What You Need:

-clear sandwich baggies
-masking tape
-lots of countable items: buttons, marbles, beans, beads, bottle caps, etc.

What to do:

Before the activity, label the baggies 1-10. Simply put a piece of masking tape on each of the baggies. Now write the number 1 on the first baggy, number 2 on the second baggy, etc. Have all your counting items in a bowl and ready to go.

Getting Started:

Let your child know that you’re going to play a counting activity. Empty the bowl of items onto the living room floor. Now help your child find one of something–one button, for example: put into the baggy labeled 1. Next, help your child find two of something–two beans, for example: put those in the baggy labeled 2. Next, help your child find three of something–three marbles, for example: put those in the baggy labeled 3. Keep going until you fill all ten bags.

Put the Bags in Order:

Now turn the baggies over, so the number is face down and no longer visible. Mix the order of the baggies. Now help your child order the baggies from 1-10. First find the bag with one item in it. Next find the bag with two items. Next find the bag with 3 items, etc. It may be necessary to empty the contents of a bag in order to count the items.

Number Detective:

Close your eyes and ask your child to remove one item from one of the bags. Have her put the item out of sight. Now open your eyes and play the part of a number detective. Examine the baggies and try to determine which one is missing an item. (To do this, simply arrange the baggies according to the number of items they contain.) Talk about the procedure as you investigate.

Switch Roles:

Ask your child to close her eyes. Remove one of the items from one of the baggies. Help your child investigate which baggy is missing an item. (Advanced: remove two items from one of the baggies. Now let your child investigate which items are missing.)

Make Number Patterns:

Remove items from the baggies. Arrange them on a tabletop in the shape of a pyramid (ten items for the base, one for the tip). Now remove two items (one from each end) from the row that has six things in it. Remove four items (two from each end) from the row that has seven things in it. Remove six items (three from each end) from the row that has eight things in it. Continue the pattern. The result will look like a diamond. What patterns can you make with the items that have been removed?

There are many variations to this kids’ science activity that you can pursue on your own. For example, in the beginning of the activity, only make two buttons, two bottle caps and three beans available. Now help your child decide what to do with the limitations that have been imposed. It’s easy to turn counting activities into fun science for kids. Just gather some everyday household items and get started!

• It’s completely original.
• It only takes a minute to make.
• It uses household items you already have on hand.
• It’s the perfect size to play games and activities.

Materials:

- newspaper
- tablespoon
- rubber band
- masking tape

1. Roll a section of newspaper like a log.(figure 1)

2. Secure the middle with tape. (figure 2)

3. Stretch a rubber band. Place the log of newspaper on top of it. (figure 3)

4. Loop the two ends of the rubber band to the top of the log. Pass one end of the rubber band through the other. Hold the surplus with your finger. (figure 4)

5. Stick the end of a tablespoon through the surplus rubber band. (figure 5)

6. Adjust the spoon so that its length is approximately 1/2 way through the rubber band.

7. Tape the ends of the log to your tabletop (or to a place mat so you can move it around).

8. The catapult is now complete. (figure 6)

What Objects to Hurl: Cotton balls, Q-tips, cut up sponge pieces.

How to Hurl Objects: Use three or more fingers. Press down quickly on the handle of the spoon. (Tip: to hurl objects further, adjust the spoon so that the greater length is to the rounded end of the spoon.)

Games and Activities:

1. Place a bowl 6 to 12 inches away from the catapult. See how many cotton balls in a row you can shoot into the bowl.

2. Same as game one, except this time give each person ten cotton balls. Person who shoots the most into the bowl wins.

3. Make a tower using three rigatoni (log-style) noodles. See how many times it takes to knock down the tower.

(Variation: Launch half a dozen Q-tips at once.)

4. Lay a roll of masking tape its side. That’s your target. Now each person flings a cotton ball toward the target. Closest wins a point. (If you make it in the center of the roll you win three points.) First person to ten points wins.

5. Use a marker to make red freckles on three cotton balls, and blue freckles on three others. Again lay the roll of masking tape its side. You child shoots her three, and you shoot yours. Give a point to the three closest. For example–2 for red and 1 for blue. First person to reach ten points wins.

There’s nothing like a homemade catapult to stimulate lots of new and fun kids’ activities. The activities are simple, wholesome and engaging. Best of all, the easy to make catapult has plenty of wiggle room in the construction to invite your child’s imagination and ingenuity. Don’t be surprised to see your child experiment with a longer spoon, two spoons, thicker roll of newspaper, etc. Half the fun is tinkering with the design! Good luck!

Pick up some magnet discs from the hardware aisle of your nearest home improvement store. (Each magnet is the size of three pennies in a stack.) A couple dozen is more than enough to get you started. Here are some games and activities to play:

Herd the Sheep: Play this game on your kitchen or dining table. Before the game starts, let your child practice moving a magnet on the tabletop using a stack of magnets under the table. This is very easy to do. Now let your child practice pushing a cotton ball around (using the same procedure). Pushing a cotton ball is the equivalent of herding a sheep in the game to follow.

To play the game, place two magnets approximately eight inches apart on your table top. These are fence posts. Place ten cotton balls on one side of the fence. Place one magnet on the other side of the fence. Now let your child try to herd the sheep through the fence posts. Take care not to get too close to the fence posts or the sheep herder will snag his coat (and the sheep will run away, etc.—). The game ends when all ten sheep have been herded. Use a timer and try to improve the results. (Variation: decorate the landscape using construction paper cut-outs; use string or Popsicle sticks to complete the fence in area where the sheep will be herded.)

Watch You Tube video of this game:

Stack the Sticks: Play this game on your kitchen or dining table. Before the game starts, let your child practice moving a Q-tip around using the procedure described above. Once your child is comfortable with this, place ten Q-tips randomly on your table top. Now let your child try to arrange all ten Q-tips neatly into a stack. (Variation: keep in mind that with any of these table top games you can decorate the magnet that sits on top of the table.)

Watch You Tube video of this game:

Cotton Ball Table Top Race: To play this game, two players sit on opposite sides of your kitchen or dining table. Tape a piece of string across the table for a start line. Tape another piece of string for the finish line. (Start and finish line should be a foot or so apart.) Now each player places five cotton balls at the start line. Each player also has one magnet on top of the table and a stack of magnets under the table (as described above). At the word ‘go’ race to see who can push all five of their cotton balls across the finish line first.

Tin Can Table Top Race: Next time you have canned goods, save the cans. You’ll need them for this activity. To play, use the same start and finish line from the last game, and sit in the same manner. This time, use the stack of magnets under the table to roll a tin can across the finish line. You can also race back and forth three times. To do this, fold a dish towel a little way past the start and finish line in order to stop the can. This will allow the players to easily reverse directions. The first player to travel back and forth three times wins.

Magnets are a fun and easy way to introduce your child to the world of physical sciences. Their unusual characteristics stimulate the imagination and invite countless games and activities. During the course of play, your child will come to appreciate some basic magnetic properties (such as polarity as well as the relationship between number of magnets and strength of pull). Don’t be surprised if your child suddenly begins investigating something out of the blue. Try to be flexible. After all, half the fun of the activities is that they arouse curiosity and invite further exploration. Have fun!

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Shapes: Cut squares, circles, triangles and rectangles out of construction paper. Allow your child to sort the items into groups. Consider sorting by shape as well as color.

String: Cut string into three sizes—short, medium and long. Put the pieces in a pile. Have your child sort the pieces according to length. When you’re finished, make three lines–one from the short strings, one from the medium strings, and one from the long strings. Which line is longest?

Socks: Next time you do laundry, have your child help you sort socks.

Utensils: Remove forks, spoons and butter knives from your kitchen utensil drawer. If you have any wooden spoons or other wooden cooking utensils, gather those items also. Bring everything to your kitchen table and allow your child to sort the items. If you normally keep these items in a plastic utensil tray, bring the empty tray to the table and allow your child to sort the items into the tray. (Advanced: Allow your child to try sorting the items with eyes closed. The distinct physical traits of kitchen utensils are ideally suited for this purpose).

Lids: Next time you’re finished with a jar or bottle (milk, soda pop, ketchup, etc.)—anything with a lid on it—rinse it out and save it. When you have a dozen or so containers with lids, try this sorting activity: bring all the containers to your living room floor. Remove the lids and mix them up. Now allow your child to return the lids to their proper containers. (Advanced: Use a timer. See how long it takes to complete the task. Play again—try to improve the time).

Canned goods: Gather a dozen or so canned goods from your cupboards or pantry. Bring them to the kitchen table. Arrange them by how many ounces the items contain. Place them in a line from lowest to highest. Use a magnifying glass to read the information to add a scientific feel to the activity.

Face cards: Take a deck of playing cards. Sort out the face cards by turning each card over one at a time. If the card is not a face card, put it in a pile. If it is a face card, group it by type–jacks with jacks, queens with queens, etc. When you’re finished, rearrange the face cards according to suit—clubs with clubs, diamonds with diamonds, etc. (Advanced: Sort all 52 playing cards).

Bathroom goods: You’ll need several dozen items for this activity. Why so many? –Because it’s visually stimulating. Use a laundry basket to gather several dozen bottles of shampoo and related items from your bathroom. Find things that have a lid and can stand upright. Bottles of shampoo, conditioner, baby powder, hand lotion, nail polish, perfume, a can of shaving cream, stick of deodorant—all work fine. Things like a tube of ointment or bar of soap will not work. (Also exclude cleaning products.) Put the items in a laundry basket and bring them to your living room. Make sure the lids are on tight. Allow your child to arrange the items according to height. Make a line that stretches through the house. (Advanced: Help your child to arrange the items alphabetically).

Kids’ sorting activities offer good old-fashioned fun. They expose your child to basic scientific procedure and stimulate analytical thinking. Sorting games and activities also help to build your child’s attention span and ability to stay focused on one activity. Try grouping several of these activities together in one block of time to more fully nurture your child’s grasp of sorting. Have fun!

Here’s All You’ll Need to Get Started:

-Tape measure
-Ruler
-Paper and pencil

Activity 1

The Alphabet Game

Here’s how to play this measuring game. . .

Hunt for three things around the house that start with the letter A. Measure each item and log the measurement on a piece of paper. (Hint:round to the nearest inch.)

Now hunt for three things around the house that start with the letter B. Measure each item and log the measurement on a piece of paper.

Next hunt for three things around the house that start with the letter C. Measure each item and log the measurement on a piece of paper.

Now put a check mark next to the biggest item. Put a circle next to the smallest item. (Advanced: how many of the smallest items would it take to equal the length of the longest item?)

Activity 2

1/2 a Sandwich and a Cup of Soup Please

Here’s how to play this measurement game. . .

Measure the length of your couch. Log the result on a piece of paper. Now find something around the house that is approximately 1/2 the length of the couch–for example: the width of your dining table. Measure it, then log the result on a piece of paper. Now find something that is approximately 1/2 the width of your dining table–for example: a picture on the wall. Measure it, then log the result on a piece of paper. Now find something 1/2 the width of the picture on the wall–for example: your toaster. Measure it, then log the result. Now find something 1/2 the width of your toaster–for example: 1/2 a sandwich. Measure it, then log the result. Keep playing until you find something that is approximately one inch long–a peanut for example. Log the result on a piece of paper. (Advanced: keep track of how long it took to complete the activity. Compare the result each new time you complete this activity. What’s the trend?)

Activity 3

Double Double!

Here’s how to play this game. . .

In this game, start by measuring your child’s nose. If you measure the width, it should come out to approximately one inch. Log the results. (Your child will love seeing something like ‘Claire’s nose: 1 inch’ on your chart). Now find something approximately double the length–for example: a strawberry. Measure it and log the results. Now find something approximately double the length of the strawberry. Measure it and log the results. Keep going until you run out of things to measure. (Advanced: measure the entire length of your house. Using that figure as a guide, estimate the distance to your mailbox, nearest park or grocery store).

Measuring things goes hand in hand with the fundamentals of science. These activities offer basic exposure to measuring procedures, and can be played again and again. As your child becomes more skillful at measuring stuff, work toward more precise measurements by rounding to the nearest 1/2 inch, and eventually to the nearest 1/4 or 1/8 inch. A good way to engage in even more precise measurements is to measure coins or book ends to the nearest 1/16 of an inch! Be sure to record the results. Have fun!

Here’s what you do:

The activity begins with a data collection adventure. Search around the house with your child for ten things that start with the letter b. After that, search for ten things that start with the letter c. Make a list of the items as you’re going around the house (make sure the lists are labeled).

To make the data hunt more interesting, turn it into a challenge by using a timer. An oven timer will work just fine. Compare the times to determine which set of data was more difficult to collect.

Limitation: items must have weight. Things like blue, bouncy and beautiful are out. Things like boot, ball and bell are in.

Now take your lists to the kitchen table and begin the process of classifying and interpreting the data. Many of the classifications are zany, to say the least. The intention is to bring fun and laughter to the process.

1. Start by asking which item on each list is the smallest. For example, bean might be the smallest item on your first list, and clock might be the smallest item on your second list. Put a check mark next to those items.

2. Ask which of the items are the biggest. Bed might be the biggest item on the first list, and coat might be the biggest item on the second list. Put a square around those items.

3. Can you make a soup out of it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-corn
-cards
-chair
-celery
Can you make a soup out of corn? How about cards? Record your answers.

4. If it were twice as big, could you still use it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following items, for example:
-ball
-boot
-bowl
-brush
Could you still use a ball if it were twice as big? How about a boot? Record your answers.

5. Does Grandma have one in her house? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-computer
-cat
-couch
-crown
Does grandma have a computer in her house? How about a cat? Record your answers.

6. If it were green, would you still want it? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-banana
-bed
-book
-blouse
Would you want a green banana? How about a green bed? Record your answers.

7. If an elephant sat on it, would it still be any good? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-couch
-crayon
-clock
-costume
Would an elephant break your couch? How about a crayon? Record your answers.

8. Is it easy to rhyme? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-bell
-button
-broom
-butter
Is bell easy to rhyme? How about button? Record your answers.

9. Would you want ten more? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-cat
-clock
-cup
-curtain
Would you want ten more cats? How about ten more clocks? Record your answers.

10. Is it something you might take with you to the zoo? Go down the list and analyze each of the items. Consider the following, for example:
-boots
-brownies
-bottle
-books
Would you consider taking boots to the zoo? How about brownies? Record your answers.

At this point each of your lists should look like a chart. If you used symbols, then make a symbol guide on the bottom corner or back of the paper—the kind you see in the lower corner of a map. For example, if you used G for grandma and 2x for twice as big, then write:
G = grandma
2x = twice as big, etc

This way you can refer to the charts later without struggling to interpret the symbols.

Keep your charts in a folder so that as they accumulate (as you make lists of items that start with different letters) you can compare the data–for example, how long it took to gather each set of items. Or–which list has more of something. For example, 7/10 of the items in list b would break if an elephant sat on them, but only 5/10 items in list c would break. Lastly, don’t overlook the opportunity to compare your answers with what mom, dad or a neighbor thinks. After all, it’s not everybody who’s willing to part with a green boot.

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You’ll be making a miniature version of hot air balloons. Each balloon should take about one minute to make. Your child will love helping to put the hot air balloons together.

Here’s what to do:

Pick up helium balloons from your community party supply store. You’ll need one balloon for each participant.

For the basket part of the hot air balloon, use a paper cup or 12” x 12” felt square. If you use a paper cup, tape three pieces of string to the top of the cup, and then tie the string to the base of the balloon. If you use a felt square, tie each of the four corners and attach those to the base of the balloon. (If you want to go a step further, for a more realistic looking basket cut off the bottom four inches of an empty bag of specialty coffee and rinse it out—the material is perfectly suited for this activity.)

Your living room is the perfect location to get started.

The objective: fill the basket with just enough household items to cause the balloon to hover for ten seconds without touching the ceiling. The items might include marbles, buttons, bottle caps and Q-Tips. Put these items in a bowl for selection. Keep a pair of scissors handy–as your child fine tunes the density it may become necessary to cut a Q-Tip in half.

Consider the following variation: put all the items in a line for selection. Take turns selecting one item until each person has ten. Place items into balloon baskets and launch the balloons. The objective is to have your balloon float slowest to the ceiling. In order to improve results, each person may exchange one of their items for a new item. Re-launch the balloons. Continue the process of exchanging one item after each launch. Keep experimenting until one player causes a balloon to hover for ten seconds.

There are many other variations to this science activity that you can pursue on your own (–for example, log the difference in items used from one day to the next as the balloons lose helium). Regardless of how you go about it, this activity will give your child an opportunity to engage in trial and error problem solving while gaining basic exposure to density and the law of gravity. You may also find it surprisingly adept at bringing out the fidget and tinker nature of parents. Have fun!

• Arouse a sense of wonder
• Expose your child to science and scientific laws of nature
• Stimulate self-motivated desire to explore and experiment
• Raise questions and generate discussion
• Provide a means to additional activities such as counting and grouping

Here are some basic magnet activities to get you started. Be prepared—during the course of these activities, your child may suddenly decide to go around the house pressing a magnet against things, or may empty and pick up a box of staples five times in a row. Be flexible. Allow for this kind of variation. Your child is conducting research at her own level. Try these activities for starters:

-Fill your kitchen sink with water. Drop nuts, bolts and paper clips into the water. Make a fishing pole: tie a string to a stick. Attach a small (donut hole) magnet to the end of the string. Let your child go fishing. Have your child place the items into groups as she catches them. (Advanced: play the part of a purchaser from the market. Tell your child you only purchase items in groups of three. Let your child arrange the items into groups of three for purchase.)

-Fill a glass with water and drop a paper clip into it. Have your child try to take the paper clip out of the glass using a magnet (along the side of the glass). Repeat the activity with a tall vase with a narrow neck. (Use an inexpensive one from a thrift or dollar store.) The vase should be dark in color so the contents cannot be seen. Your child will love the challenge of navigating the unseen paper clip to the top of the vase. (Advanced: count five paper clips with your child. Drop them into the vase. Now let your child retrieve the paper clips with the magnet. Continue the activity until all five are retrieved.)

-Cut out construction paper fish with your child (colors should vary). Tape a magnet onto each fish. Place the fish on the living room floor and let your child go fishing with her magnetic fishing pole. This time have her group the fish by color. (Advanced: group the fish by size or fin type.)

-Take a poster board (or large sheet of paper) and make an line down the middle using a marker. Make small dots in pairs on either side of the line. Place magnets on the dots. Have your child use her finger or a Popsicle stick to try to push a magnet along the line without attracting any of the magnet pairs. Repeat the activity with a wiggly line instead of a straight line. (Advanced: have your child make the line and then allow her to mark where the magnet pairs will go. Let her set up the course the way she’s planned it. Allow her to predict whether you’ll be able to navigate the course she’s made. Allow her to adjust her strategy as a game maker by creating a new course. Continue to play on her terms. Put a check mark on the courses you navigate successfully. When you’re finished, review the results.)

-Of course, there’s also the time honored favorite: let your child use a magnet under the table to move objects on top of the table. This is a great starter activity and provides ample opportunity for your child to amaze mom or dad, or a neighbor with the seemingly magical properties of magnets.

Magnets are a great way to introduce your child to the world of science. They’re inexpensive, easy to get out and clean up, and provide enough variation to stimulate your child’s curiosity for years to come. Consider supplementing magnet activities with easy to read, age appropriate books on the subject. Don’t overshoot the mark with complex material explaining the properties and significance of electrons. It’s enough that your child is exposed to the wonders of magnets and has fun playing with and exploring their unique characteristics. Enjoy!

Advanced: when you’re finished, put the items on a towel and bring them to the kitchen table. Examine the items while you log the results on a piece of paper. Keep it simple. Just make two columns—‘Floats’ and ‘Sinks.’ Put the chart in a folder. Later, when mom or dad comes home, or a neighbor comes over, get the folder out for your child’s reference. Have your child quiz the person about whether they think each item on the list would sink or float.

Be prepared, your child will want to get the chart out every time someone new comes over. Don’t discourage her from asking the same person the same questions as yesterday or last week. She’s reinforcing her command of a variety of skills by repeating the process. Use repetition as a prompt to advance the experiment. Conduct the experiment over with new items. Make a new chart. Suggest that your child log a person’s correct answers on the back of the chart: Dad: 7/10; Aunt Susan: 8/10; Michael 10/10, etc. This adds a mathematical component to the activity and furthers your child’s grasp of collecting and evaluating data. The important thing is that your child is having fun while navigating scientific procedures.

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