It is finally spring, farewell winter winds and hello warm breeze. Although your littles may be anxious to bask in the new temperate air, we have a great, easy indoor science experiment, thanks to The Imagination Tree, that will surely keep your children entertained.
We have coupled this experiment with a few Vroom tips and the brainy science behind them. Vroom is an initiative of the Bezos Family Foundation, born out of early childhood research that shows that the first five years of life are critically important to children’s future learning and success. Science tells us that in these early years, children’s brains form more than 1,000 new neural connections per second. While genes make up the brain’s blueprint, positive early experiences with adults create the foundation for lifelong learning.
Try a tip, and grow your baby’s brain today.
What you will need?
- Plastic containers
- Cotton balls
- Cress seeds
- Water
Step 1
Gather different sized plastic containers, and take this opportunity to ask your child some brain building questions, such as:
- Can you tell me which container is bigger?
- Do you think this container will hold more or less?
- Does this container make a circle or square?
These may seem like ordinary questions, however each one is challenging your child to notice differences and make predictions based off of their own observations.
Step 2
Fill each container with cotton balls. Use this time to practice your child’s counting skills. For more advanced children, count in multiples of 2, 5, or 10.
Step 3
Water cotton balls until they are damp, but not soaked. Let your child do the pouring. Although risky, this allows your child to exercise their motor skills and improve their hand eye coordination.
Step 4
This is where the fun begins! Sprinkle cress seeds into containers. Try out some playful literacy, and arrange seeds into different letters as displayed below. The possibilities are endless.
Step 5
Water each plant every day, keep by an open window, and watch them grow! The great thing about cress seeds, as nearly every early education instructor can attest, is that they grow at an exponential rate. In less than a week you will see results.
Step 6
Now you have some beautiful plants. Go wild! Start a home garden or let your kids do some trimming. The beauty is in the process. Be sure to check out the tip below for some cleaning fun. Enjoy!
As an overview your child has learned:
- Science: observed how plants grow from seeds, and learned that a plant needs light and water to grow
- Math: counted cotton balls, talk about growing from small to big, measured growth and height, made comparisons
- Care: took care of another living thing and learned about responsibility
- Literacy: practiced letters
Time to clean up!
Use this Vroom tip as you are cleaning up your materials. Every moment counts! If you enjoyed this activity, tags us at CCRC4Kids on social media, and let us know when you give it a try!
