Brewing Potions for Sensory (Scientific!) Discovery
Jenny, preschool teacher and creator of the blog let the children play, understands the importance of letting students explore on their own terms. As they begin to trust their own imagination, children learn how to ask questions, pursue answers without abandon, and order the world around them through their own observations and experiments. There is no greater role as a teacher than to help your students cultivate an inquisitive mind! As Albert Einstein, German born American physicist and Nobel Prize winner stated, "I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive."
Jenny recommends "potion mixing" as a way to spur your students' creativity and love of science.
Supplies You'll Need
- Lots of small plastic containers
- Muffin tins (regular or holiday shaped/themed trays)
- Ice cube trays
- Classroom measurement set
- Plastic chemistry set (including graduated beakers, graduated cylinders, test tubes, etc.)
- Eye droppers
- Pipettes
- Coffee stirrers
- Craft sticks
- Various spoons
- Ingredients (including sand, glitter, water, powdered tempera paint, sugar, etc.)
If your "mad scientists" are mixing potions inside, be sure to have a drop cloth, newspaper, and several cleaning stations handy for tidying up. Having your students brew their concoctions outside provides them with more freedom to create (e.g. the teacher is less stressed out about the mess), as well as a plethora of natural ingredients to add to the mixtures! However you do it, your students are sure to be delighted with this messy activity!
let the children play: bubble bubble toil and trouble: mixing potions with preschoolers: