Magic

[klc106]

Hi

 

Our children are into 'magic' at the minute- using wands to cast spells etc.

 

We have decided to set up a potions lab role play area but after that we have gone blank!!

 

Any ideas on how to follow this interest?

and has anyone set up a potions lab before? what did you put in it?

 

Thanks :1b

[Guest]

Well ... ... it all started by observing a child who rarely gets involved in craft/collage/junk modelling activities. One day we managed to persuade him to do some glueing - he sat for ages just watching the glue drip off his brush. So, as a PLOD we set up a gloop activity in the Tuff Spot. When the gloop started to dry out, we added water - but too much! So we thought about it and one of the children came up with the idea of adding flour - then in went the glitter (it was Christmas!) ... then some oil ... rice ... (at this point, or thereabouts, one of the children decided it would be a magic potion) food colour - various [we watched the colours as they changed] ... peppermint flavouring ... eggs ... golden syrup ... lemon curd ... rolled oats etc. Then we added little pots, glue spatulas and assorted spoons. Soon the children were all engaged in making their 'potions'. Lastly we added the playdough (which was about to be changed anyway) with knives and forks. So basically - you could use anything - but don't forget to check for allergies! It was a great activity which tipped in and out of adult directed and child initiated. :1b

[Inge]

you could do some organised potions you know will have a reaction, like vinegar or lemon juice with bicarb...

 

lava lamps could be a bubbly potion too

 

magic milk or here

[Panders]

if you are ready to extend, maybe you could do a few "magical science" experiments with your children, such as magnets under a tray of sand with metal objects in the sand which you can move about, or discovery bottles with liquids in such as oil and water, one I like to do is with a bottle of lemonade, I add a few raisins to the lemonade and as the air bubbles attach themselves to the raisins at the bottom of the bottle they float to the top, burst, then the raisin drops to the bottom again, make some popcorn, pouring the same amount of water into different sized containers i.e. tall thin bottles v short wide ones. Definitely make a cornflour and water mix, and a soap flake and hot water mix (obviously that one they will have to wait a while before it reacts properly and they can use) and check allergies etc., but you know that!!!

 

Although it isn't a story about magic, Stone Soup is about animals being persuaded to bring different items to the pot and it is a good story..

[Guest]

Not quite what you're looking for (and probably not that exciting), but ...

take a greetings card - perhaps with a wizard or suitable picture on it and cover it with a couple of layers of plain white kitchen towel - taping it at the back; you should not be able to see the picture. Now dip a paintbrush in water and gently 'paint' the front of the card - magic ... the picture will show through. I remember this from my PPA Diploma training many years ago - at the time it seemed a brilliant idea, but I have to admit, when I tried it several years later the magic seemed to have disappeared!

You can but try!

[finleysmaid]

we often have magic potion tables...lots of pots a spoons with all sorts in them.......always vinegar and bicarb but also flour/ cornflour/food colouring/salt/water/sand /glitter etc etc etc anything i can find in the cupboard!! then let the children get on with it. we give each a small pot to mix in (currently jelly dishes!) so that they don't use everything all at the same time...we also give them teaspoons to restrict amounts!

[Guest sn0wdr0p]

We used bubble bath, body wash etc in our potions lab for our Harry Potter week in the out of school club. It was Halloween week so they also had plastic spiders, rats and body parts to add -not advisable for the tinest ones who may be a bit scared but our four year olds loved it. My husband also cut twigs off a tree in the garden and I labelled them with a tag stating what they were made from e.g. elm with dragon hair inside. The children were then 'matched' to their wand which they then sanded down and decorated with glitter etc.

 

Sparklebox or Twinkl were used for signs from their Potions Lab topic and they had potions 'recipe' cards to complete.

 

We also had a witch and wizard robes shop with loads of capes, hats etc.

[Guest]

my children were interested in potions around halloween last year and i set up a potions area for them. I did it outside and gave them all sorts of herbs from my garden, and they helped themselves to our herb garden. They had scissors to snip off into small bits, a couple of pestle and mortars and lots of different sized bottles/funnels,jugs etc they helped themselves to water.They wanted to paint with the potions they had made (smelly paint) which they did all over our decking and then I encouraged them to paint on paper and through discussion we decided to try adding some PVA to see whether the herb bits would stick onto the paper when the potion dried (they did)

deb

[SueFinanceManager]

Winnie the witch stories are great and Room on the broom for when you want a quiet spell.....excuse the pun

 

CLL activity - talk about what they would do if they could really do magic spells and maybe use these to make statements for a wall display

 

Maths - potions if I add 1 spider and 3 frogs who many creatures do I need in my cauldron