The Magic of Matter Experiment!

Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 22, 2017 | STEM

Help us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...

Solids, Liquids, and Gas

Understanding the various states of matter is a key scientific concept. There are actually five states of matter, but we’ll leave the other two, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, for another time. Say, college.

Materials:

Ice cube
Measuring cup
Stove-safe pot

Step One – Solids

To share this concept with your kiddo, start with an ice cube. Show them how hard (solid) the ice cube is by having her tap it on the side of the measuring cup. Then have her rub her hands together to generate some heat, place the ice cube in her hands and have her roll the cube around, catching the dripping water in the measuring cup as the cube melts. (Note – if the cube is too cold for little hands, set it in the cup and put the cup in the sun for 15 minutes.) STEM science experiments

Step Two – Liquids

Check the measuring cup. It was empty when she started, but now there’s water in it! Explain to your child that heating the solid ice cube with her hands (or the sun) caused it to melt and change into its liquid form—water. Look at the markings on the side of the cup to see how much water is there, then pour the water into a pot. at home science experiments that teach STEM

at home science experiments that teach STEM

Step Three – Gasses

Place the pot of water on the stove and turn the heat on low. Explain to your mini-scientist that the third state of matter is gas. The ice cube that started out as a solid and then melted into a liquid is now going to magically disappear, evaporating into a gas form. Let the water boil, then evaporate, and show your little one that the pot is empty. What happened to the ice cube? Science projects you can do at home

Now that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com.

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Monster Mixing Potions!

October has so many great opportunities for integrating themes into the curriculum with fun experiments. Kids especially love any opportunity to be “scientists.” Kick-off some Halloween fun with this exciting Monster Mixing Potions experiment!

Bring the thrill of the Halloween season to life with the opportunity to make “potions!” This is the perfect activity for any primary or elementary-aged student. The suspense will have them on the edge of their seat!

In order to begin, you’ll need to gather the items below:

Plastic cups
Monster decorating accessories (googly eyes, pipe cleaners, etc.)
Glue/tape
Eyedroppers (ex. Learning Resources Jumbo Eyedroppers)
Vinegar
Baking soda
Food coloring

Start by allowing the kids to get creative decorating the cups with monster faces. Look to the book Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley for inspiration. It’s a classic and it sure won’t disappoint! Give the monster faces plenty of time to dry before doing the experiment.

Once they are ready you can decide whether you will reveal the “potions” (experiment materials) needed or not. Students can observe, smell and make predictions if you’d like them to. Place as few or as many drops of food coloring as you’d like at the bottom of the cup. After, sprinkle about a teaspoon of baking powder over the coloring. Pour the vinegar into a small bowl and allow students to combine the “potions” using the eyedroppers. Monster Potions Eyedroppers

I love that Learning Resources created a product that enables students of all ages (3+) to use tools that allow them to truly feel like a scientist. These jumbo eyedroppers are perfect for experiments and fine motor sensory play in the classroom. They are easy to use for tiny hands and fingers and hold quite a bit of liquid, which worked well for this experiment!

After the vinegar is in the eyedroppers, allow the kids to carefully and slowly drop a drip or two of the vinegar into the cup and observe the reaction of the potions combining.

They can gradually add more vinegar and baking soda as needed. Be careful of the surfaces you choose to do the experiment on. Take a look at the chemical reaction below! Students will be roaring with laughter and erupting with questions once the reactions take place.

Just a quick note, you’ll need about ¼ cup or so of vinegar to elicit a potion with a reaction as seen in the pictures above and below. Also, I recommend placing the cup on a tray for easy cleanup! Monster Cup Bubbling