Enthusiasm is born in our children when passion develops. Passion begins to develop when we allow them hands-on exploration of ideas without an adult’s supervision, particularly at the early stages of interest. Many children today are afraid to express interest in new things because their parents are quick to leap on it and sign them up for a team, a workshop, a class, or a lesson. In other words the child’s native curiosity is hijacked and shaped by someone else who can tell her how to do it better. Kids are wired to explore the world around them and it is important that we allow it--with all its bumps and lurches. When a child independently masters a new skill or even if he wants simply to fool around with it for a while, it cultivates the very resources parents seek : perseverance, motivation, and confidence.
The following ‘field trips’ take place at your home, the seedbed of a child’s imagination. They are simple ways to invite a child to ask questions and explore more on their own, while you step back and watch an idea catch fire.
Underwater Volcano
Most kids will try any project with the word volcano in it! This project is a fascinating visual of how temperature affects water density .
What you will need:
a small and narrow glass jar (a clean and empty spice jar works great)
a large glass jar (the bigger the better! We used a gallon jar, but a large peanut butter or pickle jar works too)
few drops of red food coloring
string and rubber band to make a handle for the small jar
Place the rubber band snugly around the neck of the small jar. Tie the ends of the string onto the rubber band to make a handle. Fill the large jar with cold water. Fill the small jar with hot water and add a few drops of the red food coloring. Carefully lower the small jar into the large jar by the handle.
What happens? The hot water rises in a spectacular cloud of red to the surface of the cold water. Why? Because hot water is lighter than cold water and rises to the top of the jar. As the hot water cools, the red cloud will disperse evenly into the water.
Winter Stargazing
The constellation Orion the Hunter is one of the brightest constellations in the winter sky in the Northern Hemisphere. The 7 supergiant stars that shape Orion are much larger and more brilliant than the sun, and the constellation dominates the southern sky on a clear winter night. Orion is a hunter by profession and he is well armed with a shield, a club, and a sword that hangs from his belt. Look for two bright stars at his shoulders, three at his belt in a row, and two at his knees. If you look closely you can see the dimmer stars that make his upright arm holding the club, and the shield in his left hand. Winter is an excellent time to learn constellations. Cold air is usually drier than warm air and less moisture means clearer skies to view the constellations. It is also the season when the earth, in its orbit around the sun, faces the richest region of stars in our galaxy. An excellent resource book to help you identify constellations is H. A. Rey’s The Stars: A New Way to See Them.
Taste of the World
This project may take more than 10 minutes, but the benefits are delicious and long lasting! Food is an excellent way to learn about a country new to your child. Have her pick a country she is interested in and go to the library for cookbooks from the region, and an age appropriate book for more information on the country. You can also research recipes on the internet. The key for a meaningful experience is to give each step to your child: from choosing the country and the recipes, to shopping with you for the ingredients and doing as many steps of the recipe as practical.
See a Sound Wave
Even though sound waves are invisible, this project illustrates the concept that sound is a physical vibration moving through the air.
What you will need:
plastic grocery bag
round can (a large tomato or juice tin for eg.)
strong rubber band
wooden spoon
cookie sheet
colored sugar crystals
Make a drum by cutting a circular piece from the grocery bag big enough to overlap several inches around the can. Secure the plastic piece into place with the rubber band, then stretch it taut by pulling the plastic down from the rubber band. Sprinkle the sugar crystals on the plastic drum. To create your sound wave, hold the cookie sheet close to the drum and bang the surface with the wooden spoon.
What happens? The sugar crystals dance up and down with each bang of the spoon on the cookie sheet. The sound of the wooden spoon hitting the metal of the cookie sheet sends a vibration into the air and onto the plastic skin of the drum, disturbing the sugar crystals with its momentum.
