Weird science

Science can be fun at any age. Here are some science activities that are guaranteed to delight even the youngest of preschoolers.

Goop. Is it a solid or a liquid—or something in between? Find out for yourself by whipping up a batch of this ooey-gooey stuff. Simply combine water, cornstarch, and food colouring on a cookie sheet. You’ll know you’ve achieved the right consistency when the goop is thick enough to push with a spoon and yet runny enough to slip through your fingers when you try to pick it up. Totally weird!

Backyard volcano. This classic experiment always scores points with the kids. Simply take a clear bottle with a slender neck (a small plastic pop bottle works well) and place it on a cookie sheet or inside a large bowl. Using a funnel, drop enough baking soda into the bottle to cover the bottom with a layer about 3 cm thick. You can also add a bit of powdered glitter, if you have some around the house. In a separate mixing cup, combine 1/2 cup of vinegar, two drops of dish detergent, and a couple of drops of red food colouring. Pour the soapy red mixture into the bottle using a funnel. You’ll soon have “lava” erupting out of your homemade volcano!

Super suction lips: Use a piece of modelling clay to seal the opening to a pop bottle so that there’s only room for the straw to fit in. Then try to drink out of the bottle. You’ll need to have super suction lips to get anything up the straw. This is because you’ve prevented any new air from getting inside the bottle.