Unlike most liquids, water expands and floats when frozen, which is a good thing because if the frozen glaciers sank instead of floated, all the oceans (which cover more than 70% of the earth's surface) would freeze solid! Water can also defy gravity! Because water likes to stick to itself, droplets are able to travel from the roots under ground all the way up to the leaves.
But what's really awesome about water? There's no better way to beat the heat than to engage in water play! Check out how we explored the wonders of water through tons of fun and refreshing projects!!
Water Table Play
As the children play and investigate they are researching:
- How water takes the shape of its container
- How water flows down to the earth pulled by gravity
- How water sticks to itself (cohesion)
- How water sticks to other materials (adhesion)
- How air makes bubbles in water and rises to the surface
- How water can turn things into mixtures or solutions
Watercolor Explorations
What will get revealed when we watercolor over white crayon?
- MATH: Name and describe spatial elements such as over, middle, left, right, and under. Build awareness of quantity, like “Here, there’s a lot,” and “Here, there’s less,” and the concept of lines and shapes. Counting the grains of rice, counting by 2's...
- LANGUAGE: Explore new vocabulary to communicate ideas.
- SCIENCE: With this play invitation, children can explore concepts such as spread and mixed; observe rice’s reaction to water and pigment; and use observation and investigation to identify, describe and seek explanations for phenomena, and to formulate new theories.
- ART: Develop perception of colors and hues, experiment with composition and visual balance.
Ice Sculpture Lab
Diffusion Experiment
Will the yellow and blue water molecules move to the empty jar?
What color will the water be in the center jar?
Nature likes to be balanced!!
Sink or Float?
We gathered items from around the garden and made hypotheses of what would happen when we put them in a large tub of the water table.
A lot of the learning comes through meaningful conversations between the teachers and the children that supports scientific inquiry.
Inquiry is a process that includes foundational skills like exploring, wondering, and raising questions, and more sophisticated practices like collecting and recording data and analyzing previous ideas in light of new evidence.
Penny Boat Experiment
In this science experiment we had a contest to see who can design a Tin Foil Cargo Boat that will hold the most pennies.
OOBLEK!
Want to make some at home?
All you need is:
- 1.5 - 2 cups cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- Food coloring (optional)
- Pour water into a bowl and add a few drops of food coloring if desired.
- Add in cornstarch by the spoonful and stir until combined.
To test if your oobleck is the right consistency, try out some of these little experiments that also show off the unique properties of non-Newtonian fluids.
- Pick the oobleck up out of the bowl by squeezing it in your hand to form a ball. Uncurl your fist and the oobleck should drip out of your hands like a liquid.
- Take a spoon (or any kitchen utensil) and quickly hit the surface of the oobleck. The spoon will bounce back, giving the appearance of oobleck having a hard surface. Press the spoon slowly against the oobleck, however, and it will sink instead.
- Try swirling your fingers or a utensil through the bowl of oobleck – slowly at first, then quickly. You will face far more resistance when trying to move quickly through the oobleck.
- Pro tip: to dispose of your oobleck, simply leave it out to dry, then crush it up and pop it into your compost.
Painting with Water
Just Add Water
The Stories of Water
Water Animals
Ocean Creatures Face Paint
Octopus Collage
Sensory Literacy with Mermaid Sequin Fabric
Yoga Adventure to Mama Ocean!
Learning Teamwork with Narwhal
She teaches us some great core beliefs:
- I can do hard things
- Mistakes help us grow
- I can ask for help
- Asking for help is OK
- I can try new things
Peace Like A River
I've got Peace like A River (x3)
In my Soul
I've got Love like the Ocean (x3)
In my Soul
I've got Joy like a Fountain (x3)
In my Soul
(Then sing them all together real fast!)
Watermelon Pizzas
WATERMELON!!
Garden Basil Pizzas
Chamomile Herb Fairy
Fresh Chamomile Tea Party
Circle Time!
What are ways we can be more considerate at home, at school, in our community?
What is the best gift you have ever received?
What kinds of things can we do to be helpful at home?
We Love Our New Tarp Shelter in the Big Yard!
Teacher Birthday Celebrations!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
- 4 small bananas mashed
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1.5 cups sunflower seed butter
- 2 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cups cacao powder
- 1/4 cup dried coconut flakes for sprinkles
- 4 sticks butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Mix together banana, maple syrup, sunflower seed butter, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and cacao powder.
- Scoop into the muffin pan and top with the chocolate chips. Bake for 7 minutes.
- Mix together butter, honey, cacao, and vanilla for frosting
- Frost cupcakes once cool and top with dried coconut flake sprinkles
Simply mix together 1 mashed sweet potato, 1/4 cup cacao powder, 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Then bake in the oven at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. We froze ours after baking for an hour for extra chewy cooling yumminess!