Magnetic Tube Marble Racing

I put this activity together as part of our Magnets unit, and it has remained a standby center in all the weeks since. (Perfect for the whole "motion" aspect of Transportation! The idea came from Teach Preschool.)

The children helped paint a bunch of cardboard tubes one day. Once dry, I wrapped each tube in contact paper for durability and attached two magnets (found at Daiso) using hot glue. That's it - stack the tubes (we used our magnetic whiteboard), add a few marbles, and see what happens!

The children love assembling the tubes in different ways, seeing how tall they can make their marble runs! The boys in the above photos were figuring out how big a gap they could leave between tubes before the marbles would escape. They also found some plastic containers to use for catching (or trying to catch!) their marbles as they came out.

Simple, inventive, and fun.

Making Paper

We did this activity as part of our study on solids and liquids. It was also a great tie-in with our recycling theme the following week. I try to consciously incorporate "bridges" most weeks -- activities that suit our current focus but also link to whatever we're planning to cover the following week. It gives the children an additional reference point to help them connect with new learning.

After morning circle, we spent some time tearing old paper scraps (more leftovers from this project) into very tiny pieces and left them to soak in a tub of water.

A few hours later, the paper had absorbed a decent amount of water (and those big pieces in the photo above had been re-shredded!). I used an immersion blender to pulverize the wet scraps a little at a time. The children thought it looked like ice cream! (But we all agreed it was probably best not to take a taste.)

Unfortunately, there are no photos of the blending step, as I was teaching on my own this particular day. However, the fact that we managed to finish this project, just one teacher and 22 little ones, tells you how fun and easy it is!

Finally, we spread our paper mush out on some towels and patted it out like a pizza crust. We also pressed dish towels on top to absorb the excess water. Once our paper "dough" was nice and flat, we placed another thick towel on top, as well as some heavy bins. Two days later, voila -- we had paper! Not sure what we'll use it for yet, but I'll be sure to share once we figure it out!

Our New Light Box

Ever since seeing DIY light boxes pop up on various teacher blogs, we've wanted one for our classroom. Over spring break, Mrs. Emy finally managed to make one. Here's how she did it.

You will need:

-a large, low plastic tub

-mylar (or similar material) to line the tub

-freezer or baking paper 

-double-stick tape, glue, or another adhesive

-scissors

-battery-operated lights, plus batteries to go in them

Purchasing information: The plastic tub here is from IKEA. I found a large mylar-coated foam lawn mat at Daiso, though the reflective shields for car windows (available at Lulu's or Carrefour) would work, too. The battery-operated push lights are also from Daiso.

You don't need to be super precise. The main thing is to make sure there are no gaps along the bottom or sides so that the light won't escape. (I cut a large rectangle for the bottom, then cut separate panels with plenty of overlap for the sides.) Attach with double-stick tape as you go.

Here's what my tub looks like fully-lined with the mylar. As you can see, no perfectionism present :) I tucked the overhang from my side panels under the lip of the bin and used more double-stick tape to hold it in place.

Place your push lights inside the lined tub.

Cut a piece of baking or freezer paper to cover the top of your tub. This will help mute and disperse the light. Again, it needn't be precise.

Push your lamps on when you're ready to use the light box. Obviously, you'll need to move the paper for this step :) Place it back on, secure the lid, and you're almost done!

This, of course, is optional, but salt writing is a really fun way to explore the light box. Since it's also the first activity I wanted to try with the kids, I decided to test it out at home.

I brought the completed light box to school today as a sort of "Welcome Back" gift for the children. I'm happy to report that they loved it!

I mean, look at that smile!

Trails in the salt

Someone discovered the colored plexiglass viewers I'd placed in our new "Science Lab" role play corner, adding a whole new element of creative play.

I will never grow tired of little hands at work. 

This was an easy and inexpensive enough project that we're thinking of making a few more boxes. It would also be a great item to have at home to encourage creative, open-ended play.

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PARENT CORNER

Why salt writing?

Salt writing is a great sensory activity for young children. Pre-schoolers and toddlers especially learn through the use of their five senses, and salt-writing on the light box stimulates little eyes, hands, and minds. Using fingers to draw helps prepare hands for writing and allows children to practice making letters and marks in a pressure-free way. Writing with a finger is generally less frustrating to a child that may not yet be comfortable holding a crayon, pencil, or other writing utensil.

If you're interested in learning more about sensory play, these articles are a good place to start:

"A Handful of Fun" by Amanda Morgan at NotJustCute

"Sensory Play. . ." by Emily Harmon