Monday, August 26, 2013

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

 
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
Projects
Waterbottle Glo-Bugs
Wrap an empty, plastic water bottle in green construction paper
Secure with tape
Punch 4 holes into the green paper
Wrap chenille stems to make the feet and place them through the holes
Cut wings out from yellow construction paper
Decorate/color the wings
Staple the wings to the green construction paper
Glue on bead eyes or googly eyes
Wrap a chenille stem around the neck of the bottle to form the antenna
Place a Glow Stick inside the bottle
The Full Effect of the Glo -Bugs!
 
The finished products!
Craft Stick Fireflies
Glue one colored craft stick on top of two different colored craft sticks to make the body & the wings
Glue on googly eyes or beads (for the eyes)
 
Craft Stick Ladybug
Glue together 3 black craft sticks and 2 red craft sticks to make the body
Glue a black craft stick on top of the body
Add black dots to the red craft sticks
Glue on googly eyes and black pipe cleaners
 
Clothespin Fireflies
Decorate the top of a clothespin with markers
Glue 2 colored craft sticks - in an X on the clothespin to make the wings
Glue on 2 googly eyes  
 
 Milk Bottle Cap Bugs!
Draw a half moon with black permanent marker and color it in
Glue 2 googly eyes on the half moon shape
Draw dots/circles with a black, permanent marker
 
Clothespin Grasshoppers
Paint a clothespin - let dry
Cut 2 - 3 inch pieces and 2 - 6 inch pieces from  floral wire
Hot glue the ends of the 3 inch pieces on the front opening of the clothespin and the 2 6 inch pieces on the back of the clothespin opening
Glue a googly eye on each side of the clothespin
Bend the floral wire to create your grasshopper 
 
 
Learning Activities
Counting Lightning Bugs
Math - counting, one-to-one correspondence
Addition, plus one
Pre-K:  Say the number and add the appropriate number of "lightning bugs"
Kindergarten/1st Grade:  write in + 1 after each number
Find the sum and draw the lightning bugs
Here is the link to this activity
 
Addie doing the Pre-K activity
 

The Kindergarten + 1 Variation
 
Firefly Shake
Math - counting, addition, one-to-one correspondence
I don't remember where I got this activity from - Maybe The Mailbox Magazine ?
I have about a dozen of these Firefly pictures laminated that I keep in an old, clean PB jar along with the directions and dice. 
Directions:  Dump the Firefly pictures out on the floor
Roll the dice
Count the dots on the dice and pick up the same number of fireflies and place them in the jar.
When all of the fireflies are in the jar sing this song -
To the tune of Shoo Fly
Fireflies are fun to see
Fireflies are fun to see
Fireflies are fun to see
But now it's time to set them free!
(dump out the Fireflies and start again)
 

I modified this game to make it more difficult by using two dice and adding the numbers!
 
Insects - Observe and Draw!
Science - insects
Here is the link to this activity
I modified this activity by only doing a couple of the parts
 

 Observations

 Dragonfly Pictures
 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Fun With Experiments and Science!

 
Fun With Experiments and Science
Experiments
Absorbing Science
Fill 2 cups with water
Add blue dye to one cup and yellow dye to the other
Place an empty cup in between the two cups
Roll 2 paper towels
Place 1 end of the towel into the blue dye and one end of the other towel in the yellow dye
Bend both the towels and put the loose ends into the empty cup and watch to see what happens!
I had the kids make predictions and they were right - and amazed!
Before
 The colored water absorbs into the towel and travels up and then into the empty cup.  The blue and yellow dye's mix to make green water!!


After

Crazy Corks
Take a plastic bottle - we used a water bottle.
Use a funnel to add a spoonful of baking soda to the bottle.
Carefully, pour vinegar in the bottle.
Place a cork in the bottle and see what happens.
 
The vinegar and baking soda mix together to create a chemical reaction, creating carbon dioxide.   The gas in the bottle builds up and has nowhere to go, so it will eventually blow the cork right out of the bottle!

Flat George
This is from Family Fun Magazine - the February 2009 issue
You will need:
a crisp dollar bill
4 quarters
glass bottle with an opening smaller than the coins.
Set them up like the photo below
Use one finger to slip the dollar out without spilling the coins.
The set-up

Connor karate chopping the dollar bill
 

*This is how we did it*
Use your index finger to quickly strike the dollar bill near the quarters - like a karate chop
The coins will stay in place but the bill will slide out.
 
 Make a Magic Loop
This activity comes from the March 2006 issue of Family Fun Magazine
From a large piece of paper, cut a 2-inch-wide strip that is about 2 feet long
Bring the ends of the strip together to form a loop, but turn over one end before taping it to the other end

Cut the strip in half down the center.  You might expect to get 2 separate loops, but you don't!
Try to cut it down the center again and see what happens
 
 Adding a twist to the loop makes a shape called a Mobius strip. 
 
 
Make Your Own Bouncy Ball
In one bowl mix 1/2 tsp of borax and 2 Tablespoons of warm water - you can add food coloring if you like - this will be called your Borax Bowl
In the 2nd bowl dump in 1 tablespoon of white glue - this will be your Ball Mixture Bowl
Then add 1/2 tsp of the borax solution into the Ball Mixture Bowl
Next Add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to the Ball Mixture Bowl
Do Not Mix -  let it sit for 10-15 seconds
After 10-15 seconds mix until it becomes hard
Take the substance out of the bowl and knead it until it has become well molded and is formed like a ball
Store in a Zip-Lock bag so it doesn't dry out
 
Our mess and the supplies

                           The 3 kiddos with their bouncy balls                               The boys rolling and kneading their bouncy balls