STEM activities {Science Technology Engineering and Math} are always a hit with my kiddos, but this engineering activity had the whole family wanting to get in on the action. After explaining to my 3 and 5 year-old what a catapult was, I simply challenged them to build one that would launch candy pumpkins. They couldn’t believe their ears. Launching candy across the house? What’s not to love?! In the most basic terms, a catapult is a simple machine used to launch an object or projectile without the use of explosives. Before building our catapult, I showed my kiddos an example of a simple catapult using a spoon. Balancing the candy pumpkin on the end of the handle, I simply hit the spoon end with my hand to send the pumpkin flying through the air. Making Candy Pumpkin CatapultsTo make the pumpkin catapult, I quickly gathered a few supplies:
First, I had each kiddo stack 5 craft sticks on top of each other and then I helped them bind them on each end with a rubber band. This would act as the base and fulcrum – the point at which the lever will pivot. They stacked the remaining 2 sticks and bound them with a single rubber band on the very edge of one end. Next, we pried open the 2 sticks to make a “V” shape. We placed the bundle of 5 sticks at the very bottom of the “V” shape and secured it with the final rubber band. The last step on the pumpkin catapult was to glue the small cup that would hold the pumpkins onto the end of the top arm of the catapult. In the photo below, the arm is the stick with the Halloween tape on it. If you are doing this with little ones, it helps to glue the cup in from the end of the stick. This gives little fingers an area to push down on to create the tension to make projectiles fly. Making Pumpkins FlyIt only took a few minutes to construct our ultra simple pumpkin catapults and my kids couldn’t wait to launch pumpkins. At first, they just played around with the catapults to see the best way to get the pumpkins to fly the furthest. {These aren’t the most powerful catapults and only launched the pumpkins a few feet.} I handed them a couple candy corns to see if the difference in weight had an affect on the distance the projectile would fly. Then we moved on to experiment with how we aimed the catapults. I set up 9 small glasses in a pyramid shape. The kids had to get 3 out of 5 pumpkins into the glasses in order to eat one. Of course, once the sugar kicked in, things got a little crazy and the game turned into shooting candy pumpkins into each others’ mouths. Whoever said science wasn’t fun?! As far as first attempts go, this catapult was perfect. Simple, quick, and easy for all ages to use. My 3 year -old is officially obsessed! He used his catapult the next day to launch acorns to our neighborhood squirrels. Pumpkin Catapult ExtensionsBoth kids are already thinking about what they could launch next and how to make things fly further. Here are a few extensions we’ve thought up: Secure the catapult to prevent movement and test how accurate it is using the same projectile. Change the number of craft sticks in the bundle and see what effect it has. Test different rubber bands. How does this affect the launch? Test different sizes and weights of objects. Test holding the arm down at different angles. Build a few different models and test which launches the furthest and most accurate. Build a bigger catapult and test different materials (bungee cord, exercise band) to see what happens. The Science Behind ItA simple machine is a mechanical device used to change the direction or magnitude of a force. The catapult is an example of a lever type simple machine in which a beam or arm pivots at a fixed point called the fulcrum. In the catapult we built, as we pressed down on the arm, tension was building and energy was being stored. Energy that is stored when a material is compressed (think of a spring) or stretched (a slingshot) is called elastic energy. When you release the arm of the catapult, the elastic energy is converted into kinetic energy – the energy of motion. When you place an object like the pumpkin candy in the bucket, the pumpkin will move at the same speed as the arm and the bucket. When the arm stops, the pumpkin projectile continues to move forward due to Newton’s first law, which states that an object in motion stays in motion. The pumpkin becomes airborne. Gravity pulls the pumpkin back toward the ground, giving the pumpkin its trajectory, or path. Ready for More?For more scientific inspiration, grab a copy of our Super Cool Science Kit packed with 30 jaw -dropping experiments that use just a few common household ingredients. The post Candy Pumpkin Catapults appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/pumpkin-catapults/
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There’s nothing more special than a kid-made gift – especially if it’s a gift that comes with some well deserved pampering. That’s why my 4 year-old daughter and I decided to make scented homemade bath bombs for the wonderful moms and grandmoms in our lives. This kid-made gift is sure to please! P.S. Looking for some easy ways to add super cool, hands-on science to your classroom or home? Hop over and grab our super cool science kit! Getting ReadyTo make 12 muffin-sized homemade bath bombs, we first gathered a few supplies:
Homemade Bath BombsOnce I gathered all the supplies, A quickly ran over, excited to make her grandmom some fizzy homemade bath bombs. First, she measured out the baking soda, cornstarch, Epsom salt and citric acid and mixed them in a large bowl. Since this recipe is pretty forgiving, it’s a perfect measuring activity for younger children as well. A sifted the dry ingredients to break up any chunks. This was a pretty dusty step (which is why we did it outside) and one I’m not sure was really necessary. Next, I asked A what scent she wanted to make. She chose orange and jasmine. A added several drops of orange food coloring to the water in the spray bottle and slowly began spraying the dry mixture. She loved watching the mixture fizz each time she sprayed it. The key was to lightly spray it, wetting it enough that the mixture formed a clump when squeezed but not so much that it lost its fizziness. Next, A added several drops of orange and jasmine essential oil and thoroughly stirred the mixture. Then, she scooped the mixture into the silicone muffin liners and firmly pressed it down. The homemade bath bombs were really coming together! A and even her little brother, Q, loved mixing up this fizzy concoction so much we ended up making 3 more batches. Both kids had a cold, so in addition to lemon-lavendar and pink grapefruit, we made some sinus clearing peppermint-eucalyptus using peppermint baking extract. You can use whatever molds you have on hand – even cookie cutters on a baking pan or an ice cube tray would work well. We also made egg-shaped bath bombs with leftover Easter eggs. They turned out super cute! For the egg molds, gently remove half the egg shell after an hour or so to allow it to completely dry. Leave the bombs out to dry overnight and then gently pop them out. Store them in an airtight container or package them up for that special someone who deserves a little extra R & R. Now all I need it to get my kids to give me a little quiet time so I could enjoy a few of them. I guess I’ll have to wait until Mother’s Day! The Science Behind ItWhen you drop your fizzy bomb into the tub, the water sets off a chemical reaction between the citric acid and the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). That’s why the dry mixture fizzed when it was sprayed with water. During the reaction, carbon dioxide is created making those relaxing, fizzing bubbles. Want More?Grab our Super Cool Science Kit including easy prep, kid-pleasing experiments and awesome follow up observation sheets for young scientists. The post Scented, Fizzy Homemade Bath Bombs appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/kids-science-fizzy-bath-bombs-mom/ Interactive notebooks are super popular in classrooms these days, and it’s because they engage kids’ full attention. This interactive addition activity is constructed so there are lots of math addition questions on just one interactive page. The academic and fine motor skill level is aimed at first graders, however, kinders can also use it with guidance. Getting ReadyTo prep the interactive notebook, simply print off the Interactive Addition printable (BELOW). To brighten it up, print each page on different colored paper. Decide whether you want your child to construct the interactive page first, or if you will give them one activity at a time so they can add to the interactive addition page gradually. I prefer the second option as it’s a large project with many steps for little ones to do in one sitting. Interactive Notebook – Addition to 20Have children write their names on the interactive addition sheet. The shapes and label will show them exactly where to glue each activity so they fit nicely on the page. Below are the steps to completing the interactive notebook. Addition to 20 Cut out a rectangle around the far right concertina strip to separate it from the page. Cut across the top line and bottom line. Fold carefully on all horizontal lines and crease them well. Fold it into a concertina so only one shape shows at the top, then cut the side edges. Complete the equations. Add glue to the back of the top equation (11+6) and attach it to the interactive sheet where it says “addition to 20.” Addition to 10 Complete the next concertina strip as above! True or False Cut out around all outside edges, then fold on the dotted lines. Add glue to the center shape and attach to the interactive sheet where it says “true or false.” Fold the “petals” closed. Look at each equation and decide whether it’s true or false. Circle T for true and F for false. Open the petals and rewrite the false equations correctly in the center shape. Adding 3 Together Cut out around the rectangle with the 2 pencils on it. Flip it over and add glue to the 3 edges that are indicated by the dotted lines. Attach it to the interactive sheet where it says ‘”adding 3 together” to form a pocket. Cut out the 6 pencils. Complete the equations and store them in the pocket. Picture Addition Cut out the larger solid lines of page 4 to create 4 different sized rectangles. Glue the largest rectangle to the interactive sheet where it says “picture addition.” Fold the other 3 rectangles on the dotted lines, add glue on the back just at the top and attach them on top of the page you’ve already glued with the smallest size on top. Complete the equations. Word Problems Complete them the same way you’ve done the picture addition activity. This addition interactive notebook covers so many skills on just one page! Get Your Free PrintableDownload the Addition to 20 Interactive Notebook by clicking the blue button below and then hop over and grab our EDITABLE math fact games! The post Addition to 20 Interactive Notebooks appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/interactive-notebooks-addition-to-20/ Pattern blocks are a motivating, hands-on way to teach kids about shapes, patterns, measurement…. even fractions! These playful roll and cover pattern block mats add three more math skills to the list: counting, number recognition, and addition. They’re the perfect preview to our roll and cover pattern block mat pack! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Getting ReadyThe prep for these pattern block mats was as quick and easy as it comes. I printed the pattern block mats on cardstock to give them extra durability and grabbed our box of pattern blocks. Note: If you’ll be using the activity in a classroom, you may want to laminate the mats to make them durable enough to handle repeated use. I pulled out two dice and a pencil and called the boys over to join me. That’s it! Easy peasy. Pattern Block MatsMiddle Brother (age 4.5) is still working on subitizing – instantly recognizing the number of objects in a set. So I handed him a roll and cover pattern block mat and just one die first. He rolled his die, counted the dots that landed on top and covered the shape that matched. When he rolled a three, he covered one of the threes with a yellow hexagon. When he rolled a six, he covered one of the rhombuses labeled with a six… When his picture was complete, he counted up all of the shapes on his mat and wrote the totals at the bottom. (If you laminate the mats, have kids write the totals with vis-a-vis markers so they can easily wipe the board clean after you have checked it.) Meanwhile, Big Brother (age 6.5) was busy working on addition. He rolled two dice, added the numbers together and covered the sum with a pattern block. Such a simple way to work on shapes, counting, number recognition, adding…. so many things at once. And the best part of all was that the kids LOVED it!! Grab Your DownloadIt’s your turn to play! Click the blue button below to grab your free roll and cover sheets and then hop over and download even more K-2 math freebies including roll and race shape games and a hands-on positional word activity!! The post Roll and Cover Pattern Block Mats appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/shape-game/ Growing crystals is a favorite science experiment of ours and these glow-in-the-dark crystals for Halloween make it all the more exciting! Check out how to make these fascinating crystals below! Getting ReadyTo prep for these glow-in-the-dark crystals, I gathered a few supplies:
Glow-in-the-Dark CrystalsOnce I grabbed all of my materials, I called my kiddos over and told them we were going to whip up glow-in-the-dark crystals. They decided what they wanted to make, grabbed pipe cleaners and started to bend the them into shape. I tied each spooky creation to a wooden skewer using fishing line. (Even though the fishing line is a little tricky to tie, crystals won’t grow on it but they will on twine.) I placed each shape into a glass jar and made sure it didn’t touch any of the sides or the bottom. If they do touch, the shapes will grow attached to the jar and could break a bit when you take them out. We ended up making a dozen Halloween shapes and needed a ton of borax solution. My 5 year-old, A, measured out 1/4 cup of borax per cup of boiling water and mixed the solution until the borax dissolved. A has done a lot of cooking so I was confident in her mixing and pouring hot water safely, but obviously please use caution when letting your child work with hot, hot water. To make the glow-in-the-dark crystals actually glow, A added about a 2-3 tablespoons of glow-in-the-dark paint to the borax solution and mixed until well combined. We used orange for the pumpkins and pink for the bat. She then poured the solution into the jars and lowered in the shaped making sure they didn’t touch the sides or bottom. Since we have a blacklight, we also made a few glow crystals simply by using fluorescent and white pipe cleaners since white glows in black light. Now all we had to do was wait. Within an hour you could see some of the borax precipitating out, mostly on the sides and bottom but my kiddos had to hold off until the next day for their favorite part: revealing the crystals. We patted them dry then headed to a dark room to see the results. Here’s what they look like with the lights on. So sparkly and gorgeous, right? And here’s a side-by-side of a pumpkin made with just fluorescent pipe cleaners and one made with glow paint. You can see they both glow but the one that used paint (on the right) is definitely brighter. Without the blacklight, the one made with glow-in-the-dark paint does glow after a good charge but it was too faint to photograph well. My kiddos love making borax crystals but glow-in-the-dark crystals was infinitely cooler. So cool they just had to take the spooky creations to bed with them that night. The Science Behind ItWhen borax is dissolved in water, a suspension is created. A suspension is a mixture that has solid particles (the borax) that are large enough for sedimentation {settling out}. As the borax begins to settle, it starts to crystalize on all the surfaces it comes in contact with – including the pipe cleaner shapes. As the borax continues to settle out, it builds crystals on top of other borax crystals forming a thick layer. More Mad ScienceSave time hunting down awesome science activities for kids and grab our 30 favorite science activities and science journal!! The post Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Crystals appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/glow-in-the-dark-halloween-crystals/ Mother’s Day is just around the corner and, in case you need a little inspiration for Mother’s Day gifts from kids moms will love, we’ve pulled together our favorite finds from across the web. These 16 homemade gifts are sure to make Mother’s Day extra special for any mom. Help mom sneak in some extra relaxation with a batch of fizzy scented bath bombs. Tuck a bouquet of flowers into a hand painted paper bag vase. // Eighteen25 Make a keepsake My Mom and Me book. // hello, Wonderful Mix together some rejuvenating Citrus Sugar Scrubs. // Delia Creates Spread the word about all the wonderful things you love most about mom in a homemade newspaper. // Martha Stewart Feeling crafty? Make some keepsake refrigerator magnets she can use all year long. // Sundaesins Pinch a hand-shaped ring dish for her to store a favorite piece of jewelry. // Mama.Papa.Bubba.
Is she a bookworm? Make a collection of simple button bookmarks. // I Heart Naptime Make some handy felt embroidered coffee cup cozies. // Tiny Rotten Peanuts If your mom loves keeping lists, make some DIY personalized notepaper. // Simply Kierste Use a fine tip Sharpie to make a tea towel showcasing kids’ artwork. // Setting for Four Turn popsicle sticks into pretty pallet coasters. {(This project is best suited for older kids.) // Think Crafts Planning a breakfast in bed? Whip up some tasty and sweet jam butter. // Caramel Potatoes Paint some awesome ombre wooden spoons. // Say Yes And speaking of cooking, infuse some delicious olive oil. YUMMO!! // Just Putzing That’s 16 awesome kid-made Mother’s Day gifts that are sure to please every mom in your life. The post Kid-Made Mother’s Day Gifts Moms Will Love appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/kid-made-mothers-day-gifts-moms-will-love/ What better way to get kids really looking at how letters are built than by constructing them with LEGOS?! This hands-on LEGO name activity is a great preschool work station, name game or afternoon project. Follow below and then hop over and grab our bundle of best selling Pre-K centers in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers! Getting ReadyThe prep for this LEGO name activity depends on the age and skill of your little builder. For my 5 year-old, A, I wanted her to build the letters without any help. So I simply pulled out several different sizes of DUPLO LEGOS in various colors and called her over to the table. For younger builders, you can print out these awesome free LEGO letter cards and have kids use them to copy the shapes of their letters. Building LEGO NamesMy daughter heard me rummaging through the LEGOS and popped out of her room to see what all the noise was about. When I told her we were going to make her name she was ecstatic. I honestly didn’t expect such a joyful reaction, but I’m not complaining! Building each letter without a visual guide was quite a challenge and it took a little trial and error before we got each letter to look the way we liked it. I liked that it required A to really slow down and look at the shape of each letter and how the various sized blocks could be used to make that shape. For the letter “A”, we began by building the first leg up, then slowly tapering it in. Once we got the 2 leg done, we realized we had to add the horizontal line, so we took apart the legs to make a spot to snap on the long “6 dot” piece (technically a 6 dot x 2 dot piece). Once we built all the letters together, A wanted to use them as a guide to build them by herself. Whoops, that “M” wasn’t looking quite right! A thought her mistakes and attempts to fix them were hilarious. Finally, A got the “M” figured out and moved on to the final letter. Once she completed her name, she ran into her room to clear a spot on her shelf for her new creation. I’m just glad we own a ton of LEGOS because we won’t be allowed to play with those blocks for quite some time! The LEGO name project was a huge hit! Loving it!? Then hop over and grab our bundle of best selling Pre-K centers in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers! The post Building LEGO Names appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/building-lego-names/ If your kids are working on subtraction within 20, this interactive notebook will help keep them engaged! It includes equations, word problems, picture problems and true/false questions to encourage different ways of thinking about numbers and problem solving. First grade is the focus level for this printable, but kinders can also complete it with support. Getting ReadyPrint off the interactive subtraction within 20 printable using plain white or colored copy paper. The interactive page can be created (as in the picture above), or children can be given one activity at a time to complete before putting it all together. It’s important not to overwhelm a child with too many tasks, so it’s perfectly fine to complete this activity over a period of a few days. Interactive Subtraction Within 20Completing the activity is basically just a matter of cutting, folding and gluing the pieces into position. (These assembly directions are also included in the printable.) Subtraction Within 20 Cut out a rectangle around the far right concertina strip to separate it from the page. Cut across the top line and bottom line. Fold carefully on all horizontal lines and crease them well. Fold it into a concertina so only one shape shows at the top, then cut the side edges. Complete the equations. Add glue to the back of the top equation and attach it to the interactive sheet where it says ‘subtraction within 20.’ Subtraction Within 10 Complete the next concertina strip as above! Attach the strip where it says “subtraction within 10.” True or False Cut out around all outside edges, then fold on the dotted lines. Add glue to the center shape and attach to the interactive sheet where it says “true or false.” Fold the “petals” closed. Look at each equation and decide whether it’s true or false. Circle T for true and F for false. Open the petals and rewrite the false equations correctly in the center shape. Subtracting 2 Numbers Cut out around the rectangle with the 2 pencils on it. Flip it over and add glue to the 3 edges that are indicated by the dotted lines. Attach it to the interactive sheet where it says ‘”subtracting 2 numbers” to form a pocket. Cut out the 6 pencils. Complete the equations and store them in the pocket. Picture Subtraction Cut out the larger solid lines of page 5 to create 4 different-sized rectangles. Glue the largest rectangle to the interactive sheet where it says “picture subtraction.” Fold the other 3 rectangles on the dotted lines, add glue on the back just at the top and attach them on top of the page you’ve already glued with the smallest size on top. Complete the equations. Word Problems Complete them the same way you’ve done the picture subtraction activity. Get Your Free PrintableDownload the Subtraction Within 20 Interactive Notebook by clicking the blue button below and then hop over and grab our Addition to 20 Interactive Notebook, too! The post Subtraction within 20 Interactive Notebook appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/subtraction-within-20-interactive-notebook/ This amazing-smelling green apple playdough recipe uses only two ingredients and makes a soft, stretchy, silky dough your kids will love. The no-cook playdough recipe is great for kids to make from beginning to end – no measuring, no boiling water, no messy clean up. Apple Playdough RecipeTo make our dough, I grabbed just a few ingredients:
I handed my daughter the bottle of conditioner and, to her delight, let her squeeze the contents into a bowl without measuring. She was delighted to just squeeze and watch the conditioner shoot out without restraint. We used most of the bottle but saved a few good squirts in case we added too much corn starch. Next, I had my daughter scoop out cornstarch till we thought it looked about double the volume of the conditioner. I handed her a spoon and she mixed and mixed until her arms could take no more. This apple playdough recipe was hard work! At this point, the conditioner’s color had faded, so we decided to add a few drops of green food coloring and finished mixing the dough until all the cornstarch was incorporated. The dough was a little on the sticky side, so we added a couple more spoonfuls of cornstarch and voila! We were ready to play. Note: If you use exact measurements, you may have to tweak the ratios in this playdough recipe a little since not all conditioners are the same. Some may require more cornstarch, others more conditioner. Playdough PlayThe first thing A did was squeeze the dough through her fingers, giggling and repeating “It’s so squishy” over and over again. Next, she tried stretching it and discovered that if she pulled hard, it almost snapped apart. She had to show some restraint and pull it slowly to get it to stretch far. After a good 20 minutes of squeezing and stretching, she turned her attention to poking holes in it with her finger. When she saw how well it held its shape when poked, A decided she needed to get her dinosaurs to make footprint impressions in the dough. She played paleontologist for the next half hour burying and digging up her dinosaurs with a chopstick. Wow, was this fabulously fun and messy! Since this apple playdough recipe is made with cornstarch, the dough dries out as it’s played with making it a terribly crumbly mess. Since we saved a few squirts of the conditioner, we softened it again by simply adding a teaspoon sized squirt to the crumbles and remixing. Before storing this dough in a plastic baggie, I mixed in a little more conditioner to make sure it could handle another hour of play in the future. Free Apple Playdough MatsContinue the fun with our free apple playdough mats! The post Green Apple Playdough Recipe appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/green-apple-playdough-recipe/ Many kids {(including my own!) are big fans of the movie Frozen. In this activity, Disney’s famous characters, Elsa and Olaf, come to life when preschoolers put together a Frozen puzzle that gives them practice counting from one to ten. The project makes a motivating preschool math station or busy bag. Enjoy!!
Prepping the activity took just a few minutes. I printed the Frozen puzzle on cardstock to give it some extra durability. I grabbed a pair of scissors and carefully cut width-wise down the middle of the page to separate the two puzzles. Then, I carefully cut along the grey lines to separate each puzzle into ten equal pieces. Frozen PuzzlesOnce the pieces were ready, I invited my boys over to start building. Big Brother got to work on the Elsa puzzle first. Meanwhile, Middle Brother worked on making Olaf come to life. After trading the puzzles and finishing their second round of play, we slid each set into a Ziploc and placed them in my bag so we’d have it on hand the next time we were out and need some quick and easy entertainment. Even More FunBe sure to check out our Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack! The instant download is jam packed with 63 motivating, print and play math, literacy and fine motor activities preschoolers love. The post Frozen Puzzles appeared first on Playdough To Plato. via Playdough To Plato https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/frozen-puzzles/ |
ABOUT MEHi, I am Aida Turner from Brampton. I am 30 years old and I am a school teacher by profession. I love my profession. I spend mostly free time in searching different teaching methods for kids. Archives
February 2023
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