Touchingly Grateful for Science and Math

E has been so inspired and awed by volcanoes he's watched on documentaries that he would intermittently request over days and months if we could make one. Yesterday, we finally took on this glorious undertaking and decided to go for it.

Building and Erupting Your Volcano

Using a small plastic base that tapers upwards imitating a little mountain or you can actually use one of those hand juicers used to squeeze orange juice, I laid it in a tub to reduce messes. In a baggie, I had mixed some sand and plaster to which I added just enough warm water to create a kind of a watery (not too watery ) mix. Once mixed well through kneading of the mixture through the bag, E put his hand into the bag and started scooping out a handful of the compound. He would put it on the top and let it slide down. Then he'd get more and just pad around it more and more till it formed what you see above. After about 5 mins, the compound begins to dry and model is ready for painting.
Using non-water based paints, you can now paint your model anyway you wish. E wanted a snow-capped mountain and so commenced painting the peak in white.

Then he painted the lower slopes green to represent trees. Once the paint dries (and it does really fast), we were ready for volcanic eruptions.

Using common kitchen items - vinegar, baking soda and food coloring, eruption is concocted. Add 1-1/2 tsp. of baking soda to a little plastic cup you place at the peak. In another little plastic cup, put 1 tsp of vinegar and add several drops of food coloring - you can add one small drop of liquid dish soap to stiffen the foam). Stir the mixture and then you now ready to add it to the baking soda waiting atop the mountain peak and watch the volcanic eruption! Also becomes a little lesson in color mixing.

E did multiple eruptions in countless colors and the best part is we now have a model for countless eruptions for always. :-)
When baking soda reacts with vinegar (acid solution), the sodium and hydrogen dissolves into the liquid and carbon dioxide is released (foam). Food coloring makes this foam much more interesting.

After this, E went on to work on his Volcano 3 part cards purchased from Montessori Research and Development to introduce volcanic vocabulary and further deepen his awareness and knowledge of what he loves in the natural world.

Shape Lessons

I printed, laminated and cut apart cards on shapes and their properties and we played games with them. Great way for E to investigate, count and make informed conclusions while playing and participating in math.

He also worked on his Fish puzzle, fish 3 part cards and then traced each part onto white paper in correct order. He then punched each part out using a jumbo corn skewer which works so well. Of course, he then made his signature markings on his fish including the knobs! Silly! Using glue he reassembled and pasted the parts on black paper. He'd name the parts upon my request. A really great exercise. Little hands can really do so much.

So, what about the touchingly grateful part, you ask? Well, E kept giving me hugs, kisses, declaring "you're my best friend" and was just loving the volcano-making and math game. So very satisfied and happily grateful he was. :-)