Sink or Float Fun

With the hot and humid temps this week we've been looking for some ways to stay cool and have fun. This quick and easy water play project was perfect the other morning.

First I sent Big Brother around the house to gather a collection of everyday items. While he did that I created this recording sheet on the computer.

Float Sink Doc by kitchenfloorcrafts

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Then we headed out onto the deck to do some "experiments." First we filled a large tub with water and set up some towels (for sitting) on the damp deck.

We had our basket of everyday items that Big Brother had collected. Using the recording sheet I wrote down what the object was (in the far left hand column) and whether he guessed if it would sink or float in the "Guess?" column. It was hard for him to restrain himself and make the guess first, but I felt it was important for him to start practicing this skill and this way we could do it in a fun environment. This type of guessing activity not only builds science skills but also preplanning and thinking skills that can be used in multiple ways. 

After he made the guess he would toss it in the bucket and I would record what it did on the sheet by checking he correct column. We'd talk about whether his guess had been correct or not. 

We went through the whole basket and then collected some new items. 

He continued to play "sink or float" for a while by himself afterwards. He stopped guessing and would just toss the item in and shout out what it was doing. (By that point we had practiced the pre-guessing quite a bit.) He completely soaked himself in the end, but of course that was part of the point. Get wet, cool down, have fun, and fit in a little learning too. 

** Safety note: As always, all young children should be supervised when playing with water. You know your own child best and know how hands on you need to be in the supervision, but always be mindful when creating these kinds of opportunities for kids.**

Creating and Using an Observation Journal

So several weeks ago we posted the exciting news of discovering a robin's nest with an egg just below our deck. (See Rockin' Robin Footprints). Over the following few days two more eggs appeared in the nest. We've been eagerly keeping an eye on the nest and we're excited to discover the eggs had hatched late last week. A quick google search helped me figure out it should be about two weeks before these little hatchlings grow enough to leave the nest.

Developing observation skills in children helps them learn to pay attention to detail in a variety of realms and encourages them to use different senses. Observation is a fundamental building stone to other scientific skills. It involves collecting and organizing information and leads to creating questions. Children learn to use a variety of strategies to answer these questions, such as inferencing and more observations. The baby robins under our deck are a perfect opportunity to purposefully practice observing how something grows and changes. (I say purposeful because most parents innately are building these skills every day with their child. Just think about how long a walk can take with a preschooler, how many things they notice as you walk, and how many questions you answer.)

In order to capture his observations I decided to create Big Brother a journal to use for the next few weeks. I used our word processing program and some free clip art I downloaded off of the internet. I know he won't want to draw in his journal every day for two weeks, so I made pages for 8 days of observations.

I printed the pages onto card stock, hole punched them, and then bound the pages together with binder rings. I added a set of colored pencils and put both into a ziploc bag to create a science kit. 

On the first page Big Brother drew what the nest looked like before the eggs had hatched. Younger children, like Big Brother, may need help observing by an adult prompting them with questions. I prompted him to think about the shape of the nest. He found brown and blue pencils. I had thought I might need to prompt him but he was already thinking about the colors on his own.

He then went back to the nest to check on the baby birds. I prompted him with the question "What do you notice?" He told me there were three, they were light brown, and they had "pricklies" on their heads. I also asked him to tell me what body parts they had. He informed me they had beaks and no wings. (Just in case you're wondering, they do have wings, they just don't look like wings to him yet.)

He drew three circles and some lines coming off as his "pricklies." (The pricklies are the beginnings of feathers.) I dated the page and wrote his observation at the top of the page.

Although he is looking at the birds multiple times a day we are not drawing them every day. He's attempting to capture the changes with his drawings and making some great observations orally. Although we're unique in being able to have a nest of baby robin's to observe, a journal like this could be used in a variety of contexts. Spring is all about growth and change, from planting gardens to changing trees to weather changes on a daily basis. So spring can also be all about observation.