It is time to get start with “Science for kids”

We three are all set to share some easy, cool and interesting science experiments with this series and hoping you will like it.

Before sharing the first experiment, I would like to share some tips before conducting science experiments at home, hoping it will help.

Tips for conducting science experiments

• Pre plan your activity properly

• Yes! Pre planning is very important to conduct a  science experiment smoothly and properly. And the first part begins with the theory preparation. keeps  your notes ready and be clear about the things which you want to explain to your kids through this experiment.
• Next most important things, keep all needed supply handy and organized. Searching for supplies during experiment not only ruin the fun but break the learning momentum as well.
• First ask few questions related to experiment and raise their curiosity with the questions like now what will happen next? What do you think about it? etc..
• Then, explain everything to your kids about experiment from your side. And narrate the steps which you are going to do while experiment.
• Try to plan simple and interesting experiments in beginning. Kids have shorter attention of span, and they may get bored, if you plan exhaustive and complex experiments in beginning. When they cross this stage successfully, then you can plan more complex experiments too.
• Try to begin with available at home supplies. We had lots of interesting stuffs in our kitchen and household, so start with these simpler things. It would be interesting for kids to know the reasoning and logic behind some routine things.
• Always focus on learning and process more rather than end results. Sometimes things might go wrong, but it is completely ok.
• Try to make a science journal or record book for future reference. This record keeping will help in rememorizing these concepts in future and additionally kids will learn importance of record keeping too.
• Last but not the least have loads of fun. Use this as an opportunity to “Spend some quality time together”. I am sure kids will have loads of fun and lots of learning while doing these interesting activity.

Now, let’s start the first experiment…

Magic leak proof bag

Overview

As the name suggested, it is a kind of interesting experiment that will seems like a magic. The experiment will show a magic leak proof bag, even after poking with sharp pencils. With this experiment, you can explain chemistry of polymer to your kids. Kids will learn a complex subject “Chemistry of Polymer”, easily by doing this cool experiment.

Supplies

You will need only three supplies to conduct this science experiments.

• One gallon size large storage bag
• Sharp pencils ( 7-8)
• Water
• Some old cloth for clean up

Process (step by step)

• First sharpen all the pencils properly and keep them ready on your work station.
• Before starting this experiment, ask few questions to your child for raising their curiosity about the experiment.
• Ask them what will happen, if we poked these sharpen pencils through storage bag ( that will be filled with water), and most probably they will answer that bag will get leak by poking these sharpen pencils and it will create a big mess too.
• Now, fill the storage bag up to half with the water. And closed this tightly.
• Then start poking pencils from one end of the storage bag to other end. Take extra care by doing it and do this step in one single effort.
• And here the magic ( actually the science) begins, even after poking the bag with sharp pencils the bag will not get leak and no water will come out. It will remain intact. And your magic leak proof bag is ready to show others.

Why this happen?

Of course, kids will become amaze with this leak proof bag, and they would have curiosity to know the logic and science behind that experiment. This is the right time to explain them, chemistry of polymer.

Here is the exact reason why it happens?

“Plastic bag is made up of polymers that are long, flexible chains of molecules. When we poke this bag with sharp pencils between two chains, the polymer chains get separated without being broken.  the molecule spread apart by poking and then seal them around the pencil. And this is the reason, why water did not get leak.

This is the chemistry of polymer that make this happen.

Extra fun

For making this activity extra fun:

• You can do it outside and can put plastic bag on your child’s head ( and can make them scare that now he/she will get head shower with this)
• You can watch more educational videos or read more reference material that explain more about the chemistry of polymer.
• You can use this experiment as a magic among group of kids during play date.
• Do not forget to do documentation of whole activity (with proper steps and explanation for future reference}

My girls had loads of fun while doing this and they had lots of learning too.

Watch the video for step by step instructions

Try this experiment with your kids and let me know did they like it or not?

So, it is all for now, stay tuned..more exciting and easy experiments are coming on the way.