Spinning Bunnies

Spinning Bunny Experiment
Each Spring we conduct the Spinning Bunny experiment.  Even though we know how to make them spin, it is still fun to drop the bunnies off our stairs and watch them spin to the ground.  If this is your first time, have you and your family "predict" which way the bunny will spin before you begin.

Here is a video to explain how to perform the experiment:  Spinning Bunnies

*Print out the bunnies below so that it fits on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper.

Color, cut out, and fold on the dotted lines. Place a paperclip on the bottom. Hold onto the ears and drop. ​Predict ​which way the bunny will spin? Ears straight up? Two ears down? Or one ear forward and one ear back? 

Spinning Bunny pattern

Sweet Potato Experiment

There are lots of experiments online that show the results of growing an organic vs. non-organic potato but we wanted to try it ourselves.  We took two sweet potato from Trader Joes, one "Organic" and one "Non-Organic" and put them in cups suspended in water halfway by toothpicks.  We placed them in a sunny window and added water as needed.  Within ONE week there were sprouts from the Organic potato, nothing on the non-organic.  About 4 weeks into the experiment, we decided to throw the non-organic potato away because it was starting to get slimy on the bottom and still NO GROWTH! 

It was fun to watch the organic sweet potato grow because it was like Jack in the Beanstalk!  It grew so fast and the boys got excited!  After 10 weeks and a windowsill full of sweet potato vines, it was time to do the final measure and plant into the ground.

Hmmm, I see something!

Wow, that's tall!

Check out these roots!!!!

Time to plant!

Unfortunately our experiment ended when we found out that rabbits enjoy the leaves of a sweet potato.  Within a few days, all the leaves were gone!

It was a great opportunity to talk about organic vs. non-organic, pesticides in our food and how it changes the food we eat, the role of water and sun to help things grow, measuring the growth of the vine, shape of leaves and for fun, reading Jack and the Beanstalk and creative writing.

Here is a great video to show your kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ugqjGgWNAY

Homemade Silly Putty

To make this, each child got a couple spoonfuls of corn starch and liquid dish soap.  They kept mixing with their hands until they got the right consistency. If too runny, add more corn starch.  If too dry, add more dish soap.  You can't go wrong with these two ingredients.

Summer Adventures Week Two

I was lucky enough to be a teacher this week for incoming second graders at VBS (Vacation Bible School).  It was a great week for me and my boys.  That kept us busy each morning.

However, we found time to play in the dirt, make homemade pasta, and did some simple science experiments in the backyard.

My son loves making pasta!  Making a volcano out of flour, cracking the eggs inside it and crushing it with your hands.  It is always exciting!

I looked up simple science experiments on You-Tube and we decided on two.  The first one needed a small container of water, black pepper sprinkled on top of the water and then one drop of liquid soap in the middle.  Results: The pepper "ran away" to the edge of the water container.  We did it a couple of times.  Amazing!  

The second experiment included some of our favorite science ingredients - vinegar and baking soda.  We poured 1/4 cup on vinegar in a plastic water bottle.  Filled the bottom part of a balloon with baking soda.  Put the lip of the balloon on the water bottle and dumped the baking soda into the vinegar.  Results:  The balloon filled up with air because the vinegar and baking soda created carbon dioxide.  Very cool!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsJBo6yXaUs

Then my son had fun mixing all the ingredients and seeing the reactions they caused.  Science it always fun!  I buy the vinegar and baking soda at the Dollar Store because we tend to go through a lot of it!

*We recorded the science projects in a notebook.  It included illustrations before and after the experiment with items labeled.

Simple Science

I was looking for a way to get the boys out of the sun for a bit and knew it would have to be good to get them away from their Hot Wheels dirt track.

I brought the supplies outside to them:
1 cupcake pan
2 spoons
different colors of food coloring
a bottle of vinegar
a container of baking soda
2 cups for pouring vinegar

They were a bit hesitant at first, but there were curious and ready to give the experiment a try.

Put 2-4 drops of food coloring in each cupcake holder.  The boys could mix colors.   Then put a spoonful on baking soda on top of the food coloring

I poured the vinegar in their cups.  Then at the same time they poured it into one of the cupcake holders.  They were so excited to see what happened.  The colors appeared and they loved the sound of the fizz.  We kept going until all the vinegar and baking soda was gone!

There are many variations to this experiment but it was a success!  I prefer to use a cupcake pan rather than individual cups because the cups can tip over.  Don't forget to use your senses: smell the vinegar, obsereve the changes of color, listen to the fizz.  The boys had fun.  "This is so awesome!" and "Science is so cool!"
I guess I will have to head back to the Dollar Store to stock up on more vinegar and baking soda!
Have Fun!