day 686 | august 30, 2013 | Laboratory Partners

It all started from a "Coke Explosion" experiment we tested with a small bottle of Diet Coke and a few pieces of Mentos. That little test was such a hit with the little ones that it decisively swung the favor from My Little Pony to Science as the theme for their party. What I found interesting was that Roo was not particularly concerned about what caused the explosion, but rather whether Coke will be good or harmful to the grass. Meanwhile, Red was simply interested in making the explosion happen again.

After that playful foray, both Roo and Red were right beside me, flipping through science experiment videos in youtube in search of things that interest them, looking for answers to questions, as well as activities we can do with friends.

Before sharing images from the party itself, I wanted to showcase some of the preparations we did, and take pride in Roo and Red's level of engagement to make the party such a success even before it happened. They were declaring the "awesomeness" of science in random conversations, and "experiment" is a newly minted magical word. They were listing out the things we needed for the party, and taking on tasks that their little hands could do. One of the key objectives for the party is already achieved -- Roo and Red, curious, engaged, and taking ownership of specific tasks. The final piece is in encouraging our friends to feel the same way we do about Science.

Testing the experiment for Laboratory 2: Blow-up Baloon

The look of "awesome!"

Experiment Approved!

For the DIY "Lava Lamp"

Testing experiment with a Clear Baby Oil

The middle is using Cooking Oil, which didn't quite work out as nicely as Baby Oil did.

For the activity bags, we had agreed that we would be making bags out of newspapers. I didn't have any time to make them though, so Roo and Red were at the helm on this, equipped with my box of washi tapes, scotch tape, and a couple pairs of scissors.

Working on it, one bag at a time. (Snapped before I left for work)

They're getting pretty nimble with my scissors. ;)

The collection that greeted me on my desk when I came back home from work and Mandarin class.
So proud of them!

More work for the little ones. :)

Putting on the paper bag handles, and putting jars and random things inside each bag.

In case you're interested in some resources, we've used ScienceBob and ScienceKids.

I've enjoyed the planning and preparation process because of my curious and bubbly laboratory partners. :) We'll continue to explore science at home even after the party, and I'll help just by simply following their lead, and discovering the answers to their questions together. Mommy (and daddy) may not have all the answers, but we're happy to learn along with them.

Experiment Approved!