It’s time for Sizzlin’ Summer Virtual Activity #3! Virtual Activities are challenges for you to complete at home with whatever you have around your house! We’ll be giving you activities all summer long, so make sure to check back on our website every week for a new challenge!

Break out your lab coat because we’ve pulled together some science experiments just for you! All these projects can be done with items around your house! Once you complete your experiments, take a picture of your results and send them to stephanie@eapld.org. Be sure to include the child’s name and if we have permission to post the picture on our socials.

You can download and print the entire summer schedule here.

Don’t forget about your reading logs! If our patrons collectively read 1,500 books, one lucky patron gets to throw a pie in Ms. Stephanie’s face! You can find more information on reading logs and the pie contest here.

Let’s do some experiments!

How Do Seeds Sprout?

Supplies: Zip-Lock Bag*, Paper Towel, Seed**, Water

Directions: 

1. Put some water on the paper towel (make it damp, but not soaking wet). Fold the paper towel and put it in the bag.
2. Put the seed in the bag so you can see it.
3. Seal the bag. Put it in a sunny place like a window ledge or taped to a window or door that gets a lot of sunlight.
4. Wait for a few days.

 

What happened to the seed? Write about what you see or draw a picture of what has happened to the seed.

*A jar or a clear cup can be used in place of the zip-lock bag. You will need to add soil to the cup. Place the seed in the cup along the outside edge so that it can be seen.

**You can stop in the library to pick up a seed if you need one.

Science Behind the Experiment

Will Water and Oil Mix?

Supplies: Jar with a Lid, Food Coloring, Oil, One Egg

Directions:

1. Fill the jar half full with water.
2. Put a few drops of food coloring in the jar.
3. Fill the rest of the jar with oil.
4. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar.
5. Set the jar down and watch what happens. Write down your results.
6. Open the lid, and crack open an egg in the jar.
7. Close the lid tightly and shake the jar.
8. Set the jar down and watch what happens. Write down or draw your results.

Are the results the same or different from from the first time that you shook the jar? Why do you think that happened?

Science Behind the Experiment

How Do Trees Breathe?

Supplies: Freshly Picked Leaves From Plants or Trees, Clear Jars or Cups, Water

Directions:

1. Fill the jars or cups with water.
2. Put the leaves in the jars or cups. Put some leaves face up and some face down.
3. Put the jars in sunlight.
4. Wait several hours.

Look at the surface of the leaves. What do you notice? Write about it or draw a picture.

Science Behind the Experiment

How Do We See?

Supplies: Jar or Clear Cup, Water, Colored Markers, Paper

Directions:

1. Fill the jar or cup with water.
2. Use the markers to draw a horizontal row of colors in a rainbow on your paper.
3. Place the paper behind the jar or cup. Move your head around the jar until you can get the rainbow to flip. That means the purple line will be on the left instead of the right.

Science Behind the Experiment

Capillary Action

Supplies: Paper Towels, 6 Jars or Clear Cups, Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Fill 3 jars full of water. Put red food coloring in the first jar, blue in the second, and yellow in the third.
2. Put all six jars in a circle. Put one empty jar in between each full jar.
3. Drape a paper towel between each empty jar and the full jar next to it. Make sure the paper towel is touching the water. Each jar should have two paper towels in it.
4. Wait 24 hours.

What happened in each of the jars? Write down your observations or draw a picture.

Science Behind the Experiment

Want more experiments? We have a book for that!