My kids and I are big fans of our local library. I find a lot of inspiration in the stacks for fun experiments, game nights, themed family fun and learning. This week alone we borrowed a pair of awesome binoculars to bird watch in our back yard, we are trying out some new board games and a few recipe books. The best part is it's free entertainment and I don't need to store any of it! With the recent cold and rainy weather we have definitely taken advantage of what our library has to offer.
This week we checked out Little Cloud by Eric Carle. It pairs well with this fun rain cloud experiment that I think you're going to love. It was super fun for my first graders, but even your toddler will love and it is simple enough for them to help! You can pick up materials at the dollar store, or maybe you already have them on hand.
You will need:
Shaving cream
Food Coloring
Clear cup with water
Start by filling the cup half way with water. Next form a "cloud" by spraying the shaving cream over the top of the water. Then add the food coloring one drop at a time. You will only need a few drops. Sit back and watch the color break through the "cloud" like rain drops and begin swirling in the clear water below. That's it!
You can also discuss cloud formations, or how rain gathers as moisture above the clouds like the food coloring. Then it breaks through and becomes rain drops, or other sciencey stuff like that. The cool part is watching the colors swirl. It's almost like meditation. You can even dump it all into a plastic bowl and let your toddler stir it around or smoosh with their hands for fun sensory play.
I wonder what fun books we'll find at the library next week to inspire some fun free activities at home?
The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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