Boil Boil Toil and Trouble

UPDATE March 20, 2023-

We have since relocated, twice!- first to a bigger house and most recently to a bigger center with individual classrooms. 

A few years back I ran into a former "Linda's" Kid. He was in junior high at the timd and told me that this activity was his favorite! 

This week we are scientists.  We are experimenting and discovering the world around us.  Today we mixed potions.  It was a very simple activity which kept all the children interested for a long period of time.
We told the children they were scientists. They put on their 'lab coats' (paint shirts) and went to their science lab (their place at the table).
Each child got a bowl, spoon and craft (stirring) stick.  
We put a variety of powders in large trays on each table.

We used cocoa powder (for hot chocolate), flour, sugar, Kool aid powder, oatmeal, baking soda and cornstarch.

We filled squirt bottles with colored water, lemon juice, and vinegar.

The children mixed and stirred and created unusual concoctions.

"A" made Bob aka Jello Man (the blob character from Monsters vs Aliens)

Everybody had their own method of doing it.  One child even did it double fisted with two bottles of colored water at the same time.  At first some children were reluctant until they realized there wasn't a right or wrong way to do it.

The project was messy and the children didn't have a finished product to take home.  You may wonder why? What's the purpose if you have nothing to show for it?   There may not be a tangible product to take home, but the experience the children had they will remember for a long time.  They experimented with mixing colors. Using trial and error they discovered which substances could be combined to create bubbling brews.  They discovered which substances mixed together until they were no longer distinguishable and which substances held their texture no matter how much they stirred (oatmeal).

Someday maybe one of these children will discover a cure for a deadly disease. Maybe one will become a master Chef creating dishes one could only dream of.  Maybe another will perfect an abstract art form.  Where ever these children find themselves in th years to come, I hope they will not be afraid to try and will enjoy the experience along the way.