This week, I want to share one of my favorite activities working with kids
(Drum roll please~~~~~~~)
!!SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!!
Why?
-The "WOW" factor: Kids any age will love it!
-Introduce science vocabulary
-Build on their storytelling skills: have them tell grandma how they made it!
-Understanding cause-and-effect relationship: we added powder to make it explode!
-Bonding with your child with a low-cost hands-on activity
Here I have a short video showing you how I make slime. I've had so much fun creating this experiment with preschool kids and elementary school kids; they just can't stop exclaiming how cool it feels and how the effect happened within seconds!
How did I use the Slime experiment for two different age-ranges?
Preschoolers:
-Vocabulary: Ingredients (e.g., borax, food coloring), textures (e.g., slimey, gooey, wet, squishy, stretchy), action (e.g., mix, stir, knead, scoop)
-Location: in the bowl, stir around and around
-Amount: one teaspoon, one cup of water, more food coloring, less food coloring, some water, a little water
School-Age Kids/Advanced Preschoolers:
-Cause-and-effect relationship: ask them how the water and glue formed into slime; ask them what key ingredient created this chemical reaction
-Sequencing/ Story-telling: When your child goes home with their new toy, aka slime, have them tell their parents how they made it. First..Next...Then...Last.
-Writing a narrative: After the kids can tell you how they made the slime, you can have them practice writing. Talking about it helps organize the steps of experiment and build the structure of a written paragraph
Slime is just one example of how science experiments can be a fun way to introduce language! My advice: look for science experiments for kids online, and you'll find even more fun activities for you and your child at home!
Have fun!
Language is Power- XOXO Tiffany