Looking for some fun things to do with your children or visiting nieces, nephews and cousins over the holiday week?

 
Here are a few ideas!

Make Your Own Stickers

(Shhhh!  This is really a chemistry lesson!)

 

Credit:  The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, OR.

 NOTE:  This activity requires adult supervision!

 

Materials:

 
4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin

2 ½ cups of vinegar or water

1 teaspoon of peppermint extract

Small cooking pot

Small paint brush

Pictures cut out from magazines or small “stickers’ you have drawn.

 

Directions:

1. Bring the water or vinegar to a boil.
2. Add the packets of unflavored gelatin and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint extract.
4. Brush this sticker glue on the back of the pictures and let dry.
5. When you are ready to use the stickers, wet them slightly on the back and sticker away!

Note:  A chemical reaction happens when 2 or more substances are mixed together or when heat is added.  By themselves, the gelatin, water/vinegar would not act as an adhesive, but mixed together and then moistened, they act as a “glue”.

 

Balloon Rockets

 

Materials:

 

Balloons of various sizes

Different types of string, fishing wire

Tape

 Directions:

 This is a fun activity to do in small groups…it can get competitive!

1. Give the teams different size balloons and different types of string.  Make sure that all of the teams have the same length of string, regardless of the type of string.
2. The idea is to see who can construct the rocket that will travel the farthest on the string.  (You’ll have to set the number of pumps or the teams can fill the balloons to their maximum capacity.)
3. Thread a piece of string through a straw.
4. Attach the ends of the string to the ceiling and the floor.  Or, two people can hold the string.  Note:  Try different types of string: fishing wire, nylon string, cotton string.
5. Tape an inflated balloon to the straw.

Note:  We used one of the balloon “hand pumps” to inflate the balloon and counted the number of “pumps” to see how far 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on, pumps would cause the balloon to travel. 

6. Predict what will happen when you release the neck of the balloon and how fast the balloon will travel.
7. Do the experiment and observe what happens. Time how quickly the balloon rocket goes up the string. Design a chart to record the results.

 
 

Rainbow in a Bag

Credit:  “Jr. Boom Academy”, Wild Goose Company, 1999, p. 33.

 
Materials:

16 cups of water

4  cups of cornstarch

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 large sauce pan

1 large wooden spoon

Researlable sandwich bags

 

Directions:

 
Note:  You may want to keep some of the mixture out BEFORE adding color.  Then give each child some “plain” mixture in a zip top bag, let them squeeze in differing amounts of food coloring to make their own colors.

1. Boil the water.  Stir in the cornstarch and sugar.  Heat until it thickens, continuously stir.
2. Divide the mixture into thirds.  Ad food coloring to make one batch red, another yellow and the third one blue.
3. Put one generous teaspoon of each of the color mixtures into the bags and seal.
4. Squeeze the bags to make new colors.

A blessed New Year to you and your family!

Michelle

Michelle and her husband have been homeschooling for 9 years. Michelle has a Master's degree in Child Development and Family Studies. She serves as the Judge Advisor for the North Carolina FIRST (www.usfirst.org) Lego League.  She is the author of numerous Sam's Science Adventures, including "RIC: Robots in the Classroom", all available through www.TreasureBoxPress.com.  She spent 15 years in the biotechnology industry before turning her heart toward home.

Related Tags: science activities, balloon rockets, rocket activity, make your own stickers, mixing colors, activities for children

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