Science Week

My kids love science week. I think it's a staple for every summer. Of course there is "sciency" stuff worked into the other theme weeks (and Human Body Week was definitely chock-full of it), but a week dedicated to the "magic" of physical science is their favorite!

We started by learning about water density. We made an egg float in salt water... then we tested other items in fresh and salt water and discussed why things that don't float in fresh water do float in salt water.

Continuing with our density lesson, we made sugar water rainbows.

We mixed different concentrations of sugar into different colored water and then carefully stacked our colors with a pipette into a test tube.

The results were amazing!!!

We then moved into a little candy science and math, first making patterns with a rainbow of Skittles. We then sorted the Skittles and placed them in water to watch the color dissolve into the water. I also added corn syrup with the intent of turning it into edible paint, but we never actually got around to using our Skittles paint.

Then we observed M&M's in water, noticing which color dissolved the fastest, and then the really cool part...

The M floated up to the top! I had no idea it would do that!

Lastly, we set up a few experiments that would have to sit around for a while. First we chose a few food items to place in vials and watch as they rotted away during the week (sorry, no pictures), and then we put gummy bears in different solutions to see what would happen to them overnight.

From left; water, sugar water, tequila (yeah!), salt water, and the control bear. The sugar water bear was originally white/clear, but since we placed it in purple sugar water, it turned purple, which was a cool extra. Also, the salt water bear was originally orange! 

Our second day was Robot Day. We made wind-up robots from a kit I found.

Then we used Hexbug nanos to create a drawing machine.

They made cool swirly designs on the paper.

Those hex bugs were really cool, and we had a lot of fun with them, sending them through a LEGO maze, chasing them around the kitchen, getting them unstuck from under the refrigerator... OK, that last part wasn't so fun, but it happens!

Then we (ok, really I) built a homopolar motor with magnets, copper wire, and a battery. The little person spins! It was really cool, and the kids liked playing with it (ok, so did I). 

Our next day, we just did a random assortment of activities... Structural Engineering/snack time.

Toothpicks and marshmallows!

Static electricity butterflies.

Gravity tests.

And I downloaded a really cool app called Rube Works, where you problem-solve to make complicated Rube Goldberg machines with the materials provided. We played the game all together, and they couldn't get enough!

We ended the week with a "field trip," as usual. 

This time, bowling... because... PHYSICS!

Anthony won... impressive for a 3-year-old. 

This science week was later in the summer, so I didn't do as much as I could've... we're still having fun, but we're running out of zeal for activities... our days now are spent mostly playing legos, reading, lounging, and swimming in the pool... but I wouldn't have it any other way! Summer is almost over! I do have a few other low-key themes planned, but we may or may not get to them, and that's ok!