Mad Science Monday: Volcano Fizzy Science

If the idea of something 'sploding on a Monday morning gets you all warm and fizzy, then this Mad Science Monday post is for you! Whether you are at home with your kids, in a classroom setting or looking for a great take-along for your next outdoor adventure, baking soda and vinegar never disappoint. In fact, last Monday, we took our show on the road at my nature-based play group and held a pop-up laboratory for children of all ages at a local park and sprayground. When it comes to teaching children about science, I often tell parents and educators that you don't need to really teach at all; children are inherently scientific in the way they wonder, discover, observe and explore. Allowing space and time for this to occur naturally is just the fuel that is needed to ignite a lifelong love of learning and to develop the skills necessary for critical thinking.




That being said, a directed experiment or even a set up to explore materials (like those found in nature, or chemical reactions between baking soda and vinegar) can be a great way to bring a little science into your child's life. After a couple of hours of fizzy fun at the park, many children went home slightly colorful from food coloring and begging for more. S was especially interested in making a volcano after seeing a version of this experiment depicted in a Starwars activity book we checked out of the library and after visiting an exhibit on Pompeii at our local science museum with his Poppa last month. Both boys dug right into our blob of potter's clay to build our volcanic mountain. You can also use playdough or even build your mountain from paper mache. It would be really cool to build your mountain outdoors using mud or sand. Since clay was what we had on hand today, it's what we used. The boys smoothed the sides, and pressed a large dent deeper and deeper into the center. I helped pinch up the edges until we were happy with the shape of our mountain. I poured a bit of baking soda into the bottom.

It was time for our eruption to begin! I set out some safety goggles and Y chose to wear his lab coat as well. S discovered he has a unique talent for getting baking soda and vinegar into his eyes last week, so safety goggles are not a bad idea here! We found these at our dollar tree in the hardware/auto care aisle. I filled a couple of empty condiment bottles with vinegar dyed orange with food coloring. I also filled a small container and added a couple of pipettes. The boys got busy with the squeeze bottles first, watching it bubble higher and higher in the volcano until our lava ran right over top!

I can tell you, I've done this experiment many times in my life and it's still fun and exciting! Baking soda and vinegar are inexpensive, easy to obtain and I often call it "self-cleaning" science--it does have a tendency to bubble over, but it likely won't damage your surfaces or clothing. We used a clear plastic file bin to contain the science residue and you can also opt to take this outdoors if the thought of an indoor explosion seems over the top.

 Happy Playing!

This experiment is great for a rainy day. It's a sure to impress an audience if you need an activity for a playgroup, classroom or birthday party. It's budget friendly and pretty fail proof. And the best part? You can do fizzy science again and again and again and it's still fun every time! S and Y have both already requested more fizzy science experiments next Monday--so we'll be back with more! Until then...

Clay Play!

Often when we think about using clay with children, especially young children, we conjure up images of colorful modeling compounds, playdough, maybe even other types of homemade or store bought doughs and sensory materials. Indeed, we have dug our hands into a number of types of doughs and clays here, but there is something truly special and unique about using real clay with children.

Real clay comes from the earth. It is cold to the touch. It is heavy and viscous and requires very strong fine motor skills and strength to manipulate. It can be dry and crumbly and with the addition of water, revived to silky and smooth and malleable. It is most often found in shades of grey, off-white or brown/terra cotta--not the bright and bold primary colors we usually think of when using clay with young children. It is messy. It is glorious. It is truly unique! And while we most often associate real clay with larger hands and "finished products," its use with smaller hands is all about the experience and exploration.

I am forever looking for ways to creatively use our sensory table at home. The boys both love to spend time here individually as well as together. And many of our play activities here could be repeated again and again. I especially liked the results of our side by side set up last week using smaller bins within the table for kinetic sand and kinetic rock. I decided to leave this particular structure and introduce two side by side invitations to explore with clay. One benefit to the smaller bins here is the ability to close up shop and keep the clay from drying out. Another is the ability to transport to a table or even outside now that last week's frigid temperatures have given way to sunny days of 60 and 70 degree weather. The results of this setup were nothing short of phenomenal to watch and even join in on!

When using clay with young children, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Little hands use little bits. Real clay can be pricey. The small bin or a small tray setup allow for a designated work-space and can also help navigate how much clay to use. Remember, the small blob in the middle may look meager to you, but less is more with little hands. Clay is a harder material to manipulate than typical playdoughs designed for young children. They will likely need to break off even smaller pieces to manipulate and mold. Alternatively, you can prep small clay balls or slabs in advance--however, I encourage you to also include your able bodied and eager little ones in the process of discovering how to divide up a larger blob into smaller ones. 
• Offer less at first; add more later. When it comes to clay, I first introduce it alone. No tools, no add-ins. The exploration stage is so incredible with our youngest sculptors that nothing else is needed. Then, I might add in some simple tools, perhaps a small jar of water (water + clay = AMAZING). Perhaps next you will add in some loose parts, natural materials, small toys... 
• Address the mess: If the messiness of this activity is overwhelming, you may wish to use clay in a sensory table or over a drop cloth on your own table/floor. You might even feel most comfortable taking it outdoors to work with. If you or your children are uncomfortable with your hands being covered in clay, having clean up options like wet rags or a basin of water or proximity to a sink can help.
• Process over product: I encourage you and your young sculptors to follow your whim--if creating something to be permanent feels right, air drying and displaying the results can be lovely. Many times, however, our clay play is more about the process and experience of exploring with it. Then, when you are done, seal it in a bag or air tight container and store for future use.
• Think outside of the box and allow children to explore clay not just with their hands but with their feet! Take a blob outside on a warm sunny day, take off your socks and shoes, and discover the unique feeling of cool, wet clay squishing through your toes!
• Follow their lead and join in! I invite you to sit back and observe child's play with clay. It is truly an extraordinary experience to see--and also an extraordinary one to join in on. Get your own hands dirty and dig right in. 

If you are new to using clay with children or just looking for some more inspiration, I love the article Clay: Don't Forget the Explore Stage at Fairy Dust Teaching and for those using clay in a large group or classroom setting, read Never Stress During Clay Again on the art of education University

There are many ways to explore with clay. You can keep it very open ended and child-led in this way or you can work with more directed projects, such as introducing pinch pots, experimenting with prints and stamping in clay using loose parts and so much more... Start off simple and see where it goes. It's also something worth bringing out on repeated occasions, even after a bit of a hiatus. And if the idea of having an open clay exploration station in your home or classroom is overwhelming or impractical, have it stored away for times and spaces that do work for you. Stay tuned for future posts on clay play and until then...

Focus in on the cute little dudes engaged in clay play and not the enormous pile of stuff
on the dining room table in the background....

Happy Playing!