Friday, April 24, 2015

Fun Freetime: Science Fun from SciGirls

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

If you're looking for some great ways to keep your kids entertained and educated this summer, here are some ideas courtesy of the PBS show SciGirls. Visit the site for more fun and games!

Insulating Dough

Mix 3 T oil with 1 c flour and 1/2 c sugar. Mix in 1 T deionized or distilled water and stir. Add deionized/distilled water 1 T at a time until the mixture is dough-like. Remove from the bowl and knead in additional flour until the desired consistency is reached.

Conductive Dough

Mix 1 c flour, 1 c water, 1/4 c salt, 3 T cream of tartar, and 1 T vegetable oil. Add food color to help differentiate between the doughs. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously utnilt he mixture begins to boil and get chunky. Stir until a ball forms in the center of the pot, and then remove from heat. Allow dough to cool, then mix flour into the dough until firm but moldable.

Dough will keep in an airtight container for 3 weeks.

Make one batch of each, then experimented with a 9V battery, a connector and some LED light bulbs to make creations that light up!

For younger kids, try chromatography art. Color a tissue or coffee filter with markers. Accordion fold the tissue and hold together with a pipe cleaner to make a flower, or pinch the coffee filter with a clothespin to make a butterfly. Spritz with water. Then talk about the ink separation that occurs when the dried ink gets wet again.

Visit SciGirls Connect to learn about how you can encourage girls in science and more activities you can do at home.

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