Ok...AWESOME!

 I discovered this book at the library....Science Arts by Kohl and Potter.  I want to buy this book and work through every single activity. I would highly recommend finding one at your local library or Amazon. It's very creative and has activities for all ages. I have Math Arts on hold at the library and I'm hoping that book will be just as valuable for us. 

J and I tried this one activity from Science Arts the other day. 


Get yourself some cornstarch and food coloring.

Then I found an aluminum pan and filled it with about an inch of water. I added just enough cornstarch to make the water cloudy. Then I let J pick a color and drop it into the pan.  Such cute little hands!  :) 

The cornstarch slows the movement of the food coloring so it doesn't mix in right away. You can kind of play with it. I gave J this blue straw and let her go to town making designs.  

Her final design....

We played with a number of colors before putting it away. Very inexpensive activity and great for learning colors and being creative. Children as young as two can do this activity with help. You wouldn't want to set them loose in your house with food coloring, but J was able to do this whole project with minimal help from me. She loves to be independent.

For older kids it is a fun science activity. The book explains that older children can drag the straw in a straight line through the food coloring. This is a lesson about symmetry. As you drag the straw in a straight line, you should see two identical patterns on either side of the line. The book also suggests adding a couple drops of cooking oil to the pan.