Children crave knowledge and explanations for things since the day they’re born. They may not fully understand what you’re saying, but that seed is planted in their fast-growing brain. At this point, your children are back to school but who says the learning needs to stop once they sign off or come home for the day? Now it’s time for a hands-on type of learning! From making their own slime to melting down crayons to create a masterpiece, you can turn every project into a fun lesson they’ll never forget! Here are a few favorites that we know your kids will love!
Image courtesy of KiwiCo Corner
Cornstarch Slime: A few months back slime was taking over the kids section of the internet. It’s a fascinating mixture that acts like a liquid, but it feels solid when you press into it. With this simple recipe, you’ll only need four ingredients which are two cups of cornstarch, a cup of water, food coloring of choice, and a Ziploc baggie. Add the cornstarch to the baggie and a few drops of food coloring to the water. Next, add the water to the baggie with the cornstarch and mix until it’s a runny cake batter. Add another tablespoon of water if you notice if it’s too thick. Playing around with it, you’ll be able to feel how solid the mixture becomes when you’re applying pressure and how liquidy it is without that same pressure.
Image courtesy of KiwiCo Corner
Chain Reaction with Craft Sticks: With chain reactions, one little nudge can set the whole thing in motions. Dominos is the most common way to show a chain reaction, but craft sticks are even better, and they can be reused for other projects down the road. We recommend using at least 15-20 craft sticks depending on how long you want the chain to be. Starting with an X with two craft sticks add the third one underneath the top corner almost like you’re weaving it in. Make sure you keep a hold of the X to keep its shape. Add the fourth stick under the bottom corner and over the third stick. Continue on with the under/over method until you’ve reached your desired length. Grab the first stick of the X and watch your creation unfold!
Image courtesy of KiwiCo Corner
Melted Crayon Art: This one’s fun and a little messy, but should be supervised depending on the age of your child. Did you know crayons can melt like a candle? Their two main ingredients are paraffin wax and pigment to get their gorgeous colors. This means they can be melted down like a candle. For this project, you’re going to need a canvas, school glue, extra paper to protect the surface underneath the canvas, a blowdryer, and crayons. Peel off the paper on the crayons and glue them in whatever pattern. We recommend having the pointy end facing down so help guide the melted wax. Once the surface is covered, use the hot air of the blow dryer to help melt the crayons down the canvas to create a beautiful art piece.
