Friday, July 30, 2010

Make-Your-Own I Spy Bottle...

This project is great fun and will reinforce your Little Kid Scientists "Powers of Observation"!

Ages: Fun for everyone to play with, but especially good for the Little Kids.  
Materials:
 * Empty water bottle
* Rice
* Small objects and toys ( The Science Mommy even used some stickers placed on card stock as objects)
* Tag or Label with items listed



Procedure:
  • Gather up lots of small objects or toys to place in the bottle.  Little Kids can certainly help scavenge for tiny items
  • List the items on a tag or label...this will be useful for Little Kids learning to read.  For Really Little Kids take a picture of the items you'll be placing in the bottle.
  •  Fill the bottle part way with rice, and then drop in all your items.
  •  Fill your bottle about 3/4 full, cap and shake.  You want to make sure the objects are distributed throughout the bottle.  Once everything is shaken up, finish filling the bottle with rice...nearly to the top.
  •  As Kid Scientists roll the bottle, different objects appear!
Different Ways to Play:
  • If you've identified all the items, Kid Scientists can take turns finding items, in order, on the list
  • Give Kid Scientists 1 minute to find as many items as they can
  • Without the label, see how many items Kid Scientists can find in the bottle
  • Place beads or tiles with letters that spell out your Kid Scientists name.  Challenge him to find all the letters in order.
  • With Older Kids, challenge them to find all the objects that are model of living things...then all the objects that are models of non-living things. 

9 Science Moms have commented...:

Shopper Gal said...

That looks like fun :)

jojoebi-designs said...

we made one of these too, great for keeping in the car but we coloured the rice
http://jojoebi.blogspot.com/2008/07/eye-spy-bottle-and-slime.html

I have only recently discovered your blog, I have already bookmarked several projects :o)

The Activity Mom said...

Love the living/nonliving things idea!

Monica said...

Your blog is full of fun ideas! I love your header too! I plan to follow you. Thanks
Monica
Check out my blog at
discovertheirgifts.blogspot.com

Wendy said...

I actually saw one of these in a store and thought it looked like a fun activity for a car trip, too. But, I about choked when I saw the sticker price. Never thought to make one of my own! Great idea & I plan to do one soon.

Anonymous said...

I found you through Monica, and I'm a terrible "Science Mommy" and need all the inspiration/ideas I can get. My Littles are studying Birds, Air Science, and Kitchen Science (Usborne) and my Big Kid is doing Apologia's General Science this year. I LOVE your Blog, and am looking forward to reading!

:)
Kathi

Izzy said...

This is such a fun idea!!!! And then after they are done with the science activities, we can move on to music and movement. Shakers!! =)

Mama M. said...

Thanks for linking this! What a fun idea!!!

Anonymous said...

We are making these for my son's birthday party. its a pirate theme party and we are going to make treasure maps that have a list of all the items in the bottles. Great idea :)