17 March 2008

Mad Scientist Bath

GET CLEAN, HAVE FUN.



Tonight's bath included a few drops of food colouring, some baking soda and some vinegar. A little of this and a little of that and our wee one is making purple and asking questions about the mighty frothy bubble. Spud didn't want it to stop. "What other sorts of experiments can we do?".

Next: The Delights of Density
Will it Float? [sung like Paul Schaffer]
I'll collect various items from around the house in a container and ask the little guy to make predictions before tossing each item into the drink. This will be my first batch: a cotton swab, a coin, small toy dinosaur, a sponge, 2 bottles — one filled with water and one not, and a straw. That should be a good start.

And After That: Conservation of Liquid
Having fun with the idea that a quantity remains the same despite its change in appearance. For example, fill a tall thin container with bath water and tell your wee one that you are going to pour it into another [short, fat] container. Ask if it is the same amount of water. Famous French Child Psychologist, Jean Piaget, says kids typically don't get the concept that the amount of water doesn't change, until age 6 or 7 but hey, you can have fun with it in the meantime.