Science Fun

Each day I attempt to do a fun craft or activity with the girls. Especially now that they have finished their 'official' lessons for the year.  Keeps them occupied and makes certain I spend time purposefully engaging with them.  <When they are playing happily together, it's tempting to let them be and get projects/chores done.>   Such activities are usually fun for all.

Today, we began our craft time making some felt Bible Buddy Bookmarks. This was a colossal fail as the elmer's glue was just not cuttin' it.  The pieces would NOT stick together.

Once we bagged all the pieces up, the girls began begging for a 'replacement' craft. Trinity reminded me of a 'keep them busy' activity we'd done in the past.  Putting shaving cream in a bag with a drop or two of food coloring.  One then squishes it all around 'mixing' the colors.  Unfortunatly, we hadn't enough shaving cream and Daddy wasn't willing to forfeit what was left of his 'expensive stuff' for our project.  Guess that will be saved for another day.

Hmmmmm..... needed another idea.  Pinterest.

I came upon a neat suggestion using vinegar and baking soda with food coloring to have what I'll call 'color explosion'.  What a blast.  We've done similar activities in the past - volcanoes and the like, but.... this was a bit different.

                                           We gathered our materials.

  

Simple.  

A bottle of vinegar and container of baking soda.  

 4 clear cups for each girl, 4 large baking pans, 4 spoons for each, and food coloring.  

*Note: The pan made for super easy clean-up.

We lined the cups in the pans.  Filled them with vinegar.  Put drops of food coloring on the spoons. Then, filled the spoons with baking soda.

A little hesitant, Charity adds her first spoon

Next came the fun part -- adding the baking soda spoons to the cups.  Watching the girls excitement as the vinegar reacted with the baking soda, resulting in a "color explosion" out and over the top of the cups was priceless.

Adding spoon after spoon for bubbling fun

2 down, 2 to go

What fun.

Our finished product of fizzy fun

I think they had even more fun as they poured all the contents of their cups into the bottom of their pans and 'played'.  Occasionally we added a bit more baking soda to produce some 'bubbling', otherwise they just enjoyed scooping, stirring, and pouring their concoction back and forth from cups to pan.  The most creative aspect was the girls making 'spoon people' who were swimming and/or bathing in the now green vinegar/baking soda slush.

Stirring and pouring is half the fun

Sometimes ya' just gotta enjoy the simple stuff.

Launch Day

The wind had calmed.  We were all home.

Could today be THE day?

Launch Day?

Finally?

Yes, today would be Launch Day!!!

After days of waiting, excitement filled the air.

Bethany and Elijah grasped their rocket as well as the alka seltzer tablet and ran outside, shoving feet in boots, arms in jackets along the way.

Siblings and parents trailed behind.

Before I even arrived on the scene with camera in hand, they had the launchpad  set up and daddy was taking group pictures with his phone.

Group photo before launching - everyone looking into the sun - nice.  (Yes, they are in their PJ's - don't judge)

Being well prepared, they had filled 1/3rd of the film canister with water.  As we all stood a safe distance away, the two scientists in training took the lid off the canister; added 1/2 tablet of alka seltzer; replaced the lid; righted the rocket; placed it on the launchpad; and moved themselves out of the launch zone to watch lift off.

10, 9, 8, 7.... would it work?  6, 5, 4.... would the gases produced by mixing the tablet with water be enough? 3, 2, 1!

Waiting w/baited breath...

Blast off!

I wasn't fast enough to get the rocket soaring, but I did snap this shot of the
lid and tablet that were left behind.

Science experiment success!  The rocket soared.  I'm sure it flew a whole...... 2 feet off the ground. :-)

Everyone cheered!

Much to our surprise, the rocket itself was unharmed by the flight.  I see many more rocket launches in our future.

Just one of the multitude of reasons we enjoy homeschooling!  A family event rolled into learning - life as we know it.

Rocket Launch Away

Science - a favorite in our house -- ESPECIALLY when it's time to do experiments.

Building a rocket was tremendously exciting. Elijah made a list of all the materials necessary.  He even attempted to find "alternatives" when we weren't sure we'd be able to acquire a 35 mm film canister.  Who has film canisters anymore - the world's gone digital.

Fortunately, Aunt Biff had the goods.

The project could move forward..... with gusto... I might add.

Bethany and Elijah worked together since only ONE canister had a lid that fit down inside the cylinder.

They cut, they taped, the folded, they molded. Finally, their rocket was complete. Well, as far as Elijah was concerned.  Bethany had other ideas - it needed to be decorated.  With that, she took to coloring - in elaborate detail - a wonderful rainbow of hues.

As mom, I must say, it's the most beautiful 'rocket' I've ever laid eyes upon.

The ever so colorful "rocket"

Ready to launch, mom had to deter them.  I had to document this flight and I was heading into Fort Collins for Jacob's oral surgery consultation.

Next day -- they were ready, yet again, to launch.  With girls napping, daddy working, and mommy preparing dinner, I thwarted their plans once more.   Promising, however, that Sat would be the day.  Launch day.

Saturday arrived.

Elijah, as soon as everyone was awake, grabbed the rocket. Eyes filled with anticipation he asked if we could head out to launch.

This time, it was daddy who dropped the bad news.  It was too windy to launch. The rocket, if it even made it off the ground, would end up in another county due to the high winds.

Waiting!  Again.

Sunday is out.  We have church all day and the wind gusts are supposed to be even stronger.

Here's praying Monday is calm and we have no other interferences that cause our launch to be scrubbed.

Wind.  Wind.  WIND!  Monday and Tuesday we had wind.

Finally, on Wednesday, the wind subsided.  Will it be launch day?  Stay tuned to see if the rocket launch is finally a go; if it succeeds; how far it flies.