Keeping your child active and engaged over this holiday season is key for their growth and happiness! Fun experiments and crafts are great ways to keep their mind active and spirits high during those colder days inside. These activities don’t just entertain, but they offer a wonderful chance to bond and make holiday memories together. By doing these fun experiments at home, you’re encouraging your child to play, helping them with cognitive development and homing in on new motor skills.
Make Your Own Crystal Ornaments
Creating crystal ornaments with your child can make your home feel like a winter wonderland! These easy sparkling decorations can be made with simple household items such as pipe cleaners, borax, hot water, food coloring, and a jar.
Now for the fun part! Using the pipe cleaners, you and your child can use your imaginations to create fun shapes such as stars, trees, hearts or snowflakes. You may use all one color or multicolor pipe cleaners with your designs. Then, with careful adult supervision, you can dissolve borax in hot water with food coloring to create a solution. Place your pipe cleaner creations in the solution overnight. As they set, there will be crystallized formations around the pipe cleaners that look frosty! The food coloring makes your ornament bright for the season.
Candy Cane Slime
This winter, bring the magic of the season indoors with this fun sensory experiment! This craft can help your child work on their motor skills and memory retention. Plus, it’s a great way for your child to explore new textures, scents and colors!
To create your own candy cane slime, all you need is white glue, borax powder, red food coloring and peppermint essential oil. Mix the white glue and borax to create the base for the slime. Then, add your food coloring to give it that classic candy cane look. Finally, add a few drops of the peppermint oil and then you’re ready to start having fun with your new slime! Add extra charms, glitter, or beads to make your slime even more holly and jolly.
Snowstorm In A Jar
If you’re still waiting for the first snow of the season, this activity is perfect for bringing a bit of winter magic indoors! This snowstorm in a jar experiment is a great way for your preschooler to learn about weather and science!
You’ll need a glass jar, baby oil, white paint, water, Alka-Seltzer tablets and silver glitter (optional). In a separate cup, mix ¼ cup of white paint with ½ cup of water and stir. Fill the clear jar ¾ full of baby oil and then gently pour in your white paint mixture. Add a pinch of glitter, break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into small pieces and drop the pieces into the jar! Watch as the reaction creates an incredible snowstorm effect!
Inspiring Creativity in the Classroom
At The Gardner School, we believe art and science are vital parts of a child’s development and are powerful tools for self-expression. Our classrooms encourage children to be creative through hands-on projects by using different mediums, textures, and techniques that help with developing fine motor skills. Schedule a tour to see our classrooms today!