We had a fun-filled and exciting day today. The children kicked the day off using galaxy-themed blue glittery playdough on space-themed mats. Manipulating and rolling the dough into balls made them resemble planets in our solar system.
Some of the children looked at images of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the dwarf planet Pluto and mimicked their size with the dough. We also picked out our favourite of the planets.
During group time our books reflected space themes including a book titled, How to be a Space Explorer by Mark Brake. The book showed real images of astronaut’s space suits, rocket ships, and the rover.
After reading parts of the book, we did a science experiment we called ‘The Moving Galaxy Milk Experiment.’ To make our moving galaxy, the children tipped rice milk into a clean bowl. They were very careful not to bump the bowl as they dropped red, blue, and yellow food colour into the mix. After this, we added some dish soap to the bowl. As we did this, we noticed that the colours inside the bowl began to move and dance around. The effect resembled images of the galaxy.
This science experiment enabled the children to learn basic concepts of scientific processes. STEM experiences offer children opportunities to explore, investigate, imagine, and wonder about the world around them in rich and meaningful experiences.