Jul 29, 2013

WonderWorks: Does it Sink or Float?

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/wonderworks-does-it-sink-or-float.html
Engineering meets buoyancy and boat-making.

Today's Topic: Will it sink or float?
Supplies:
tubs of water
items that may sink or float (light bulbs, full can of soda, pencils, keys, paperclips, balloons, plastic eggs, whatever you have on hand.  It will either sink or float or do something interesting halfway between.)
sponges
wooden skewers
foam sheets cut into triangles for "sails"

Book:  

cover art Arthur's dream boat / Dunbar, Polly <div style='clear:both;'>&nbsp;</div>

cover art Captain Small Pig / Waddell, Martin

Jul 26, 2013

WonderWorks: Measuring Liquids

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/wonderworks-measuring-liquids.html

Measuring liquids is wet, messy math!

Today's Topic:  Measuring Liquids 
Supplies:
Water
Funnels (optional, but very helpful!)
As many of the following as you can gather:
-measuring cups (both liquid and dry work well, plastic recommended)
-measuring spoons
-baby bottles with measurements on the side
-children's medicine syringes, spoons or the cups that come on top of a bottle of children's tylenol
-rain gauges
-mixing bowls with measurements
-gallon jugs
-plastic or cardboard pint or quart containers
-plastic cups in various sizes and shapes (to do a more simple "which one holds more?" test)

Book:  

cover art How do you measure liquids? / Adamson, Thomas K.
This is a great non-fiction book about the topic!  All of the fiction titles I found were way too long for read-alouds.  This one keeps it simple, includes a few experiments and has a hint of a storyline with high quality photographs of an African American family measuring liquids in several different settings (more vs. less, measuring medicine, etc.)

Jul 25, 2013

Toddler Art Class: Drip, Drop & Spin

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/toddler-art-class-drip-drop-spin.html

Salad spinners and coffee filters make fun art outside the kitchen!

Art Projects:  Spin Art & Coffee Filter Color Blending 
Supplies:
salad spinners (I found mine at thrift stores and library staff donated a few)
small, uncoated paper plates (or cardstock cut into circles small enough to lay flat in the bottom of your salad spinner)
paint
small squeeze bottles
eye droppers
liquid watercolors or food coloring
coffee filters

Book:
  cover art Monsters love colors / Austin, Mike
Music to make art by:  

cover art You are my sunshine [sound recording] / Mitchell, Elizabeth

Jul 18, 2013

Toddler Art Class: Painting on Foil

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/toddler-art-class-painting-on-foil.html


Shiny, happy paintings add an interesting texture element.

Art Project: Painting on Foil
Supplies:
aluminum foil
paint (we used regular tempera)
brushes
containers for paint
water to wash brushes between colors (optional)

Book:
  cover art Mouse paint / Walsh, Ellen Stoll

(not the best book-to-project match, but I did give the kids three colors of paint to mix and play with.)

Jul 16, 2013

WonderWorks: Drip, Drop

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/wonderworks-drip-drop.html
Eye droppers, turkey basters and bulb syringes all work on the same principle--a tricky one for kids to conquer!

Today's Topic: Drip, Drop
Supplies:
eye droppers
turkey basters
bulb syringes
bowls of water
plastic or styrofoam egg cartons, small paper cups, bowls, other small containers to drip into
towels (or do this one outdoors)

Book:
  cover art Rain! / Ashman, Linda

update 3/2017: Newer book that would work great as the elephant sucks all the water in the bathtub up through her trunk, then squirts it back out. --


cover art Get out of my bath! / Teckentrup, Britta


Jul 13, 2013

Summer Special: Wormapalooza!


http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/summer-special-wormapalooza.html
"Dig into Reading" just begs for live worms so.... here they are!

Summer Special:  Wormapalooza!
What it is:  a multi-station celebration, a festival of fishbait, a wonder of wigglers!

The stations at my library were:  bendy beaded worms, wiggle worm stick puppets, a die-cut worm pencil decoration aaaaand... live worm racing!  (instructions for each of these after the jump or follow the links as given)

Jul 8, 2013

WonderWorks: Bubble Science

http://librarymakers.blogspot.com/2013/07/wonderworks-bubble-science.html
Bubbles are classic summer fun, but did you know they contain sneaky science lessons?

Wonderworks:  Bubble Science
Supplies:
--a clear plastic tub and a smaller cup
--water
--bubble solution
--pipe cleaners
--food coloring
--straws
--small paper cups

Book:
 cover art Pop! : a book about bubbles / Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker