Static Electricity!

1. Repel / Attract
Have kids experiment with having two balloons attract and repel. Visit Learning Ideas K-8 for instructions!

2. Bending Water
Quest Garden made water bend with static electricity! materials: balloon, wool, running water
1. Rub the wool on the balloon
2. Run the water low and slow
3. Hold the balloon next to the running water

3. Balloon Pickup

Can a ballon pick up cereal or paper? via Mad Sci

Rub a record with wool and hold it over Rice Krispies cereal. The cereal will snap, crackle, and fly! Now, rub a ballon with wool and see if it can pick up cut pieces of paper or tissue. The tissue will be attracted to the balloon, then jump away! Can you pick up anything else with a charged balloon?
4. Roll a Can with No Hands! via science quad

materials: soda can, head of hair, and a balloon

1. Lay the can on a flat surface.

2. Rub a balloon on your head or wool.

3. Hold the balloon close to your can, without touching it.

4. The can will roll toward the balloon! Have a soda can race with a friend! via Science Bob 

5. Electrifying Gelatin! 

Make gelatin raise the roof with static electricity! Pour some unflavored gelatin on a flat surface. Then, rub a blown up balloon on your head (super fast) or wool to create a charge. Once the balloon is all charged up, place it over the gelatin (without touching). The balloon will raise the gelatin up into the air! Visit Zoom for the full explanation.

photo via family fun

6. Floating Orb (left)
Visit Disney Family Fun for instructions!

7. Haunted Straw
Can you make a straw rotate in a full circle without touching it?! Check out the Surfing Scientist and amaze your friends!

8. Snake Charmer
Make a tissue paper snake rise up! Visit Powerhouse Museum for instructions!

9. Floating Octopus
Control a plastic bag octopus with a balloon wand! - Science Squad

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!