As part of our winter study, I wanted the children to think and learn about ice, snow etc.. It sounds so "obvious" to us but little ones haven't all experimented the effects of low temperature.
They are aware of freezers, ice and frost but haven't made the connection yet. So we first experimented a little bit today and I introduced the kids to Cryogenics (the study of the effects of freezing temperatures on different materials). In this activity, we placed several different substances/items (water and food colouring , liquid soap, slice of bread, wooden stick, plastic googly eyes and honey) into an ice tray, then freeze them. The following day, we observed and touched to see what effect freezing had on the substances/items.
They are aware of freezers, ice and frost but haven't made the connection yet. So we first experimented a little bit today and I introduced the kids to Cryogenics (the study of the effects of freezing temperatures on different materials). In this activity, we placed several different substances/items (water and food colouring , liquid soap, slice of bread, wooden stick, plastic googly eyes and honey) into an ice tray, then freeze them. The following day, we observed and touched to see what effect freezing had on the substances/items.
Then, I got the children to pick any object they wanted and place them in little containers filled with water: beads, plastic animals, buttons etc... Just for the fun of it!!! The children placed their containers in the freezer and we had to wait for the following day to see what would happen again.
I also gave a plate with ice cubes to each single kid in the classroom. Kids decided to lick their cube and laughed so much because it was so so cold on their tongue! They held the ice cubes in their hands too to see whose ice cube would melt first. But of course, they had to let them go as it was getting too sore for their little fingers. At that stage, they could observe the water at the bottom of their plate and witness the process of melting directly!
And today, the children discovered what happened to their objects.. They loved it. I managed to free the blocks of ice and we placed them in a tray. Soon the effect of "defrosting" was apparent and the children realised that when temperatures go up, ice turns back into water. It was going to take a while though.. so to go quicker, I gave them teaspoons and let them break the ice. What a great sensorial exercise. Combining scientific observations with sensorial learning! It was so much fun.. Therefore I have decided to offer the children little blocks of ice for them to break at every session for the rest of the month..
Sounds fun! At my son's (Reggio) preschool, they often have a large tub with hwhat looks like a mound of crushed ice. The time I saw it there were cups of coloured water and eye droppers next to the ice.
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