| The kitchen makes a wonderful laboratory for a kid | | | | Test a substance you know to be an acid (lemon juice |
| science activity! It contains water, heat, and | | | | or vinegar) and one you know to be a base (baking |
| refrigeration. Instruments such as glass jars, bowls, | | | | soda) first to see the proper color changes. Test other |
| measuring utensils and other tools are readily available. | | | | foods such as liquids from canned fruit or vegetables, |
| Basic kitchen science experiments include making an | | | | cream of tartar, egg white, tomato, etc. |
| acid or base indicator (dye) from red cabbage and | | | | Another kid science activity is to use a lemon to |
| creating electricity through a lemon. | | | | demonstrate how batteries generate electricity. |
| When doing a kid science activity make sure you | | | | Straighten a metal paper clip and insert one end into |
| discuss with the children what you are doing in an | | | | the lemon. Take a 6"-8" length of copper wire and |
| experiment and why you are doing it. Part of the | | | | remove any insulation from both ends. Insert one end |
| process is to collect and record data. Don't forget to | | | | into the lemon. |
| review safety procedures before you begin a kid | | | | Now hold the exposed ends of the paper clip and wire |
| science activity! | | | | and touch them to your tongue at the same time. You'll |
| To test whether certain foods are acid or base, an | | | | feel a tingling sensation caused by electricity. Discuss |
| indicator is used. To make an indicator from red | | | | how a battery needs two kinds of metal plus an acid |
| cabbage you will need to cut the cabbage in quarters, | | | | to conduct through water (your tongue) to complete |
| and grate it into a bowl. Add 1-2 cups of water to | | | | an electrical circuit. |
| cover the cabbage. Let the cabbage stand in the | | | | Other great kid science activities include growing |
| water, stirring occasionally until moist. When the water | | | | crystals, finding a freezing point, testing yeast and why |
| is a strong red, remove the cabbage and pour water | | | | a cake rises. A great book with lots of experiments is |
| solution through a strainer into a glass jar. | | | | Science Experiments You Can Eat by Vicki Cobb. |
| Put a small amount of solution into a small white bowl. | | | | |