Week beginning 7th November 2022
This week we explored lots of amazing experiments as part of Science week, we had a fantastic time and we were really excited to take part in these new activities.
Firework in a jar
Our first experiment was called firework in a jar and helped us look at the density of different liquid, or more simply which liquids were heaviest. We carefully mixed food dye and glitter into vegetable oil and then poured it into jars of warm water, the coloured oil is less dense so sinks as you pour it in before rising to the surface. The blobs of coloured oil look like firework explosions and the children loved watching the oil blobs moving in the water.
Growing worms
We had great fun helping to make the colourful worms grow, we had to carefully draw up water in the pipettes and then squeeze the water onto the worms, the water magically made the worms start to grow. (The paper towel is tightly squished into a worm like shape and as the water seeps into the fibres of the towel is causes them to expand this is known as capillary action), the children were amazed to watch this and returned to this activity over and over again
The egg drop experiment
We also had lots of fun doing an egg drop experiment. This activity was to see which materials would cushion an egg when dropped from a height preventing it from breaking. The children all chose different things like fluffy material, flour, pasta and bubble wrap to wrap their egg in, we then made predictions about what was going to keep the egg safe and unbroken before the children carefully climbed onto the steps to drop their eggs. There was much excitement when the egg packages were checked to see which materials had cushioned the egg and the children were very surprised by the result!
The cola and mentos experiment
The children absolutely loved watching the Physical reaction caused when the mentos hit the fizzy cola, the Shrieks of amazement filled the playground as they watched the cola fountain and they all wanted to watch it happen over and over again!
Paleontologists in the making
Our final activity we wanted to share with you was our investigations into dinosaurs. We started the week making some salt dough Dino prints, carefully stamping the dinosaurs footprints into the soft dough to create trace fossils. Later in the week once they had been dried and painted the staff hid the fossils in the sand tray and provided the children with brushes and tools to find, excavate and dust off the fossils. We then tried to match the prints to the dinosaurs, it was lots of fun and proved very popular with many of our young explorers.
Week beginning 21st November 2022
Snow, ice and all things cold
As the weather gets colder everyone here at Community Playgroup is hoping for a dusting of snow, but while we all patiently wait we decided to explore all things snowy, icy and cold. We looked at different animals and their habitats, what melts ice cubes, used loose parts to make our own snowflakes and had lots of fun with some polystyrene balls which we imagined were a huge snowstorm. We also had great fun making some very colourful snowflakes ready for our playgroup advent calendar, carefully painting lolly sticks before adding lots of sparkling glitter. They look lovely hanging in the playhouse and remind us all that Christmas is fast approaching.
