Slimed!

 Do you have a few kids kicking around on your couch with nothing to do?  What better time than this to play with some science!  When the weather is less than encouraging for outdoor activities is just when the time is right to strike with some sneaky academic fun.  Local libraries are full of books about experiments. 

We grabbed this one by Lori shores in the non-fiction children's section a few weeks ago.  The kids immediately wanted to get started...but I waited a few days to let the excitement build (or, ya know, until I found the time). 

 First gather up your supplies:  a bowl for mixing, a wet measuring cup, a dry measuring cup, food coloring, corn starch, water and a spoon.

 Mix 1/2 C of water with 1 C cornstarch and a few drops of food coloring.  The book suggests green but we went with blue. 

 Stir it all up.

 And then start playing with it.  Talk about how it feels, how it looks--how it tastes if you really want.  I suggested my kids not taste it, which led to all the usual questions such as:  "Will it kill me?"  "Will I get sick?"  "Will I throw up?"  "What will happen?"  I would really prefer a simple "Yes, Mom!"  : )

 We read the book together to talk about the science behind the goo.  Why does it move around the way it does, etc. 

They had a blast messing with the slime for a good 15 minutes.  It made a huge mess all over the counter and floor and clothes, of course.  But here is the beauty--just let it dry for a while and  then sweep up the dry cornstarch.  The grooves in my tile counter top were a problem as usual.  But a week later and most of the white mess is gone.
I would suggest making one recipe per kid instead of trying to split it like I did.  Also, the book suggests using a pie plate.  I wish that we had.  That way there is more surface area to mess with and see what happens when you slap it.  Live and learn.

Before I go any further I want to thank you all for your lunch ideas you gave me a month or so ago.  I added them to my "Lunch ideas" cheat sheet on the inside of my cupboard.  I know you can't tell from the picture--but those are my cheat sheets.   I have five of them right now.  One is "budget meals"--those are the ones we have once a week including beans and rice, baked potatoes with something on top & pasta.  One is "Soups & Salads".  Another is "Casseroles".  There is "Other".  And now I have my "Lunch ideas".  When my mind is drawing a blank (which is often, as you probably guessed) I open my cupboard and look at my lists.  They are particularly helpful when company is coming, I am making my weekly menus, when I'm making my grocery list, when I need to make a dish for a potluck or when I need to make lunch NOW to get Ezra to school on time.  We eat things that are not on the list, of course,  but these are always a good way to get me thinking.

As for what is going on with my blog--I'm still figuring that out.  We got a new computer after 8 years--which is quite long for a computer to live, I'm told.  Not that I would know.  Anyhow, I think that the blog is viewable from Firefox or Google Chrome and not from Internet Explore.  I am not sure why the comment format changed.  Some of your comments end up in the spam folder--I just found out that existed-and I'm not sure why.  I will continue to try my best to figure out the ins and outs of the changes.  I don't deal well with change : )  Stay tuned for more science experiments to come.