Freezing any type of toys, loose parts, or special ingredients always makes for a great way to explore science. We froze bones in gloves with water and provided magical potions mixtures to invite the children to experiment and explore how to excavate & release the phalanges from the ice.
With beakers, Colored Potion Bottles, Learning Resources Spalshology Water Lab, Primary Science Lab Set, and twisty droppers the children worked together using different techniques of squirting water or pouring water to release the bones on our outdoor panning table with pump. They were able to discuss & collaborate on how to make the ice go from a solid to liquid state through a lot of trial and error. Even with all that experimenting with science, there was also a lot of water & sensory play, cognitive + fine motor development all packed into this invitation!
Scientific opportunities such as this let children learn & explore their environments through a multi layer hands on approach. As they learn about cause & effect, cycles of nature, comparisons, chemical & physical changes, reactions & properties of matter, their curiosity about how the world works continues to form. When a child's curiosity continuously builds, children learn to be patient with projects that take time & how to make decisions based on the data they gathered. They are exposed to the basic skill for "scientific research" which is the ability to observe and realize how things are the same & how they are different. Developing this ability to understand likeness & differences builds a science base as well as a skill for future math & reading skills.
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