Promoting Early Science Education with Hands On Discovery
  • About
  • Join
  • Videos
  • Birthday Parties
  • Experiments
    • NEW!! Static Electricity
    • "See" Sound Travel
    • Balancing Forks
    • Sink or Float?
    • Lava Lamp
    • Frost and Dew
  • Blog
  • Press

GOLDEN GATE MOTHERS CLUB/ BLD RAFFLE WINNERS

8/28/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
TndrBOX was a proud sponsor of the golden Gate Mothers Club/Baby Loves Disco party on Saturday, August 24. The event was a lot of fun; great music and super messy, interactive experiments that sneakily introduced concepts like surface tension, densities of liquids, momentum, mass and energy conservation and gravity. The kids (and some parents!) had a lot of fun experimenting with Colorful Milk Swirls, Lava Lamp and Rolling Car. The ambience was perfect for the Colorful Milk Swirls and lava Lamp!

We also had our first raffle contest. Congratulations to our winners Violet and Garrett! You guys just scored a two month Preschool TndrBOX subscription. You will find your TndrBOX containing messy, exciting experiments at your doorstep soon!
1 Comment

SOLAR EGG TREAT

7/9/2013

0 Comments

 
I had been talking to my girls about Solar energy lately, and I wanted to show them different ways of harnessing this awesome energy. We had a really hot week recently, (90+ degrees F) so all we needed were a few things that are always present in our home. 

Most of the experiments call for either a cast-iron skillet or, the sidewalk, or some sort of solar oven. We decided to vary it slightly. It is more time-consuming, but I just had to find out how long it would take to cook the egg using our materials. 

Materials:

  1. Corelle/Microwave-safe plate
  2. An egg
  3. Extremely Sunny day 
  4. Adult helper
  5. Paper
  6. Pencil/pen


How do I begin?

  1. Locate a sunny spot where the experiment can be done without any interruptions. This is important as the experiment will take a while and observations have to be recorded. 
  2. Crack an egg onto the plate. Place it in a sunny spot. (We conducted our experiment in our backyard)
  3. Record the time on the paper.
  4. Check the egg after 10 minutes. Record the time, and observe how it looks.
  5. Check after another 10 minutes. Record both the time and your observation. 
  6. Keep checking every half hour till you notice the egg yolk change color and darken. It took us about an hour.
  7. When you finally notice the white and the yolk fully cooked, record the time.  
  8. DO NOT EAT THE EGG!! WE FED OUR DOG AND HE WAS FINE, BUT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND FEEDING ANYONE THE EGG!


Exploring further:

  1. Try this experiment with plates of different materials like steel, aluminum or stoneware. Which plate helps in cooking the eggs faster? 
  2. Use a cast-iron skillet instead of a plate and try frying the egg in the Sun.
  3. Try cracking an egg on the sidewalk. How long does it take to cook it?
  4. Which method produces the fastest results? You can post your results to our Facebook page. The girls and I would love to hear about your experience.
0 Comments

How are Sedimentary Rocks Formed?

5/31/2013

3 Comments

 
Sedimentary rocksBackdrop of Sedimentary rock formation
It was Mother's Day and we were at Half Moon Bay. We were just wrapping up a great day by the Ocean, when I noticed this awesome Sedimentary rock formation. Of course, I could not pass up the opportunity to impart a little scientific knowledge!  

I started to explain that when mountains are first formed, they are tall and jagged like the Rocky Mountains on the west coast of North America. Over time (millions of years) mountains become old mountains like the Appalachian Mountains on the east coast of Canada and the United States. 

Old mountains are rounded and lower. The rocks erode or get eaten away by natural elements like rain, wind, freeze/thaw cycle and stream or rivers flowing down cause the big mountains to crumble slowly. 

These crumbled or battered rock pieces or "sediments,"  land in the streams and rivers that flow down from the mountains. They settle down on the bottom of the lake or oceans they run into. Over time, layers of different rocks settle at the bottom of lakes and oceans. This sediment compresses over a long period of time and consolidates into solid layers of rock. These layers are called strata. 

Some examples of sedimentary rocks are sandstone and shale. The pictures below are sandstone formation. Though it is hard to tell in the picture above, this formation was actually reddish in color and sandy; some of the stones actually broke apart easily. Notice the second slide; the layer of rock underneath is a different color (black spots) than the rock layer on top. 

There are 6 main kinds of sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks take years and years to form, but you can make your own in days! Click the link below to make your own Sandstone. What are Sedimentary rocks?  

Cool Facts!
Sedimentary rocks cover 75% of the earth’s surface. Most of the rocks found on the Earth’s surface is sedimentary even though sedimentary rocks only make up less than 5% of all the rocks that make up Earth.

3 Comments

Mother's Day Science Fun : Bring the Spa Home to Mom

5/12/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureExotic Sandalwood Spa Salts
I was looking for a fun experiment to do with my girls, and I wanted to stir up a luxurious potion that all three of us could use, without worrying about skin-irritating chemicals.

I have become a big fan of Epsom Salts lately. Seems like I am creaking in more places than I ever did before! Epsom Salts or Magnesium Sulphate, is a great stress-buster and pain reliever and is effective in treating sore muscles. Plus, it also softens your skin, especially calluses. I made an Epsom salts soak for my daughter when she complained of intense pain in her legs after her ballet class. She was amazed at the instant relief she got. 

I thought it would be a great idea to bring the spa to Mom on Mother's Day-- and what better way than to have Mom and kids to stir up a delicious smelling batch of Bath Salts? Plus, we can sneak in a bit of science! 

Ingredients:
3 cups Epsom Salts
1 1/2 cups Sea Salt
2 tablespoons sandalwood powder (We used this in place of essential oils) or your favorite essential oils
Fresh rose petals
Airtight Jar
Mixing bowl
Spoon

Method: 
1. Mix the Epsom salts and sea salt together in the bowl. 
2. Mix well with a spoon.
3. Tear/chop up the rose petals into tiny pieces and add.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of sandalwood powder. If you use essential oils, mix well to ensure no clumps are formed.
5. Store in an airtight jar. 
6. Now grab your favorite book and indulge yourself in a warm, gorgeous-smelling spa soak. You've earned it! 
Happy Mother's Day!

You can try making different kinds of bath salts to suit your mood. 
Lavender: Soothing, pain reliever 
Chamomile: calming 
Calendulla: healing 
Peppermint: stimulating 
Lemon: refreshing  

So, what is the science behind the Bath salts?
Hard water has a high mineral content of usually calcium and magnesium, whereas soft water contains less of these minerals. Calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water react with soap, forming insoluble gray flakes or "soap scum" instead of a lather. You need more soap to get clean and the bathtub gets a grimy ring around it from the leftover soap scum. When you add bath salts, the calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium and potassium ions from the salt, allowing the soap to lather much more easily.

NOTE: If you already have soft water, you may not notice much of a difference in how well the soap lathers in the water with your bath salts and the water without the bath salts. However, the salt and essential oils will still have a beneficial effect on your skin.

Adding bath salts to your bath has to do with osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water through a membrane (like your skin) to achieve equilibrium. Your body contains water and salt, whereas an ordinary bath contains mostly water and very little salt. So, water passes through your skin in an effort to balance the concentration of water and salt in you and in your bath. The excess water causes a "pruning" effect (your fingers and toes wrinkle). Adding bath salts to the water causes a more equal balance of salt and water in both you and your bath, so less water enters your skin and less "pruning" occurs. Salt is also draws toxins out of your skin and soothes sore muscles.
.

0 Comments

Do You Need Wings to FLY?

5/6/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Hog-nose airplane
"I want to fly." For as long as I can remember, my second-grader has been fascinated and obsessed with flying. As a 3-year-old, she desperately wanted to grow wings and was really upset to find out she could not really do that. I think it all started with Peter Pan. Since the first time she watched that movie, she's been dreaming of flying. It was a natural choice for her to choose Aerodynamics as a Science Fair project. 

We had a great time working on it together. She had done all her research; watched countless videos on on Youtube and picked up a library book at school that had instructions on how to make various paper airplanes. Her hypothesis was to determine  "if wings are needed in flight." 

She made the Hog-Nose, the Master, and the Lock-back Jackknife airplanes, plus a Hoop Glider. We went to the backyard to test out her hypothesis and flew them all. The Master lived up to its name. It flew 13'15".  When I had made the Hoop Glider earlier for a workshop, I was surprised to find that it actually "flew" pretty well. I did not measure the distance at the time, but we made an amazing discovery --The Hoop Glider flew 12'11" and came in a close second to the Master. The Lock-Back Jackknife did some pretty spectacular flips and went 9'11". The Hog-Nose came in last going 5'3 1/2". 

Next, my daughter wanted to test out "wingless" airplanes to see if wings were really needed to fly. She cut both the wings of the Master airplane and flew it. It did a sort of flip and collapsed after travelling a distance of 3' 8".

Observation:  Airplanes with wings flew; the Master airlplane with cut-of wings did not really fly.

Conclusion: Wings are needed to fly... unless you are in a hot air balloon, or you are an astronaut!


We used "The World's Greatest Toy Airplane and Toy Book," by Keith R. Laux.


1 Comment

What is Camouflage?

4/27/2013

0 Comments

 
camo
When I was walking our puppy on the trial near my house, I saw a deer family. I almost missed them because they were so well-hidden in the brush. It inspired me to discuss "camouflage" with my girls. My older daughter knew about it; we had a fascinating discussion, followed by 20 minutes of trying to spot both the deer.  Try as they might, it was difficult for the girls to spot the second one. Check these pictures and see if you can spot the two deer.

What is Camouflage? Do you know that some animals blend in with their environment? When animals blend in with their habitats, we call it a "camouflage." Why do you think some animals need to camouflage themselves? Children can explore how different animals use camouflage to stay safe in their habitats, to help them hunt, or to communicate with others. 

Camouflage is a way for animals to hide themselves from predators, specially those who hunt using their eyes instead of their sense of smell. Some animals are born with similar markings to leaves, grasses or stones that are always present in their environment. Some animals have special patterns, or markings that help them blend in with each other and confuse predators. The Bengal Tiger's stripes help it to camouflage itself in the grass. But isn't the tiger a predator? Why would it need protection? The tiger is both a predator and also a prey. The tiger can camouflage itself in the tall grass and be unseen by the animal it is going to prey on. The tiger is hunted for its beautiful skin and is now an endangered species. Its stripes appear like shadows in the grass when sunlight falls on it, thus hiding it from poachers.  

Walking sticks, with their dark skinny bodies and swollen joints, escape predators due to their resemblance to twigs. Certain animals change their appearance as their surroundings change. An octopus changes the color and texture of its skin really fast to hide in the changing ocean floor. The Arctic fox changes its fur color based on the seasons. In the warmer months, the Arctic fox grows brown fur to hide in the trees, and in winter, it grows white fur to hide in the snow.

Some animals change colors to express their mood! Chameleons can turn yellow, dark blue, or even black if they become angry. Some animals use mimicry to confuse and avoid predators. Mimicry is a form of camouflage in which an animal resembles another animal. Some harmless snakes—and even some caterpillars—mimic rattlesnakes in appearance and behavior in order to be left alone. 


Exploring Further
1. Go on a nature walk during the day and see if you can spot any animals that are camouflaged. Try to identify them.

2. Get your friends together and try this: some of of you can wear light colored-clothes and others dark-colored. Now play hide and go seek in the twilight / dark. What is easier to spot? The light-colored clothes or the dark-colored clothes? Why? 


Picture
Try spotting the two deer in the brush.
0 Comments

    Raju Rajesh

    Project-based learning activities, snippets from Jr. Wacky Scientist workshops, updates on on our milestones, and more.

    Categories

    ALL

    Archives

    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.