Creative Play

One of the things I have been feeling guilty about is the amount of time I spend on the computer. I have made a concerted effort to limit that time and spend more quality time with my kiddos. I have though, found a way that my computer time can benefit all of us. We are having a blast discovering new ways to learn and have fun at the same time. I will feature some of these projects here with reviews from my kids and notes on our experience.

There are tons of fantastic sites that feature great projects to do with kids. One of my very favorites is Mini-eco.  Her projects are simple and accessible and they appeal to all of my kiddos (almost 6, just turned 4 and almost 2) Today we experimented with her latest  project, Magic Potion 2.
I chose this project because I remember how much fun I had making volcano science experiments way, way back in ancient times when I was a kiddo. That, and it uses the most basic ingredients. All things I had in my kitchen. I gathered everything into a box and we headed outside.

It was a gorgeous day out so taking the mess outside was a definite plus. The experiment is a bit messy, though it is the easy-clean harmless kind of messy, and a little smelly, thanks to the vinegar.
The kids absolutely adored making their cups foam over and "EXPLODE!" everywhere. I did have to keep a close eye on Thomas, who kept wanting to taste the foam. They even added their own fun and swirled together the different colors of foam to make lovely marbleized foam creeping down the sidewalk like a pastel lava flow. Best of all, the mess just disappeared from the sidewalk a short time after we finished!
Amelie enjoyed it so much she insisted on repeating the experiment for Show and Tell at school.
This experiment gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from everyone!