This is what I've been playing with ...
Rainbow Table Skittles! I drank A LOT of soda water (being a perfectionista, the bottles had to match and be the same brand.) Water was filled to the line at the bottom, soap added along with food colouring. Tops were glued with my handy hot-glue-gun. I've used dogs tennis balls because they were colourful and cheap at the dollar store!
I love how the sun just shines through them! This experiences is great for wet weather - just make sure you don't have anything breakable behind the table (like a window) as some children can throw alot better than we think they might be able to! I had plans to put coloured labels on the bottles with numbers on them so the kids could keep score by counting the numbers and having the word of the colour for literacy, but I like being able to see the bubbles! So I have held off for now...
If you were to make these with the children as an experience you are doing more than just filling bottles with water, soap and food colouring (use the small bottles that can be found in the baking section of the supermarket). By involving the children you are facilitating so much learning!
You and the children are exploring:
* numeracy: count the bottles , the other materials etc. i.e. how many colours do we need to choose?
* numeracy: counting out the numbers of drops that are needed
* problem solving: who decides which colours? who has a turn? (one can hold the bottle, another can do the colour drops, everyone can count!) 1:1 correspondence - how many colours for how many bottles?
* literacy - reading the directions on the chart at the back
* literacy: extending children's vocabulary - labelling other colours such as aqua and orchid
* fine-motor: getting those drops into the tiny hole of the soda water bottles!
* gross-motor: playing the game when its done!
* social-skills: taking turns, having 3 balls means three throws for each person - fair, and easily accounted for (i.e. no sneaky "I'll just throw one more because there are 5 balls in the basket!), cheering on your peers as they succeed or encouraging them to try again.
So there you have it!
Handy little tote from Kmart in a shopping bag! Everything fits in perfectly which means you can grab it and use it easily!
More to come later! Lots of edititing and reflecting to do!
T.ink
