Paperclip Math

1. Hands on Math: Paperclip Equations (also can be done with fact families)
2. The Longest Chain - First, have students estimate how many paperclips they think they can link in a certain amount of time. Then, set a timer and have students make a chain as quickly as possible! Measure the paperclip chains. Who created the longest? Who's guess was the closest to their actual number? 
3. Just my size - Have kids estimate how many paperclips it would take to create a chain the same height as them. 
4. Mean, Median, Mode, Range - Race to make a chain! When time is up, kids count how many clips they linked. Write down the number of clips they linked on the board from lowest to highest. Next, find the mean, add up all their scores and divide the sum by how many teams there were. Then, circle the number that falls in the middle (median). Mode - did anyone have the same number of paper clips on their chain? Finally, find the range: subtract the lowest score from the highest.
5. Paperclip patterns: link colors to create a pattern.
6. Floating Paperclip! - Visit Science Bob for a paperclip science experiment about surface tension.

Candy Exploration Lab

Don't eat all of your Halloween candy! Instead, create a candy exploration lab!

Featured Above:
1. Steve Spangler - Skittles Chromatography, Floating M's, Gobstopper Color Separation, and more candy chemistry!

2. Science Matters - Candybar Density - Do nuts make a difference?

3. Classroom Magic - Volume of funsize candybars, plus free printable for the activity!

4. What are we doing today Mom? - SweetTart Weathering and Erosion

For more candy exploration visit CandyExperiments.com and Science Gal

Play-Doh Math and Science

Have fun with play-doh while learning math and science!

States of Matter
First, make a hypothesis and a prediction, will the volume or weight of play-doh change after it is played with? Ask kids what state of matter does play-doh belong to? Is it a solid, liquid, or gas? If play-doh is smushed, is that an example of a chemical or physical change in matter? Explanation - Changing the shape and form is an example of a physical change in matter. Play-doh can take on many forms and return back to its original form.

Geometry
1. Take play-doh out of the canister and keep it in its cylinder shape. Now, find the radius of your circular base. Then, measure the height of your cylinder.
2. Figure out the volume! 
3. Have fun with your play-doh, mush, smash, roll, and bend it for at least 10 minutes.
4. After playing with it, return it back to its original state by putting it back into its container.
5. Once it's a cylinder again, take its measurements and find the volume. What happened? Is the volume still the same?

Experiment with finding the volume of various 3D play-doh solids (cubes, rectangular prisms, etc.). Visit UEN or Science Buddies for instructions.

Weight for younger kids
Weigh play-doh before and after playing with it. Did the weight of the play-doh change? Weigh the play-doh in a variety of shapes and irregular forms. Does shape make a difference in weight? 

More Math Activities
1. Measure the length and width of play-doh straight out of the canister. Create play-doh shapes and sculptures and measure. Compare your measurements to the dough straight from the canister. See who can make the longest piece of play-doh using only one canister of dough. Combine your play-doh snake and measure!
2. Use play-doh on ten frames. Kids pinch off pieces and roll pieces into balls to represent numbers on a ten frame. 

More Play-Doh Science: 
1. Make an electrical circuit with play-doh, while learning about insulators and conductors! 
2. Visit Andy Brain for a play-doh buoyancy activity!

Marble Science

Friction
Have kids roll marbles on a smooth and rough surface. What surface makes the marble roll the fastest?

Sink or Float?

Collect marbles and various other objects and test buoyancy. What sinks and what floats? 

Viscosity

Now, experiment with how marbles react to fluids with a higher viscosity than water. Drop a marble in each of the following liquids: corn syrup, milk, honey, and oil. Explain that thicker liquids have a higher mass and make the marble move slower. 

"Hypothesize before you perform the experiment about which liquid will move the marble faster or slower."- via ehow and science buddies

Marble Moon Craters

Drop marbles from different heights and angles into a pan filled with flour. via the exploration station

Crackled Marbles

Bake marbles in the oven for a crackling effect.

 1. Preheat your oven to 450.

2. Bake marbles in a pan for 7 minutes

3. Then, transfer marbles to a bowl of ice water.

4. Finally, dry them off and enjoy!

Marble Graviton

Defy gravity with a marble and a glass! Will the marble fall out when the glass is flipped? 

explanation: 
"The inertia of the spinning marble is a "push" force.  The glass supplies another "push" force that keeps the marble moving in a "uniform circular motion."  The force of the glass is centripetal force, a force that makes a body follow a curved path. The combined forces of the spinning marble and the glass create a relative force greater than gravity." - Steve Spangler

Density Towers

Explore solids and liquids with the classic density tower. After discovering the density of liquids, kids can test how dense certain solids are. Which solids sink? Which ones float? Click here for the explanation. If you want to make a smaller tower, you can experiment with the 7-layer density column here. You can adjust the colors of your 7-layer density column and make a rainbow tower! 

You can also integrate math with this activity and practice fractions!

For younger kids, you can concoct Science Bob's drinkable density juice tower! Yum! Visit his site for the full tutorial!

Diving Ketchup! Experiment

This experiment shows kids that gas can be compressed!

Note: If the ketchup packet won't float, add 3 tbsp of salt and shake bottle. Continue to add salt, until the ketchup just floats towards the top. "Adding salt with adjust the density of the water." -  Science Bob

Discovery Bottles

Discovery and exploration in a bottle, set up your own science lab! Dr. Jean and Preschool Play constructed the bottles featured above. Below are the instructions:

1. Magnetism- Can a magnet work through plastic? What happens when you add water?
2. Static Electricity- Tear pieces of tissue paper and styrofoam. Then, rub the bottle on wool, your head, or the carpet. What happens?
3. Waves- Create waves and motion in a bottle. (1/2 cup corn syrup, drop of color, and glitter)
4. Bubbles- Mix up 1/2 cup water, drop of dish detergent, and food coloring. Shake, what happened? 
5. Mud- Can water and dirt make mud? (1/2 cup dirt, 2/3 full with water) Classify the water and the mud.
6. Sink / Float- What objects sink / float? (Beach Bottle in photo: Fill bottle with 3/4 cup sand, add water, drop of color, small objects, and a balloon.)
7. Numbers- Roll the dice and find the sum of the 2 numbers. Estimate how many objects are in the bottle.
8. Story- Put objects in a bottle and create a story from them!

visit Dr. Jean for more bottle ideas!