm bottles with glitter?

[Guest]

Using the ice to paint with!

Either freeze mixtures of paint and water (not always successful, but always worth a try. I can never get the mix right for all of the colours, some react better than others!!!! Could be a whole scientific concept on it's own!!!!!!!!)

 

or

 

freeze ice in ice lolly moulds (Yoghurt pots and sticks etc)

Use tea strainers to sieve a small amount of powder paint onto the paper and use the melting ice to produce paint!!

I always do it with the 3 primaries, colour mixing is always much more fun!!

 

 

Soapflake dough.

Changing states!

I always make soapflake snowmen or snowflakes. I think the quantities are 2 measures soapflakes to 1/2 cup warm water! Dries hard!!

Goes from flakes to sticky, then sets hard.

If you can't get hold of soap flakes, then grating a bar of soap adds another aspect!!

[Guest]

hi

Wow! What fab ideas - I cant wait to try these out mysef! Love the sound of soapflake dough and would never have thought of that myself - the children with have loads of fun grating up bars of soap too!

Emsxx

[Guest]

thanks everyone, i think it will be a very exciting day!!

 

amy x

[Guest]

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/wi...ystalsnowflake/

 

I think I would be tempted to do the sugar water one rather than using borax, just did a google and I think it is toxic.

 

http://parent-child-activities.suite101.co...nce_experiments

 

Color Wheel in a Bowl

Watch how some materials mix together and some don’t.

 

Pour 1 cup milk into a bowl. Add three drops of red food coloring at the edge of the bowl at the “12 o’clock” position; add 3 drops of blue food coloring 1/3 of the way away at the “4 o’clock” position; and add 3 drops of yellow food coloring 1/3 of the way away at the “8 o’clock” position.

 

Be careful not to move the bowl.

 

Squeeze a drop of dish soap (such as Joy or Dawn) into the center of the bowl. Watch as the soap, which won’t mix with the milk, floats on top of the bowl and spreads across the surface. As it moves it grabs the food coloring. Where the colors meet they form new colors.

 

I did the colour wheel in a bowl for bonfire night with a group of children. It was amazing the vocabulary they came out with. Looked quite spectacular. You could use christmas colours?

[Guest]

How about baking gingerbread people? 'change'. Keep one out and don't bake it, another one put in the oven for a couple of mins and so on. Leave the last one in until it burns. Children to see how change happens.