One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility to shift lessons and activities around to meet the needs of our day. After all, if we can create an environment where learning is fun and relevant, than what not’s to love?
I try to always have a few learning activities up my sleeve that work on short notice or with little preparation. With both a two year old and five year old, I have learned that shifting gears quickly is a necessity. This raindrop experiment was the perfect way to quickly take a stormy dark day and turn it into a fun learning adventure!
Making the Most of Simple Experiments
One look outside and I knew with only a little bit of water, cheap shaving cream, and food coloring we’d be on our way to making clouds and rain come alive indoors. We added in some colorful buttons at the bottom of our water container to represent each one of us standing under the clouds. My kids love to imagine themselves in the midst of anything we learn. It usually doubles the excitement!
So next time it’s rainy and the clouds damper the day, take the perfect opportunity to grab a couple household items and let the fascination begin!
But of course after the experiment don’t forget to throw on the rain boots, laugh while puddle jumping, twirl your umbrellas, and then head inside for a warm cup of hot chocolate and snuggle up together for a great book on rainstorms. Not because it’s profoundly educational but because homeschooling is more than just lessons. It is all about the experience. Always changing, always moving, and always about the relationships.
Give them the knowledge, make it come alive, and teach them to find joy in the midst of life’s storms. Simple science experiments may only need minimal preparation but they can be as impactful as we make them. Embrace simplicity today and make it count!
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[…] vapor,” I said. We can’t always see it, but we know it is there because it collects in the clouds and then it comes back down as […]