Ooey, Gooey, Kablooey - Franklin Institute · Slime Salt Painting Elephant toothpaste 11:00...

Ooey, Gooey, KablooeyTheme:

Clean Messes Color Science Squishy Science Separating / Don't Mix Kablooey Messes

9:00 Introductions and Name Games

Story Time: Mouse Paint (Ellen Stoll Walsh)

Story Time: Too Much Glue: (Jason Lefebvre)

Story Time: Mix It Up (Herve Tullet)

Story Time: Froggy Bakes A Cake (Jonathan

London)9:30 Story Time: Bubble

Trouble (Margaret Mahy) Mouse Paint Oobleck Wave Bottles High Five Yeast Glove

10:00Snack Snack Snack Snack Snack

10:30Bubbles and Wands

Chromatography Butterfly Slime Salt Painting Elephant toothpaste

11:00 Movement Game or Free Play

Movement Game or Free Play




11:30Bubble Painting Salad Spinner Art Colorful Gel Crystals Milk Soap Fireworks Fizzy Colors

12:15 Lunch / Recreational Activities

Lunch / Recreational Activities




1:30Shaving Cream Marbling

Color Mixing

Floam Lava Lamp Alka Rockets

2:00Clean Mud Water Bead Squish Ball Messy activity catch up Kablooey Tag

2:30 Wrap up/ Clean up Wrap up/ Clean up Wrap up/ Clean up Wrap up/ Clean up Wrap up/ Clean up

3:00 Pickup Pickup Pickup Pickup Pickup

Additional Books:

Mudkin (Stephen Gammell)

Ain't Gonna Paint No More

(Karen Beaumont)

Oooey, Gooey, KablooeyBig Messy idea: Science is messy, but those messes have a lot to teach us.

Day Theme Why?

Monday Clean Messes Messes require teamwork to make, understand, and/or clean up.

Tuesday Color ScienceMesses can help us be creative, scientists need to be very creative to help them solve

problems or answer questions.

Wednesday Squishy ScienceSometimes, messes are mistakes. Scientists need to make mistakes sometimes too. So long as we all learn from those mistakes, they are an important step in the scientific

process.

Thursday Separating / Don't Mix

Taking a minute to observe a mess may get you thinking and asking questions. Scientists are always asking questions.

Friday Kablooey Messes Messes can be surprising and unexpected which can ignite your curiosity to figure out what happened and how you can make it happen again.

Big Chemistry ideas:Chemistry is about the properties of materials and the reactions that can change them.- There are different kinds of "stuff" (matter) that have different properties (color, texture, etc.)- When you mix things together, different things can happen (mixing, not mixing, changing color, making bubbles, etc.)

Table of Contents Ooey, Gooey, Kablooey

Theme Activity Name

Clean Messes Bubbles and Bubble Wands

Bubble Painting

Shaving Cream Marbling

Clean Mud

Color Science Mouse Paint

Chromatography Butterfly

Salad Spinner Art

Color Mixing

Squishy Science Oobleck

Slime

Colorful Gel Crystals

Floam

Water Bead Squish Ball

Separating / Don't Mix Wave Bottles

Salt Painting

Milk Soap Fireworks

Lava Lamp

Kablooey Messes High Five Yeast Glove

Elephant Toothpaste

Fizzy Colors

Alka Rockets

Kablooey Tag

BUBBLES AND BUBBLE WANDS ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grades TIME FRAME: 15 - 20 minutes to prepare solution;

30 - 40 minutes for wands and exploration

SUMMARY: Children will explore different properties of

bubbles including size, shape, and color.

Children will investigate and compare different

methods for creating soap bubbles.

MATERIALS: ● 12 cups warm water

● 1 cup blue Dawn dish soap

● 1 cup cornstarch

● 2 tablespoons baking powder

● 1 tablespoon glycerin

● Large bucket

● Large spoon for stirring

● Cups with lids (1 per child)

● Pipe cleaners (1 - 3 per child)

● Straight drinking straws (2 per child)

● Cotton string or yarn (40” - 60” per child)

● Small bins for holding bubble solution (4 - 5 per class)

● Paper towels

PREPARE AHEAD: Prepare some bubble solution in advance. Letting it rest for 12 - 24 hours before using is

ideal. Cut string to lengths 6-8 times longer than the length of the drinking straws.

Best bubble solution:

1. Put half the water in a bucket and vigorously stir in the cornstarch until

dissolved. Mix in the rest of the water and baking powder until it is all

combined.

created by THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

2. Add the soap and glycerin to the water mixture. Stir with a big spoon. Don’t

stir fast enough to make suds or foam in the bucket.

3. Let the bubble solution sit for an hour or more before using. Stir it gently

again for at least two minutes before making bubbles/ dividing into individual

bubble cups.

ENGAGE: Who has played with bubbles before? How do you make bubbles? How do you think we

can make bubbles last longer? What kind of bubble wand makes the best bubbles? What

shape are bubbles? Can you make one that is a different shape? We are going to try three

different types to see how to make the best bubble.

SAFETY NOTES: Blowing bubbles indoors can create slippery floors. If activity cannot be done outdoors,

only use the smaller bubble wands, and lay down newspapers or kraft paper. Giant

bubbles should only be made outside.

PROCEDURE: Small bubble wands

1. Demonstrate how to bend a pipe cleaner into a bubble wand shape. Encourage

children to make shapes other than circles like squares, hearts, and stars. Ask

them to predict what kinds of bubbles their wand will make.

2. Dip bubble wand in solution and blow bubbles. Ask them what shape their

bubble turned out.

Giant bubble maker

1. Give each child two straws and a length of string.

2. Thread the string through both straws.

3. Tie the string in a knot. Slide the knot inside one of the straws. Create a

rectangle shape with the bubble maker, using the straws as handles for the

hands.

4. Dip the entire bubble maker in a bin of bubble solution. Hold it up and let the

wind make the bubble, or move the bubble maker through the air to get the

bubble formed. What is the best way to create bubbles with this bubble

maker?

Hand bubbles


1. Using a bin of bubble solution, let campers use their hands as bubble wands.

What shapes can they make with their hands to create the best bubbles? Can

they do it with one hand? Both hands?

2. If campers are having trouble, show them the triangle method: form a triangle

by putting their thumbs and forefingers together with their hands spread out.

Instruct them to dip their hands in bubble solution, lift them up, and carefully

blow into the triangle to form a bubble.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Challenge children to make different bubble solutions by varying the ingredients and

comparing them. How are the bubbles different if the solution has less soap? More soap?

No glycerin or cornstarch?

TIPS FOR SUCCESS: The bubble solution will work best as it ages. Making it the day before is ideal so it can sit

for 24 hours. When it comes time to blow bubbles, don’t give up right away. Usually after

a few rounds the bubble solution is mixed up and works better. If the solution gets too

foamy, it won’t work as well, but once it has time to settle will go back to being able to

make bubbles.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? ● The strong mutual attraction of water molecules for each other is known as

surface tension. Normally, surface tension makes it impossible to stretch the

water out to make a thin film. Soap reduces the surface tension and allows a film

of water to form, sandwiched between two layers of soap. ● Because of surface tension, a soap film always pulls in as tightly as it can, just like

a stretched balloon. A soap film makes the smallest possible surface area for the

volume it contains. If the bubble is floating in the air and makes no contact with

other objects, it will form a sphere, because a sphere is the shape that has the

smallest surface area compared to its volume.

● The rainbow of colors seen in soap bubbles is due to reflected light waves: some

light reflects off the outer surface, some light enters the film and reflects off the

inner surface, and some light will bounce between the two layers of soap several

times before being reflected out again. Depending on the thickness of the soap

film. different wavelengths of light will undergo constructive or destructive

interference as they cross the film. This means that the color we see will vary with

the thickness of the bubble wall – you will notice that the recipe with cornstarch is

thicker and consequently produces more vivid colors.


BUBBLE PAINTING

ACTIVITY TYPE: Art activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will create a piece of art

while exploring the properties of

bubbles.

MATERIALS: ● Tempera paint (3 - 5 colors)

● Liquid dish soap or bubble

solution (1 small bottle per class)

● Plastic or paper cups, 8 - 12 oz (1 - 2 per child)

● Straws (1 - 2 per child)

● White paper, preferably thicker type such as construction paper or watercolor

paper (1 - 2 sheets per child)

● Trays to contain the mess (1 per child)

PREPARE AHEAD: Mix about 2 tablespoons of paint with 3 tablespoons of bubble solution in different cups.

Make enough cups, in a variety of paint colors, for each child to have one cup.

SAFETY NOTES: For younger children there may be a risk of inhaling through the straw and swallowing

the paint solution. The solution is not harmful in small amounts, but avoid this by

demonstrating how to safely blow through the straw and having them practice before

putting the straws in the paint.

ENGAGE: What are some different ways you have made bubbles? How do you make really big

bubbles? Really small bubbles? Have you ever made bubbles with a straw? What do they

look like? What shape is a bubble? What about when it pops?


We’re going to use straws to create a piece of popped-bubble art!

PROCEDURE: 1. Provide each child with a tray, paper, and 1 or 2 straws. Remind them not to share

or use someone else’s straw during the experiment.

2. Invite children to place a piece of paper on their tray. Then help them choose a

color of bubble solution, place it on a tray and place their straw in it.

3. Demonstrate how to blow into the cup, creating bubbles that rise over the top and

spill onto the paper. (This may get messy! )

4. Encourage them to notice what happens to the bubbles on the paper.

● What happens when they pop?

● What shapes do they leave behind? What patterns do they make?

5. Invite children to trade colors with each other and try again, adding another layer

of bubble prints to their artwork.

6. Challenge children to explore different ways to change the process, such as:

● Placing the cup at different locations on the paper

● Blowing hard or fast into the straw vs. slow and gently

● Blowing the bubbles just above the rim of the cup and placing the paper on

top of the bubbles to make a print.

7. Encourage children to make observations about the results of their changes:

● What do you notice about the bubbles now?

● What happened when you blew slowly instead of fast?

● What do you see in the places where once color is on top of another color?

● How does that look different from what you did before?

8. Set prints aside to dry.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Dip bubble wands into the paint solution and blow bubbles at the paper. This method is

quite messy and should be done outside, preferably on a tarp or dropcloth to prevent

staining sidewalks or other surfaces.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? A bubble is a pocket of air surrounded by a membrane made of a very thin layer of

liquid sandwiched between two layers of soap. Clusters of bubbles share common walls,

so the membrane is stretched between them, which can change the bubble’s shape.

In this case, we have colored the liquid and when the bubble pops, the colored liquid

from the bubble’s membrane is left behind!


SHAVING CREAM MARBLING

ACTIVITY TYPE: Art activity AUDIENCE: K - 2nd grade TIME FRAME: 20 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will create marbled pictures

using foamy, squishy, messy shaving

cream.

MATERIALS: ● Plastic lunch trays (1 per

child)

● Paper plates (1 - 2 per child)

● Foam (not gel-based) shaving cream (1 - 2 cans per class)

● Liquid watercolors, food coloring, or water-based craft paint

● Pipettes (1 - 3 per color)

● Cups or bowls for the paint or food coloring (1 per color)

● Paper (1 - 2 sheets per camper)

● Wooden craft sticks (1 - 2 per camper)

PREPARE AHEAD: If using craft paint, prepare cups of paint thinned with water to a runny, liquid

consistency.

SAFETY NOTES: Children will likely get shaving cream on their hands so remind them to keep their hands

away from their eyes and mouths.

ENGAGE: Where have you seen something that had foam in or on it? What do foamy things feel

like? What is foam made out of? What happens to foam if you squeeze it? Move it

around?


PROCEDURE: 1. Squirt shaving cream foam onto a plate or a tray for each child.

2. Invite children to choose two or three watercolors or paints and use pipettes to

drip them onto the foam. Encourage them to use the paint sparingly--too much

liquid will dissolve the shaving cream foam.

3. Show children how to use a craft stick to swirl the colors together and create a

marbled pattern. Instruct them to stop mixing while the colors are still in swirls.

4. Take a piece of paper and lay it over top of the foam in one of the swirly areas.

The paper will pick up the color and the foam.

5. Then invite children to take a popsicle stick and carefully scrape off the shaving

cream from the paper, leaving behind the painted pattern (see photo above). Set

the print aside to dry.

6. Children may continue mixing the remaining foam to create a new pattern, or

repeat with a fresh batch of foam.

● How do the paint and foam mix?

● How does it change with more mixing?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Try changing some of the variables and noticing how the process or mixture changes.

What happens with a lot of paint, and only a little foam? What if you use just one color?

What ways can you change how you swirl the mixture?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) substances repel water, and hydrophilic (“water-loving”)

substances attract water. Soap is an interesting substance that is both hydrophilic and

hydrophobic. A soap molecule looks a bit like a snake, in which the head is hydrophilic

and the tail is hydrophobic. This allows it to grab onto other hydrophobic substances like

grease and oil with one end, and attach to water molecules with the other, basically

“pulling” the grease and oil into the water.

Shaving cream is a foam composed of soap and air.The dyes in food coloring, liquid

watercolor, and water-based craft paint are all hydrophilic. When added to the shaving

cream, the food coloring can only interact with the hydrophilic heads of the soap

molecules and thus has limited mobility-- it mixes much more slowly than it would in

water. When paper is laid over the mixture, some of the dye is transferred to the paper

and gets trapped in the cellulose fibers, remaining behind when the shaving cream is

scraped away.


CLEAN MUD ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on

activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30

minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore the

properties of mixtures by

creating “mud” from soap

and toilet paper.

MATERIALS: (per class)

● 1 bar of Ivory soap

● 1 roll of toilet paper

● 1 cup warm water

● 1 or more cheese graters

● Large bowls for mixing (~1 per table or group)

● Smaller bowls for soap flakes and water (~1 per table or group)

● Plastic lunch trays (1 per child)

PREPARE AHEAD: You may want to grate some or all of the bar of ivory soap into shavings in advance; or

provide multiple graters to speed up the process.

ENGAGE: What does mud feel like? What is mud made of? What makes mud so messy? How could

we make something muddy and messy out of soap and toilet paper-- things we usually

use to get clean?

PROCEDURE: 1. Unroll the roll of toilet paper. The children can help with this and enjoy making a

mess by throwing and catching it around the room.


2. Give each child a section of the toilet paper. Place a large bowl at each table and

ask children to rip the toilet paper into tiny pieces in the bowl--the tinier the

better! Encourage them to continue until the entire roll is shredded.

3. If you haven’t grated the soap, ask some children to take turns helping you grate

the soap while others are shredding the toilet paper.

4. Distribute the soap flakes evenly into a smaller bowl for each table and distribute

the cup of warm water between them as well. (If you have divided the soap into

two containers, add ½-cup of water to each; if you have divided it into four, add

¼-cup of water to each, etc.)

5. Invite children to work together to mix their soap and water until it is slimy.

6. Help children add their soapy water to the bowl of ripped up toilet paper. Ask

them to use their hands to mix and mash the mixture together for several minutes

until they've transformed it into slippery, moldable, mushy clean mud! Add water

if needed to get the appropriate texture.

7. Divide the mud into portions and put one on a plastic tray for each child.

Encourage them to explore the texture of the mud and make observations about

it:

● What do you notice about this mud?

● Does this mixture look the same as the materials it came from? How is it the

same, and how is it different?

● How is this mud the same as other mud you’ve experienced? How is it

different?

● How does it behave if you flatten it? Squish it into a ball?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Try experimenting with the amounts and types of materials in the mixture. What

happens if you add more water? What happens if you have less soap? What if the toilet

paper pieces are bigger-- or what if you used paper towel instead of toilet paper?

How does the mixture change over time? Leave some mud sitting out and observe it over

several days to see how it changes.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? When toilet paper gets wet, it begins to break down into small, stringy fibers. As the soap

mixes in, it adds both a slippery texture that sticks the fibers together, and air bubbles

that keep the mixture from becoming too dense. Ivory soap is unique in that air is

whipped into the soap mixture allowing it to have a lighter density and fluffy texture.


MOUSE PAINT

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 2nd grade TIME FRAME: 10 - 20 minutes

SUMMARY: Students will observe the physical

properties of colored gel and explore color

changes caused by mixing.

MATERIALS: ● Book: Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

● Color mixing gel, 1 bottle each of red,

yellow, and blue (per class)

● Sandwich-size zipper bags (1 per child)

PREPARE AHEAD: To speed up the activity, write each child’s name

on a plastic bag with a marker in advance. (This

can also be done at the end or by the children.)

SAFETY NOTES: Mouse paint is non-toxic but (like most science experiments) should not be eaten.

ENGAGE: Read the book Mouse Paint together. What happens when the mice get into the paint?

What do they do that makes the paints mix? What different colors do they make?

PROCEDURE: 1. Show the three bottles of paint gel; ask the children to identify the colors.

2. Distribute zipper bags and squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons of each color into each

child’s bag. It works best to place one color in each corner and one in the middle.

3. Help the child carefully seal the bag so that little to no air is trapped inside.


4. Ask children what they think will happen if they mix the colors together. Can

they predict what new colors will be created? Refer back to the adventures of the

mice in the book.

5. Invite children to pinch and mix the colors together, blending the primary into

secondary colors. Encourage them to mix carefully and observe the colors they

make. Can they find orange? Purple? Green? Are there any other new colors in

their mixture?

6. Before the campers have mixed too thoroughly, encourage them to explore

different ways of looking at their bags.

● How do the colors look against the table? How do they look against a white

piece of paper?

● How do they look held up to a window or light source?

● How do the colors change or stay the same?

7. Most children will eventually squish the bag until the colors mix into a uniform

brownish. This is a good opportunity to talk about different kinds of mixing. Can

the gel colors be separated out again once they are mixed together? Are there any

things that can be mixed together and then separated back out? (E.g.: different

colored balls, different shaped blocks, etc.)

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? There are three primary colors: red, yellow,

and blue. If any two of those colors are mixed

you can make the secondary colors: orange,

green, and purple. If a primary color and a

secondary color or two secondary colors are

mixed, you can make tertiary colors. These

tertiary colors are usually called shades of

another color (red-orange, blue-green) or

more creative names (chartreuse, azure, etc.).


CHROMATOGRAPHY BUTTERFLY

ACTIVITY TYPE: Make-and-take AUDIENCE: K - 4th grades TIME FRAME: 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore the technique of

chromatography and observe a physical change

by separating and identifying the pigments in a

variety of black inks.

MATERIALS: ● Coffee filters (1 - 3 per camper)

● A variety of water-soluble (not permanent) black pens and/or markers (different

brands and types)

● Dropper or pipette (1 per camper)

● Paper towels

● Lunch trays or large paper plates (1 per camper)

● Cups of water (1 per camper)

● Chenille stems (1 per camper)

ENGAGE: What colors do you see on a butterfly? What if you wanted to make a butterfly with only

a black marker? Think about how you make black with ink or paint:you mix colors

together. Let’s see if we can find a way to separate those colors back out.

PROCEDURE: 1. Give each child a coffee filter and a tray.

Invite them to draw simple designs with the

different black markers. (Less is more –

simple lines, shapes, or spirals work better

than complicated designs.)

2. Instruct children to place the filter on a tray

and use the pipette to drop several drops of

water on the design.


3. Leave it out to dry and observe periodically.

● What is happening to the black designs?

● How are the different pens similar and different?

4. Once the coffee filters are completely dry, demonstrate how to turn them into

butterflies:

● Pinch the top and bottom together at the middle, creating a shape that

looks like a bow tie.

● Take a chenille stem and wrap it around the scrunched part of the coffee

filter.

● Twist the ends of the stem and position them to look like antennae.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Encourage children to try using different colored markers. Which ones separate into

more than one color? Which ones don’t? Are there any results that are surprising?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Chromatography is the process of separating the different chemicals in a mixture so

that they may be identified individually. There are many ways in which

chromatography is done; this activity relies on the fact that paper absorbs different

substances differently. The different pigments in the ink travel up through the paper at

different speeds and are separated, allowing them to be seen individually.

A “single color” ink pen or marker can be made up of a variety of other (surprising)

colors. This demonstrates a physical change because no new material is made; we are

simply separating the colors from one another. Like all physical changes, this one is (in

theory) reversible; the pigments could be collected and recombined to make the black

ink—but in this case it would be a fairly complicated process!


SALAD SPINNER ART

ACTIVITY TYPE: Art activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore color mixing,

forces, and circular motion while

creating a piece of art.

MATERIALS: ● Salad spinner (1 - 2 per class)

● Tempera paint, various colors

(slightly watered down)

● Pipette or dropper (1 per color per spinner)

● White watercolor paper (1 piece per child)

● Clear or masking tape

PREPARE AHEAD: Cut paper in circles to fit the bottom of the salad spinner; at least one sheet per camper.

Water down the paint so it easily squirts out of the dropper.

ENGAGE: What happens when you spin around in a circle? What happens to your hair or your

clothes? What direction do things go when spinning around?

Demonstrate how the salad spinner works. (You may wish to put some small scraps of

paper in the spinner to illustrate how it moves things.) What do you think might happen

if we put paint in the spinner?

PROCEDURE: 1. Place a paper circle in the bottom of the salad spinner and use 2 - 3 small pieces of

tape to hold it in place.


2. Have a camper pick out 3 colors and squeeze drops or lines of paint onto the

center of the paper. Quarter sized drops are a good start, but feel free to

experiment.

3. Ask for predictions about what will happen to the paint.

● How will the colors move?

● Which colors will go where?

4. Put the lid onto the salad spinner and crank it fast for 20 - 30 seconds. The

children can do this, but may need help getting it to go fast enough.

5. Take off the lid and observe the results.

● Were your predictions correct?

● Did anything interesting or unexpected happen?

● Were any new colors created?

6. Label the campers’ artwork with their names and set aside to dry.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Try thinning paints with different amounts of water before adding them to the paper.

How does this affect the resulting patterns?

TIPS FOR SUCCESS: This activity can be done as a class, even though only one child is making a piece at a

time; children often like to see others’ final results as they open the salad spinner.

However, some groups may have difficulty staying engaged through the process, so you

may want to have a second activity or game ready to occupy those who have finished or

are still waiting their turns.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? (Note: The actual physics of circular motion are complicated! This simplified description is

not completely accurate--for example, the spinner doesn’t actually “push” the paint--but it is

a useful way to introduce the basic concepts to young children.)

The way the paint moves on the paper depends on the pushes and pulls it feels (the

forces acting on it.) At first the paint only feels the pull of gravity holding it to the paper.

As the spinner begins to spin it gives the paint a push, that makes the paint want to move

toward the outside of the spinner. Then it’s a tug-of-war between the pull of gravity and

the push of the spinner to see what happens next:

● If the spinner is very slow, its push is much weaker than the pull holding the

paint to the paper, and the paint won’t move at all


● If the spinner is very fast, its push is much stronger than the pull holding the

paint to the paper, and the paint will move toward the outside of the spinner

● If the two forces are in balance, the paint will move--but in a circular path around

the center, making a ring or arc

The thickness (viscosity) of the paint affects how tightly it is held to the paper. The

thinner the liquid is, the weaker the pull against the paper, and the easier it is for the

push of the spinner to win the tug-of-war and move the paint across the paper.


COLOR MIXING

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Campers will observe physical changes

by mixing colored water solutions.

MATERIALS: ● Well plates, 24-well size (1 per

child)

● Color fizz bath tablets or food

coloring in primary colors

● Pipettes (3 per child or pair)

● Small cups (3 per child or pair)

● White sheets of paper (1 per child)

● Optional: pitchers (3)

● Optional: Plastic bin for dumping out water

PREPARE AHEAD: Make a pitcher of each color (red, yellow, and blue) by adding one or two larger color

fizz tablets (or however many are needed to get a good color) to a pitcher of water and

stirring until dissolved. Alternatively make individual color cups for each child by

adding one small color tablet to each cup of water.

ENGAGE: Review the primary colors. How many different colors do you think you can make with

just three colors?

PROCEDURE: 1. Give each child a well plate and a piece of white paper to put underneath. (The

paper will make the colors of their mixtures easier to see.)


2. Provide each child with a cup of each color (red, yellow, blue) and a pipette for

each cup. Alternatively, put two or three cups of each color on every table with

several pipettes in each cup for campers to share.

3. Demonstrate how to use the pipette to add some colored liquid to the well plate.

Invite campers to explore mixing colors together in their well plates.

● How many different colors can you make?

● What happens if you use the same amount of each color?

● What happens if you use a lot of one color and only a little of the other?

● What happens if you mix all three colors?

● Can you make more than one kind of green (or purple, etc.)?

4. Clean up by emptying the well plates into the sink and rinsing with water.

TAKE IT FURTHER: ● Challenge children to make as many shades of the same color as they can (green is

a good one).

● Encourage children to create “recipes” for different colors by counting how many

drops of each color they use (32 blue, 13 yellow, 5 red). Have them record their

recipes by putting a drop of the color onto a piece of white paper and writing the

numbers of drops beside it.

● Invite children to name their favorite color creations, the way that paint or nail

polish companies come up with their own unique names (i.e. “ robin’s-egg blue”

or “razz-a-ma-dazzle”), and create a class “recipe list” with the names and

formulas of their favorite colors.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? There are three primary colors: red,

yellow, and blue. If any two of those

colors are mixed you can make the

secondary colors: orange, green,

and purple. If a primary color and a

secondary color or two secondary

colors are mixed, you can make

tertiary colors. These tertiary colors

are usually called shades of another

color (red-orange, blue-green) or

more creative names (chartreuse,

azure, etc.)


OOBLECK


SUMMARY: Children will get messy exploring the properties of

a non-Newtonian fluid.

MATERIALS ● Cornstarch (½ cup per child, plus 8 - 10 cups

for oobleck pit)

● Water

● Spoons (1 per child)

● Bowls (1 per child)

● Long shallow container, such as plastic

underbed storage bin (1 per class)

● Tarp or dropcloth

● Bin or bucket for washing feet

● Paper towels

PREPARE AHEAD: For the oobleck pit, make the oobleck in advance to ensure it is the right consistency.

Start with a layer of cornstarch about 1”-2” thick, slowly add water mixing constantly.

The depth and amounts are dependent on the size of your pit container.

SAFETY NOTES: Be sure that campers are careful when entering and exiting the basins. Be sure that

campers have thoroughly dried their feet once they have rinsed them. Encourage

campers NOT to splash the water.

ENGAGE: We are going to get really messy playing with something called “oobleck”! What can you

tell me about liquids? What about solids? Can something be both?


PROCEDURE: Making oobleck:

1. Show the group the ingredients they will be using: water, a liquid, and

cornstarch, a solid. Discuss properties of these materials and what happens

when they touch them.

2. As a group, mix together the cornstarch and water. Start with the cornstarch

and add water slowly, a little bit at a time, until the mixture reaches a thick,

molasses-like consistency. If it is too watery, add more cornstarch. It should

feel stiff and solid when squeezed or poked, but ooze like a liquid when

released.

3. Ask children what they observe about this new substance. Do they think it is a

solid? A liquid? Let them play with the oobleck and experiment with its

properties.

4. (Optional) Allow campers to mix their own samples of oobleck and determine

the amounts of cornstarch and water needed. What ratio of cornstarch to

water creates oobleck? What if there is too much water? Too much

cornstarch? How do the mixture’s properties change?

Running across oobleck:

1. Have children remove their shoes and socks.

2. Remind children what they discovered about how oobleck behaves. Challenge

them to get across the oobleck pit without sinking in or getting their feet

messy.

3. Invite the first child to carefully step into the large container of oobleck and

explore moving their feet quickly or slowly as they walk across it.


4. Once the child has finished, have them step into the cleaning bucket and rinse

their feet, then carefully step out. Have them sit down to dry their feet and put

on their shoes and socks.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS: It is very easy to add too much water to Oobleck; just add a little bit at a time, then stir

really well. Stirring is best done with hands so you can feel that you are lifting the

cornstarch off the bottom of the container. Stir slowly so the oobleck remains as much

like a liquid as possible.

TAKE IT FURTHER: After allowing children to experiment with different oobleck recipes, decide as a class on

the “perfect oobleck recipe” and use it to make the oobleck for the oobleck pit.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? “Oobleck” (a word originally created by Dr. Seuss) is a mixture of cornstarch and water

that behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid. A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that doesn't

follow Newton's equations for liquids under pressure—in other words, it doesn’t behave

the way a normal liquid should. In a liquid, molecules can move freely, so when you

apply a force, like poking it with your finger, the molecules slide out of the way, letting

your finger through. In a solid, the molecules are tightly packed together and can’t move

past each other, so when you poke it, the molecules can’t go anywhere and resist the

force of your finger.

Oobleck is made up of solid particles of cornstarch suspended in water. A suspension of

small particles of one substance evenly distributed in another substance is called a

colloid. (Other examples of colloids are milk, shaving cream and fog.) When a small

force is applied, the cornstarch particles are able to slide past each other, and the oobleck

behaves like a liquid. When a greater force is applied, the cornstarch particles compress

together instead of sliding, and the oobleck resists the force like a solid.

Another common non-Newtonian colloid is quicksand. In the case of quicksand, the

liquid is water and solid particles can be sand, silt, or clay. If pressure is applied quickly

and briefly, the quicksand will behave like a solid, but if something like a person’s foot is

placed on it slowly, it will begin to sink.


SLIME ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 6th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Campers will explore polymers by creating

their own slime to take home.

MATERIALS: ● Small plastic cups, 5-8 oz. (1 per child)

● Craft sticks (1 per child)

● Plastic zipper bags, snack or sandwich size (1 per child)

● Plastic spoons (1 per child)

● White glue (~ ¼-cup per child)

● Water

● Green food coloring (optional)

● Borax (~ ¼ cup per class)

● Bottles or containers for Borax solution

PREPARE AHEAD: Create a saturated Borax (sodium tetraborate) solution by mixing ¼ cup of Borax with 1

quart of hot tap water and stirring well. Keep adding Borax until no more will dissolve.

Allow the mixture to cool before doing the experiment. A large batch may be made in

advance.

ENGAGE: Have you played with slime before? What does slime feel like? What can you do with it?

What other things can you think of that are like slime?

PROCEDURE: 1. Instruct children to measure 3 overflowing spoonfuls of glue into their cups.

2. Next, invite them to add 3 spoonfuls of water to the cup and a drop of food

coloring and then mix well with the craft stick until it is a consistent color.

3. Add one spoonful of the Borax solution to the glue mixture. Have children stir


again; it should begin to stick to the craft stick. Add more Borax solution if needed,

a little at a time, to get more “slime”.

4. Pull up the craft stick with all the slime stuck to it. Hold open a plastic zipper bag

and invite children to place the craft stick with slime into the bag. Then pinch the

bag together while pulling out the craft stick to get the all the slime off the craft

stick and into the bag.

5. Children may take the slime home; remind them to store it in the sealed zipper

bag to keep it from drying out.

ADAPTATIONS: For younger groups (PreK - K), you can always make one big batch all together in a large

bowl and divide it up, to allow children to play with more slime at once.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Try different “recipes” for slime by altering the proportions of ingredients. Invite

children to choose one variable to test and explore how it changes the consistency of the

slime. What happens if there is more glue? More Borax? More food coloring? Test

different properties and write them up: stretchiness, bounciness, goopiness, etc. Rate

them on a scale of 1 - 5.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Polymers are large molecules consisting of repeating identical structural units

(monomers) connected by covalent chemical bonds. (Poly- means "many" and -mer

means "part" or "segment". Mono- means "one".) So, polymers are made up of many

smaller molecules all attached together to form very long chains. Polymers can be

naturally occurring or manmade. Proteins, DNA, starches, and rubber are all naturally

occurring polymers. Man-made polymers include plastics like nylon, polyester, and

polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Jell-O, rubber bands, plastic soda bottles, sneaker soles, even

gum are all forms of polymers.

The glue and water mixture contains long chains of a polymer called polyvinyl acetate.

When you add the borax solution, it links the long polymer chains together, changing the

liquid into a slimy glob. This is an example of a crosslinked polymer. The long polymer

chains present in the glue are linked together by the borax, creating a stiffer, more

elastic polymer.


COLORFUL GEL CRYSTALS ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 15 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore how much water

some polymer crystals can absorb. They

will also learn about color combinations as

they create art.

MATERIALS: ● Clear tube with lid (1 per child)


● 3 bins or several large cups

● 3 clear plastic cups, 6 - 8 oz.

● Color Fizz bath tabs or food coloring

● Water absorbing gel crystals (for plants) (12-16 oz bag per class)

● Table covers

PREPARE AHEAD: Prep the gel crystals in advance: Dye pitchers of water using the fizz tabs or food

coloring. Add one teaspoon of gel crystals to every 1.5 cups of colored water. Reserve a

small amount of each colored water (2 - 4 oz) in a clear plastic cup for the opening


demonstration. Ideally, make three separate containers of crystals, one in each of the

three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

SAFETY NOTES: Gel crystals are non-toxic but should not be consumed.

PROCEDURE: 1. Cover tables for easy clean-up if doing indoors.

2. Show the group some dry gel crystals. Invite them to make predictions about what

will happen if you add water to them.

3. Add water to the crystals, a little at a time. Ask children to make observations

about what happens. How much water will the crystals absorb?

4. Show the group the bins of colored crystals and the cups of colored water.

● How are they the same? How are they different?

● What will happen if we mix the colors of water together?

● What if we mix the colors of crystals together? Will it be the same or different?

What makes you think that?

5. Mix some of the colored water and see if children’s predictions were correct. Then

invite them to test their predictions about the crystals themselves.

6. Give each child a clear tube and invite them to add layers of different colored

crystals to their tube. Close the lids and tape shut if needed.

7. Encourage children to make predictions about how the colors will change (or not)

in their tubes:

● What will happen to the color of layers that touch each other?

● Will layers in the order red-yellow-blue blend in the middle to create a

rainbow?

● If they use a lot of one color and not another, what will happen to the overall

color of the tube?

8. Observe the tubes over time (either in the classroom or at home) and invite

children to share how their observations match their predictions.

TAKE IT FURTHER: ● Allow children to play with the gel crystals. Place in bins outside or on a covered

surface and allow for squishing and touching. Use the gel crystals for imaginative

play and provide spoons and bowls for mixing and scooping and creating their

own gel crystal mixtures.


● Invite children to investigate the properties of the absorbent polymer. How much

water can one spoonful of crystals absorb? What happens if the crystals are left

out in an uncovered container instead of a covered one?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? These crystals are made from a super-absorbent polyacrylamide polymer. Placed in

water, they absorb many hundreds of times their own weight and become virtually

invisible.

When you first look at the Rainbow Tube, the color mixing is caused by light passing first

through one color and then through the other. After a day or two (if you’ve really stuffed

the tube), you’ll see the new color bands (purple or green) getting wider. The colored

water in the blue crystals mixes with the colored water in the yellow crystals and makes

green colored water. The gel takes the new color and you have a green crystal.


FLOAM

ACTIVITY TYPE: Make-and-take AUDIENCE: K - 6th grade TIME FRAME: 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will get messy making a slimy polymer

filled with foam beads.

MATERIALS: ● ¼ cup Borax

● Hot water

● Squeeze bottles (2 - 3 per class)

● White school glue (2 - 4 oz per child)

● Polystyrene beads, 2 - 4 mm size (~½ cup per child)


● Food coloring

● Plastic cups (1 per child)

● Craft sticks (1 per child)

● Zipper sandwich bags (1 per child)

PREPARE AHEAD: Create a saturated Borax (sodium tetraborate) solution by mixing ¼ cup of Borax with 1

quart of hot tap water and stirring well. Mix in more Borax if needed. Keep adding Borax

until no more will dissolve. Allow the mixture to cool before doing the experiment. A

large batch can be made far in advance. Divide the solution into squeeze bottles.

SAFETY NOTES: Borax is a powdered detergent. Inhaling the powder or getting the solution in your eyes

can be irritating, but no more than other soap powders.

ENGAGE: What do you like about slime? What kind of things does slime do when you play with it?

Slime is a kind of polymer. What are some other polymers? What might happen if we

mixed two different polymers together?


PROCEDURE: 1. Have children measure 4 large spoonfuls of glue into their cups. The key is to get

large, overflowing spoonfuls.

2. Instruct children to add 4 spoonfuls of water to the cup and 2 - 3 drops of desired

food coloring. Mix well with the craft stick until the color is uniform throughout.

3. Ask children to carefully pour the glue mixture into a zipper bag. Add about ½ cup

of polystyrene beads to the bag. Close the bag and mix well, covering the beads as

fully as possible with the glue.

4. Have children open the bag back up and add 2 spoonfuls of the Borax solution.

Close the bag back up and mix well. If the floam mixture is still liquid, add more

Borax solution until a thick, slimy consistency is reached.

5. Invite children to compare the floam to other slime mixtures they have seen. How

is it similar or different?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE?

● Polymers are large molecules consisting of repeating identical structural units

(monomers) connected by covalent chemical bonds. (Poly- means "many" and

-mer means "part" or "segment". Mono- means "one".) So, polymers are made up

of many smaller molecules all attached together to form very long chains.

Polymers can be naturally occurring or manmade. Proteins, DNA, starches, and

rubber are all naturally occurring polymers. Man-made polymers include plastics

like nylon, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

● Slime is an excellent example of a crosslinked polymer. Long polymer chains in

the glue are linked together by the borax, creating a stiffer, more elastic polymer.

● The foam beads are made of a man-made plastic called polystyrene. Tiny gas

bubbles blown into the polystyrene create a foam—Styrofoam—which is squishy

and can be molded into tiny beads or shaped into cups and other containers.

● These two polymers don’t chemically change or react with one another when

combined into floam—they just create a mixture with a very interesting texture!


WATER BEAD SQUISH BALL

ACTIVITY TYPE: Make-and-take AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will investigate the properties of the

super-absorbent polymer in water beads as

they make a squishy toy to take home.

MATERIALS: ● Polymer examples (optional, 1 of each

per class)

○ Large ball of putty

○ Racquet balls

● Absorption examples (1 of each per

class)

○ Large container of sand

○ Sponges

○ Water

○ Pipettes

● Balloons or non-latex gloves in case of allergies (1 - 2 per child)

● Water beads (~2 g dry beads or 1 cup hydrated beads per child)

● Large bin or bucket for hydrating water beads

● Plastic or paper cups, 8 - 12 oz (1 per camper)

● Wide-mouth funnels* (1 per child)

*These can be made by cutting off the top ⅓ of a plastic soda bottle

● (Optional) Time-lapse video of water bead growth

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otRU_xkQNJA)

PREPARE AHEAD: ● Prepare the water beads at least 6 hours, and preferably 24 hours, in advance. To

prepare the beads, place them in a large container and add 2 cups of cold water

for every teaspoon of dry beads. After 24 hours, drain off any excess water and

portion the wet beads into individual cups for each child.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otRU_xkQNJA

● If you don’t have funnels, cut the top off the plastic water bottles to make them.

SAFETY NOTES: Be aware of any latex allergies in your classroom. The activity can be modified to use

non-latex gloves instead of balloons.

ENGAGE: ● What happens to water when you wipe it up with a sponge?

● What happens to rain when it hits your clothes on a rainy day? How is that

different than when it hits an umbrella or a tarp?

● Have you ever wondered how diapers work?

PROCEDURE: 1. Use the questions above to start discussing absorption. Discuss sponges, clothing,

and paper as examples of things that we use that are absorbent.

2. Invite children to drop water on the sponges and/or sand to see how they absorb

the water.

3. Show the group examples of the dry water beads and the hydrated water beads.

Invite children to touch the two samples.

● What do they feel like? How are they different?

● How could these beads be like the sponge or the sand?

4. Some children may be familiar with the beads, but be sure that they understand

the beads have already absorbed water. If possible, show the time-lapse video to

illustrate how the beads absorb water.

5. Hand out the balloons, hydrated beads, and funnels. Invite children to work with

a partner (or an adult): one partner holds the neck of the balloon around the

bottom of the funnel, while the other partner carefully pours the water beads into

the funnel.

6. Tie off the balloon and allow campers to squeeze and play!

7. Discussion:

● What do the squish balls feel like? What makes them fun to play with?

● What do you think the ball would be like if you used dry beads instead?

Would that be more fun or less fun? What makes you think so?

TAKE IT FURTHER: ● Fill an example balloon with water and one with dry beads (if available) and

invite children to compare them with their squish balls.


● Explore the process of absorption. Place some dry beads in a transparent

container of water. Mark the height of the beads in the cup. Invite the children to

observe the cup every hour or two and observe the changes. Make new marks on

the cup to show the beads’ height at each observation.

● Explore the process of dehydration. Give each child a hydrated bead on a piece of

paper towel. Invite them to use a pencil to trace around the bead on the paper to

show its size. (Assist with this if needed.) Introduce different conditions for

different beads: put some in a sunny window, cover some with a plastic cup, cover

some with a paper towel, etc. Check on the beads periodically over the course of a

day or two and invite children to compare the beads with their original outlines.

How do the beads change? Do all the beads behave the same way?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Absorption is the process by which a substance (like liquid water) is taken into and

spread throughout another form of matter (like a sponge).

Absorption happens with many things, but we will focus on absorbing water into things

like sponges, sand, and water beads. While a sponge will absorb water very quickly,

polymers like those in the water beads will take a longer time to absorb. However, they

can take up much more water in comparison to their size. We call polymers like these

super-absorbent polymers.

A polymer is a large molecule (macromolecule) composed made of repeating units.

Although the term polymer is sometimes taken to refer to plastics, it actually

encompasses a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a wide variety of

properties.

Super absorbent polymers can be used for many modern uses. Polymers similar to those

we use in this activity can be found in many forms of diapers. This is why diapers can

hold so much liquid volume. Water beads were originally intended to be used with soil.

After they absorb water, if they are left out away from a water source, they will leak

water and eventually shrink in size. Therefore, gardeners could grow plants using water

beads by placing them into the soil: over time the beads will leak water back into the soil

to be absorbed by roots from plants.


WAVE BOTTLES ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on

activity AUDIENCE: K - 2nd grade TIME FRAME: 15 - 20 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore how

waves move, and how oil

and water do not mix.

MATERIALS: ● 8 - 12 oz plastic water bottles with labels removed (1 per child)

● Water

● Blue food coloring

● Clear baby or mineral oil (~4 - 6 oz. per camper)

● Funnels (2 - 3 per class)

● Packing tape or duct tape for sealing bottle lids

ENGAGE: Have you ever seen waves at the beach? How do they move? What’s the biggest wave

you’ve ever seen? What are some other ways you’ve seen water move? What did it look

like?

PROCEDURE: 1. Fill a plastic bottle about 2/3 of the way with water for each child. Add blue food

color to the water and swirl.

2. Help children use the funnels to fill the remainder of the bottle with clear mineral

oil. Fill it all the way so that no air remains when the bottle is capped. Cap tightly.

Wrap with tape if desired to seal the opening.

3. Invite children to set the bottles down horizontally on the table, then tilt the

bottles from side to side slowly.

● What do you notice?

● What happens when you tilt the bottle?


4. Encourage children to try moving the bottles in different ways, such as rolling, or

tilting one side up before the wave reaches it to see it reverse directions. Ask them

to make observations about what they see.

● What happens when you tilt it? When you roll it?

● What if you shake it up?

● How can you make big waves? Tiny waves?

● Do the water and oil ever mix together?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Add a layer of sand, small objects, and/or glitter, if available, and observe what happens

to the sand on the bottom of the ocean, or objects that float on the surface.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Ocean waves are caused by wind moving across the surface of the water. The friction

between the air molecules and the water molecules causes energy to be transferred from

the wind to the water. This causes waves to form.

Water and oil don’t mix because of their polarity, or the way electrical charge is spread

across their molecules. Polar substances, like water, are attracted to other polar

substances, while nonpolar substances, like oil, mix with other nonpolar substances.

However, polar and nonpolar substances do not mix with each other. When you shake

up oil and water, they initially get mixed together, but immediately the bits of water start

joining up with other bits of water, and the bits of oil start joining other bits of oil, until

eventually the two substances separate completely again.

When the two layers separate, the oil always ends up on top because of its density. Oil is

less dense than water, so it will float on top of the water in the same way a piece of wood,

plastic, or other less dense object would float.


SALT WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 2nd grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Campers will discover the absorbent properties

of salt while they create watercolor paintings.

MATERIALS: ● Construction paper, light colored (1 - 2 pieces per child)

● Lunch trays (1 per child)

● Watercolor paint sets (1 set per 2 - 3 children)

● Paintbrushes (1 per child)

● Cups for water (1 per child)

● Several different types of salt – table salt, rock salt, sea salt, kosher salt

● Small cups or bowls for holding salt (1 per salt type per table)

● Paper or plastic table covers

PREPARE AHEAD: Prepare small containers of the different types of salt for each table or group of campers.

This activity can be messy--cover tables with paper or plastic to contain the mess.

ENGAGE: What do you know about salt? What happens when you mix salt with water? Show

different kinds of salt and demonstrate mixing them with water for campers to observe.

Have you ever tasted salt water? What is it like? What happens in the winter when you

put salt on the sidewalks? How is that similar to or different from what just happened

when we mixed salt in water? Let’s see what happens when we add salt to a painting

project!

PROCEDURE: 1. Distribute a lunch tray to each child and put containers of the different salt types

on each table. If necessary, remind children that this salt is for science and not

safe for eating!


2. Demonstrate how to take a pinch of salt from the container and put it on the tray.

Encourage children to take a pinch of each type of salt and look at them carefully.

How are they the same? How are they different?

3. Help children empty the salt from their trays and place a piece of construction

paper onto the tray.

4. Distribute paints, brushes, and cups of water. If necessary, demonstrate how to

mix water into the watercolor paints. Encourage children to create a painting

covering as much of the paper as possible. They should use plenty of water on the

brushes--the painting needs to stay wet for the next step.

5. Invite children to add pinches of different kinds of salt to different areas of their

painting. Ask them to make observations about what happens.

● Does the salt mix with the paint?

● Are there any differences between types of salt or areas of the painting?

6. Leave the paintings (or carefully move them to a safe location) for 10 - 15 minutes,

then check on them again.

● What changes do you notice?

● What different things have happened to the salt and the paint?

● Where did they mix, and where did they not mix?

7. When paintings are fully dry, help children dump or gently brush the salt off the

paper and onto the tray. Have them observe the crystals as they did at the

beginning. What do they look like? Do any of them look different? How did the

salts change the painting? How did the paint change the salt?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Try this experiment with craft paint or food-colored water instead of watercolors. Does

the salt have the same effect? Or, try using a different solid powder such as baking soda

instead of the salt. How is it the same or different?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? All different kinds of salt are the chemical sodium chloride (NaCl). The types differ

mainly by the size of the crystals and the other minerals or impurities that are stuck to

the salt.

Salt and water are very good at mixing together. If there is a lot of water and a little salt,

the salt will dissolve in the water. If there is a lot of salt and only a little water, the salt

will absorb some of the water. The larger the salt crystal is, the more water it can absorb

before beginning to dissolve instead.


In the watercolor paintings, different effects may occur depending on the type of salt

crystal and the wetness of the paint:

● Large crystals may absorb some of the paint, leaving starry patterns on the paper,

and possibly coloring the salt crystals.

● Small crystals in very wet areas may dissolve and seem to disappear-- but they

may reappear as the painting dries and the water evaporates.


MILK-SOAP FIREWORKS

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 8th grade TIME FRAME: 15 - 20 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore the interaction between soap and milkfat as they create a swirling

display of color.

MATERIALS: ● Styrofoam bowls (1 per camper)

● Whole milk (4 - 6 oz per camper)

● Liquid food coloring, variety of colors

● Toothpicks

● Dish soap (one bottle per class)

● Small cups to hold the dish soap (1 per 3 - 4

children)

SAFETY NOTES: Allergy concern: milk. Children will not drink it but may come into contact with it.

Check for milk allergies and take necessary precautions.

ENGAGE: What do you think milk is made of? How do you clean dirty dishes? Do you think that

soap and fat mix together easily?

PROCEDURE: 1. Distribute bowls to each child. Pour enough milk into the bowl so that the bottom

is completely covered.

2. Invite children to add a few different drops of food coloring (2 - 3 drops per bowl)

to the bowl. Remind children not to touch or stir the milk, just let the food coloring

fall where it does.

3. Distribute containers of dish soap and toothpicks.


4. Invite children to dip the end of the toothpick into the dish soap. Only a very small

amount of dish soap is needed.

5. Have children very carefully touch the toothpick to

the food coloring in the milk and hold the toothpick

in place for a moment. What happens?

6. Encourage children to dip the toothpick in the soap

again and repeat. What happens?

7. Questions for discussion:

What happened when the soapy toothpick was

touched to the milk?

Which direction(s) did the colors move?

What do you think made the coloring in the milk move around?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Repeat the experiment, exploring different variables, such as:

● Placement of the food coloring--close together or spread out; in the center or at the

edge, etc.

● Amount of soap--toothpick vs. large drop, etc.

● Type of milk (materials permitting)--whole, skim, 2%, cream

● Type of soap (materials permitting)--hand soap, other brands of dish soap, etc.

How do these changes affect the movement of the colors? What other things can children

think of that might affect the results? The size of the bowl? The depth of the milk?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Dish soap is used to get grease (fats) off of dirty dishes. The chemicals in dish soap are

attracted to the fats that are on dishes, which helps to pull the fats off the dishes and into

the water. In this experiment, the food coloring scatters away from the dish soap because

of this attraction. The fat molecules in the milk bounce all around trying to get to the

soap. While bouncing around, the fats knock into the food coloring molecules, pushing

them out of the way. This movement of the food coloring molecules causes them to

spread out and create a firework-like display.


LAVA LAMP


SUMMARY: As a group, campers will create a lava lamp to

explore the physical properties of some

common liquids.

MATERIALS ● Empty 8 - 12 oz plastic water bottles (1

per child)

● Vegetable oil (6 - 9 oz per child)

● Water

● Color fizz bath tablets, or food coloring

and Alka-Seltzer tablets (1 per child)

● (Optional) flashlight

ENGAGE: We are going to make a lava lamp! Who has seen one before? What do you think the

blobs inside the lava lamp are? How do they move? Let’s see if we can find out.

PROCEDURE: 1. Invite children to create a lava lamp using the steps below:

2. Fill the plastic bottle ¼ full of water.

3. Fill it the rest of the way with vegetable oil, leaving about an inch of space at the

top.

4. Tilt or swirl the bottle gently.

● What do you observe about the oil and water? Do they mix together?

5. Open the lid and drop in one color fizz tablet. (DO NOT put the lid back on--the

pressure from the gas created might pop the lid off or cause the bottle to explode!)

● What do you notice happening?

● How is it different from putting a fizz tablet in just water?

6. Try putting a flashlight under the bottle to see what the lava lamp looks like now!


7. Watch the reaction over time. How does it change? If children want to create the

reaction again, they can use a piece of an Alka-Seltzer tablet or another color fizz

tablet to restart the reaction.

8. Note: If campers make individual lava lamps to take home, leave them sitting with

the lids off until the end of the day. Even after the visible bubbling has stopped,

small amounts of gas continue to be produced and can build up pressure if the lids are

on.

TAKE IT FURTHER: Ask campers what parts of the experiment they could change. What effects do they think

those changes might have? Choose one or two ideas and test them, such as

● Amounts of oil and water: just oil, just water, different ratios, etc.

● Amounts of fizz tablets or Alka-Seltzer

● Color of fizz tablets or food coloring

● Size or shape of container

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? This lava lamp depends on differences in the properties of water and vegetable oil. The

first property is polarity. Polarity refers to how electrical charges are spread out over

the molecules in a substance. Polar substances have an uneven distribution of charge, so

each molecule has a positively charged end and a negatively charged end. Nonpolar

substances have evenly distributed charges, and therefore no positive or negative ends.

Polar substances tend to only mix with other polar substances; nonpolar substances only

mix with other nonpolar substances. Water is polar and oil is nonpolar—this is why

oil and water don’t mix! They will each mix well with other things like themselves, but

will separate from each other.

The second property is density. Density is defined as the amount of mass in a given

volume of the substance—in other words how much “stuff” is in a certain amount of

space. An object that is less dense than its surroundings will float and an object that is

denser than its surroundings will sink. Oil is less dense than water, and so will tend to

float on top, while water sinks to the bottom.

When you drop the color fizz tablet into the bottle it sinks to the bottom (because it is

denser than either water or oil). Then it dissolves into the water and creates carbon

dioxide gas bubbles. The bubbles of gas rise from the bottom (because gas is less

dense than both water and oil), taking a little bit of the colored water with them to


the surface of the oil. Once the gas has escaped out of the top of the bottle the water

droplet will fall back through the oil layer to the water layer. The water droplets don’t

mix with the oil because of their difference in polarity. (Notice that the coloring in the

fizz tablets is also polar—it mixes with the water, but doesn’t color the nonpolar oil.)

How does a real Lava Lamp work?

A real lava lamp works on the same principle: changing the density of something so it

will float and then sink. It consists of two waxes, one slightly denser than the other,

whose polarity is different enough that they won’t mix.

The denser one is heated up by the lamp at the bottom, which makes it expand slightly

and become less dense so that it will float on the other one. It then floats to the surface--a

bit like a hot air balloon. At the top it begins to cool down and sinks back to the

bottom--where it heats up again, starting the process over.


HIGH FIVE YEAST GLOVE

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on demonstration AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 15 - 20 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will experience how gas can be produced

from yeast.

MATERIALS: (per class)

● 4 - 6 packets of active dry yeast

● 1 cup very warm water (105° F–115° F)

● 2 tablespoons sugar

● 1 stretchy disposable glove (latex-free)

● 1 - 2 rubber bands

● 1 small (20 oz or smaller) empty plastic soda or water bottle

● (Optional) Paper and drawing/writing utensils.

SAFETY NOTES: Use caution when handling the warm water. Children should not eat or drink the yeast

mixture.

ENGAGE: We eat bread all of the time, especially when we have Philly cheese steaks! Did you ever

wonder about how bread is made and about what makes dough rise? This activity will

show you what ingredients are used in bread-making to make dough rise.

PROCEDURE: 1. Stretch out the glove by blowing it up repeatedly and letting the air out, and then

lay it aside.

2. Add the packet of yeast and the sugar to the cup of warm water and stir.

3. Once the yeast and sugar have dissolved, pour the mixture into the bottle. Invite

children to make observations about what is happening in the bottle.

● What do you notice?

● What do you think is making that happen?


● What do you think is inside the bubbles? Where do you think they are going?

4. Ask children to predict what they think will happen if you cover the bottle. Then

attach the glove to the mouth of the bottle. Secure tightly with rubber bands and

set aside.

5. After several minutes, invite children to observe the bottle again.

● What changes do you notice?

● What do you think is making them happen?

● How does it compare to what you predicted would happen?

6. Observe the bottle together 1 - 2 more times and discuss any changes, until the

glove is fully inflated. Invite children to (gently) give the glove a high-five!

TAKE IT FURTHER:

● Ask children to draw the bottle and glove at each stage of their observations to

record its changes.

● Try the same experiment using hotter and colder water. Use a thermometer to

measure the temperature of the water. At what temperature is the yeast most

active? At what temperatures is it unable to blow up the glove? Also try it without

the sugar. Does it work?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE?

Yeast is a tiny, plant-like microorganism that exists all around us. As the yeast feeds on

the sugar, it produces a gas, carbon dioxide. With no place to go but up, this gas slowly

fills the balloon. A very similar process happens as bread rises. Carbon dioxide from

yeast fills thousands of balloon-like bubbles in the dough. Once the bread is baked, this is

what gives the loaf its airy texture.


ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE


SUMMARY: Campers will observe the action of a catalyst in speeding up a chemical reaction.

MATERIALS: ● 100 mL graduated cylinder (1 per child)

● 3% hydrogen peroxide (1 bottle per class)

● Liquid dishwashing soap (1 small bottle per class)

● Active yeast (1 packet or Tbsp per child)

● Warm water

● Food coloring

● Safety goggles (1 per child)


● Paper towels

● Timer

ENGAGE: Have you ever used hydrogen peroxide on a cut? What happened? Usually, that reaction

is too slow to see—unless something helps to speed it up. In this experiment, you will

observe the effect of a catalyst on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

SAFETY NOTES: This concentration of hydrogen peroxide is safe for children to handle; however,

children should wash their hands when they are done. Rinse with water if it comes in

contact with eyes. All materials are safe to wash down the sink.

PROCEDURE: 1. Children will work in pairs for this experiment. Give each pair a tray with a

graduated cylinder and distribute goggles to each child.


2. Have children mix one packet (1 Tbsp.) of active yeast with 3 tablespoons warm

water in a small cup, stir and set aside for about 5 minutes.

3. While waiting, fill the graduated cylinders with 35 mL of hydrogen peroxide.

4. Have children add a few drops of liquid soap and a few drops of food coloring.

5. Observe the solution for 30 seconds. Ask if they see any changes.

6. Have children pour a little bit of the yeast solution in the cylinder and start the

timer. How long does it take to see an effect?

7. Repeat the experiment with different pairs changing different variables: change

the water temperature in the yeast solution, or try not adding any soap. What

changes do they see? Record observations on paper or make a chart on the board

for campers to share their observations together.

TAKE IT FURTHER: This activity can lead into baking soda and vinegar reactions. Try the yeast version, and

then try mixing baking soda and vinegar and food coloring in the graduated cylinders to

observe the reactions as well.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? In many reactions two chemical compounds come together to create a new, different

compound; however, some reactions, called decomposition reactions, involve one kind

of molecule breaking down into new, smaller molecules.

The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2. It looks pretty similar to the

chemical formula for water, which is H20, except that hydrogen peroxide has an extra

oxygen atom. Hydrogen peroxide is not a very stable compound, so it is always

decomposing to water and oxygen gas, but under normal conditions, the reaction is so

slow that you can’t see it.

2H2O2 2H2O + O2 (gas)


A catalyst is a substance that isn’t changed or used up in a reaction, but makes the

reaction happen much more quickly. Usually this is because the catalyst changes the

pathway by which the reaction occurs. In this case, an enzyme in the active yeast

catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide. Adding the dish soap makes bubbles that

capture the oxygen produced in the reaction, creating the large amount of foam.


FIZZY COLORS

ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 20 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore colorful fizzing

reactions and practice science process

skills while learning about gases and

bubbles.

MATERIALS: ● Trays or pans with sides (1 per group of 2 - 4 children)

● Baking soda (1 16-oz box per group)

● Vinegar (6 -7 oz per cup)

● Cups, ideally paint-cups; 12 - 16 oz (3 - 4 cups per group)

● Food coloring or liquid watercolors

● Pipettes (1 per child)

● Clear soda straws (4 - 8 per group)

PREPARE AHEAD: Place a layer of baking soda in the tray. Divide vinegar into several cups and add food

coloring to each to create a variety of colored vinegars.

ENGAGE: What does fizzing sound like? Why do you think it sounds like that? Where have you

seen things that fizz before? What is inside bubbles?

SAFETY NOTES: Vinegar is a mild acid; while not harmful, it can irritate eyes or skin. Caution children not

to eat the baking soda/vinegar mixtures--they are non-toxic but the gases produced can

be uncomfortable!

PROCEDURE:


1. Divide the class into groups of 2 - 4. Give each group a tray of baking soda, several

cups of colored vinegar, and pipettes.

2. For younger groups, demonstrate how to use a pipette, and have them practice

this new skill.

3. Invite children to drop colored vinegar onto the baking soda and make

observations.

● What do you notice? What do you see, hear, or smell?

● How is the baking soda changing?

● What happens if you add just a drop of vinegar? A whole pipette-ful?

4. Introduce the straws and demonstrate how to move liquid with them by covering

the top of the straw with your finger. Invite children to practice this skill as

needed.

5. Ask the group to predict what will happen if they carry vinegar to the tray and

stick the whole straw in the baking soda. Remind them in advance that in science

it’s not important to be right, just to make your best guess!

6. Invite them to try it and test their predictions. (The reactions will take place in the

straw and should erupt out the top of the straw!)

● What do you notice this time?

● How is this different from using the pipette? How it it the same?

● Was your prediction correct?

7. Encourage children to continue exploring the interactions between the vinegar,

baking soda, pipettes, and straws. Challenge them to ask questions, make

predictions about what will happen, and try new things.

8. Invite children to share the results of their investigations with the group.

● What new thing did you discover?

● Did anything happen that surprised you? What was it?

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? Baking soda reacts with acids (such as vinegar) to produce a gas called carbon dioxide-

which is what is inside all those tiny little bubbles. The more gas that is created, the

more fizzing takes place. Something similar, but less explosive, happens when you bake

non-yeast breads. If the recipe includes baking soda (a base) and milk, orange juice, or

some other acidic liquid, you are creating a reaction that will cause bubbles in the batter.

(It might also use baking powder, which is a combination of baking soda and a powdered

acid that react when wet.) The bubbles are part of the reason why bread rises during the

baking process.


ALKA-ROCKET EXPLORATION ACTIVITY TYPE: Hands-on activity

AUDIENCE: PreK - 5th grade

TIME FRAME: 20 - 40 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will explore Newton’s Third Law of Motion with an antacid-powered rocket

launch.

MATERIALS: ● Fuji-style film canisters with airtight lids (1 per

child)

● Squeeze bottles for water, 16 - 24 oz (1 per 3 - 4

children)

● Alka-Seltzer (antacid) tablets (at least 2 tablets

per child)


● Goggles (1 per child)

● (Optional) timers or stopwatches (1 per 2 - 3

children)

● (Optional) Source of warm/hot water and cold/ ice water

● (Optional) for Exploded Art:

● Water-based craft paint, several colors

● Butcher paper or chart paper (~2 ft. per child)

● Outdoor area

PREPARE AHEAD: Fill water bottles with water. Break 8 - 10 antacid tablets into (approximate) quarters to

save time during the experiment.

For (optional) Exploded Art: Prepare squeeze bottles of paint by mixing about ⅓ paint to ⅔

water. It should have plenty of color but be very runny, just a little thicker than water.


SAFETY NOTES: Do not put your face, or allow children to put their faces, directly over the canisters while

waiting for them to launch. Goggles are to be worn at all times to protect against

unexpected projectiles.

ENGAGE: Think about a rocket. What makes it go? Usually when we think about rockets soaring

into space we think about the fire and smoke coming out of them. What direction is all

that energy and gas going when it comes out of the rocket? And what direction does the

rocket go in return? This is known as Newton’s Third Law of Motion: every action

creates an equal and opposite reaction. The gas goes down, which pushes the rocket up.

We can’t make fiery explosions, but let’s see if we can use a different kind of fuel to

provide the “push” to launch a rocket into the air.

PROCEDURE: Investigating the “rocket fuel”

1. Introduce the antacid tablets. Ask if anyone has seen them before or knows what they

do. Explain that they will be testing to see if this will make a good rocket fuel.

2. Distribute a tray, film canister, and piece of antacid tablet to each child. Invite

children to make observations about their piece of “rocket fuel.”

3. What does it look like? Feel like? Smell like?

4. Ask children to put their piece of tablet into the canister and add a small squirt of

water.

5. What do you notice about the mixture? What is happening?

6. Where do you think the bubbles are going when they come out of the water?

7. What do you think would happen if we put a tight lid on the canister so no bubbles

could get out?

Test launch

8. Invite the group to test the idea together. Have children put on their goggles and help

them fill their canisters about half-full of water.For younger groups, you may want to

have children practice putting the lid tightly on the canister a few times before

adding the tablet.

9. Distribute another piece of antacid to each child, but ask them to wait and do the


following steps all together:

● Drop the tablet piece in the canister.

● Put on the lid tightly. (Leave it right side up.)

● Stand back and watch!

10. Discuss the results of the test:

● What happened?

● Did something get launched into the air? What was it?

● What part(s) didn’t move?

● What do you think made the “push” that launched the lid? What was the action and

what was the opposite reaction?

Rocket launch

11. Explain that the test showed that the fuel could successfully launch something into

the air; now let’s try to launch something that looks more like a rocket--the canister

itself!

● How could we make the fuel push the canister into the air instead of the lid?

● What do you think would happen if we turned the canister upside-down?

12. Model how to snap the lid on the canister and place it upside-down on the tray. If

necessary, invite children to practice this with empty canisters.

13. Distribute more antacid pieces as needed, and remind children of the steps involved

in the launch:

● Drop the tablet piece in the canister.

● Put on the lid tightly.

● Turn it upside-down.

● Stand back and watch!

14. Launch the rockets together. Remind everyone to stay back from the launch area

until all the rockets have finished.

● What did you notice about the rocket launches?

● Were they all the same? What was the same or different between them?

Optimizing the fuel mixture (for older groups)

15. Brainstorm things they could change about their rocket fuel that might affect how

fast the rocket launches or how high it goes. These might include:

● Amount of water

● Temperature of the water

● Amount of antacid

16. Challenge children to explore changing these variables to find the best fuel mixture

for their rocket.


● What combination of water and tablet makes it launch the fastest?

● What combination makes it travel the highest?

● What is the best combination for your rocket? Why do you think so?

17. Discussion:

● What did you discover about using this kind of fuel for a rocket?

● What worked well, and what were some challenges?

● Would this make a good fuel for a real rocket? What makes you think so?

TAKE IT FURTHER: Use the Alka-Rockets to create works of exploded art! (Do this outdoors or in a space

that can safely be paint-splattered.) Give each child a large sheet of paper to use instead

of the tray. Squeeze watered-down paint into the canisters instead of the water. Drop in

half of an antacid tablet, close the lid, place upside down on the paper and stand back.

Repeat with different colors on the same paper until desired picture is created.

ADAPTATIONS: For youngest children (PreK - K), the exploring of variables could be omitted.

For older children (4th - 5th), challenge children to look for specific relationships

between variables and outcomes by changing only one variable while keeping

everything else the same, e.g. trying different amounts of antacid but keeping the

amount and temperature of the water the same each time. Encourage them to measure

amounts and times as carefully as possible for accuracy.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? ● Newton’s Third Law of Motion says that for every action or force, there is an equal

and opposite reaction or force. In this activity, one force is generated down toward

the table (expanding gases pushing downward out of the canister) while the opposing

reaction pushes the rocket up in the opposite direction.

● When water is added to the antacid tablet, bubbles of carbon dioxide gas are given

off. When the lid is fitted tightly to the canister, this gas is contained within an

enclosed space. As more gas is given off, the pressure inside the canister rises until

there is enough force to overcome the seal of the lid. The built-up pressure exerts

enough force to shoot the lid or canister into the air, forming the rocket.

● In an actual rocket, heat from ignition of the rocket fuel causes gases inside to

expand rapidly and be forced out of the tail of the rocket, creating the downward

force.


KABLOOEY TAG ACTIVITY TYPE: Active game AUDIENCE: K - 4th grade TIME FRAME: 15 - 30 minutes

SUMMARY: Children will learn more about chain reactions and chemical reactions that have a

threshold as through a game.

MATERIALS: ● Post-its, stickers, or small lengths of ribbon to mark how many times children

have been tagged (3 - 5 per child)

ENGAGE: We’ve seen a few chemical reactions so far this week - and sometimes they went

Kablooey! However, if we hadn’t used just the right mixture, or hadn’t put enough of one

of the chemicals, it might not have done anything at all. We’re going to play a quick game

now where you will be the chemicals!

PROCEDURE: 1. Set-up: Clear a large space in the middle of your classroom. Give each child 1

marker item. Ask for the number of “catalyst” or “it” volunteers found in the chart

below, based on the number of players you have. Each catalyst gets 2 more

markers.

2. To start, ask the group to scatter themselves around the playing area, and freeze

in place. Have the “catalysts” evenly distribute themselves throughout the room as

well. The catalysts will be the first campers to go kablooey.

3. When any camper has 3 markers, they will go kablooey! When a camper goes

kablooey, they need to stop, yell “KABLOOEY!” and everyone else has to slow

down. The camper then gives their markers to the 3 campers closest to them. If

any of those campers ends up with 3 markers, they also go kablooey, and the

chain reaction continues.

4. Campers must walk at all times, and must slow down to a very slow walk when


they hear “kablooey!”

5. If you reach a point where somehow no one is going kablooey, the counselor

should become a fresh catalyst and add 3 more markers to the game.

6. The last 3 people to go kablooey will be the winners and the catalysts for the next

game!

Number of Players Number of Starting Catalysts

5 - 7 2

8 - 11 3

12 - 18 4

19 - 22 5

23 - 26 6

TAKE IT FURTHER: Once campers have the idea, ask them to predict what would happen if there were a lot

more catalysts? What if there was only 1? Try it out and see what happens.

WHAT’S THE SCIENCE? A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where one of the products of the reaction

causes additional reactions to take place. In Kablooey tag, we are behaving like a chain

reaction, because when someone goes kablooey--is part of a reaction--they can trigger

another reaction in someone else.

Activation energy is the minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction. This is

the threshold for energy below which no reaction would take place. A catalyst lowers the

threshold for reaction, and therefore causes chemical reactions to happen between

chemicals that do not reach the minimum activation energy.


Ooey, Gooey, Kablooey - Franklin Institute · Slime Salt Painting Elephant toothpaste 11:00...

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