A Little Ocean Lesson
Now, as great as it is for children to draw and practice their fine motor skills, it’s also important to squeeze in some educational fun. Today’s tidbit into the world is how Oil Spills affect sea life. Now don’t worry, there is no need to have a research paper done to prove the efficacy of this experiment. It’s quite simple actually.
Add some blue food coloring to the water to give it an ocean vibe. Once that’s complete pour the water into a plastic container. A see through container is just easier to see through from every angle. A see through container that can be closed and shaken is even better!
Next, drop the little plastic fish into the mix. Here you can get creative and add balled up green paper or grass to simulate seaweed. Even throwing in tiny people or to reflect a small portion of the ocean. Now it’s time for the fun part! Add any food coloring (black is the closest to simulate oil spills but any will do) and mix it in with the oil. Lastly, add the baby oil to the ocean habitat you’ve created.
Critical questions to ask your child:
What do you notice/ see?
Why do you think that’s happening?
What do you think will happen to the animals?
Taking it a step further, have your child guess BEFORE the experiment and see how close their predictions were. It’s never too early to create a scientist.
Materials:
Baby Oil
Water
Food Coloring
Plastic container (see through)
Plastic fishes/ debris
Sincerely,
A Tip-Filled Teacher