Wild & Wacky Science art for Juniors WOW

We took a new direction and did some experiments, some art process, added an architectural project and did a rolling waterfall of color as our exploding paint. We started with a crystal painting project using epsom salt in super solution. Once everyone understood that heaving painting was required it really worked well. RECIPE [ 1 cup very HOT water, 1 cup+ epsom salts, food color or tempera paints] 

We did a project experimenting with how to use oil pastels and talked about why they reactions occurred then created a small picture. we used baby oil as our medium as it is more kid friendly than mineral oil or some other solvents. 
Clay is always popular at camp and we used plain polymer clay to make medians then imprinted them using small pinecones, shells and other natural items. The camper made them into necklaces, mobile hangers and more by painting them after we baked them  and stringing them onto cording. 
We tried out the chemical reaction between permanent markers and alcohol on a CD and although the kids were pretty pleased, I felt it should have worked better. The marker ink does spread and is fun to watch the changes. 
We also got to use stretchy clay to make critters. It was a bit older and does not really work well to stretch and pose. the critters they made pleased them though. It is much smellier than regular polymer clay. 

Wednesday we looked at structural items made from crafts sticks and talked about and looked at ones like the Eiffel tower. The kids then created some pretty impressive projects using the sticks and some other small wood pieces. Some spent most of the day working on it, others finished early and went on to complete other projects or lend a hand on one of the projects still under construction. 

We spent some of the last day creating airplanes from clothes pins, crafts sticks and helicopters from folded construction paper helicopters so we could fly them. flying helicopter http://babbledabbledo.com/diy-toy-paper-helicopter/  

The junior councellors went all out to get a project working to explode the paint. We tried film canisters of two kinds with their own tops and with corks to no avail. Then they lined up all the canisters and had the kids put in baking soda and tempera powder and slowly went down the line pouring vinegar into all of them. It is between a colored rolling waterfall and a skittles fountain. skittles fountain The kids love the reaction between vinegar and baking soda but without a larger bottle to blow due to the gas nothing blows up. 

Our last 2 projects were to use the styrofoam eggs and balls with ping pong balls and create an alien and make bouncing balls from borax and glue. Not sure which one was more fun but getting the large amount of food dye off the kids requires baby oil, dishwashing detergent and lots  of scrubbing plus some color theory on complimentary colors and why that helped get the color off more quickly, i.e. red on green. 

We have an album on Facebook with many more pictures for you to view. 

Wild and Wacky science art for beginners better than ever

We really stretched out this time to include new and different things for the kids and let them do many experiments with artistic involvement. You have to think about art being more than drawing and painting as we usually do. We included all kinds of home made potions and still managed to create quite a number of projects to send home.
The beginners got to do food color and celery changing color and loved it. We mixed homemade salt clay then made creations from them. The kids loved adding in the color and kneading the dough until it was ready to use. They were less sure about sharing their clay even to get a second color.
 
 RECIPE [ 1cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp oil, a little tempera powder]  

We drew hot air balloons and colored them by layering on tissue paper and spraying it with rubbing  alcohol. Turns out nice too. 


I brought leaves from my Turks cap to paint on the veined side and do color stamping with. Once the kids got enough paint on it really took off as they could stamp repeatedly with one leaf. The erupting paint was much more fun to make as everyone got to stir some of it up and add colors to it. It only foams for a few seconds but those were good seconds. RECIPE [ 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup or so water, food coloring]  


Our crystal painting got mixed without their help as it involved very hot water. RECIPE [1 cup HOT water, 1 cup+ epsom salts, food color or tempera paints] 
We tried out hand at making our own crayon scratch-outs and did not get them dry before the end of camp but the kid learned how to do it: RECIPE [heavily applied crayon on paper, tempera paint with dish soap applied heavily and let dry] 

we also did a magic milk experiment but thinned it a bit too much so we could not take prints RECIPE [milk, drops of food color, toothpick with dish soap on it] and lastly we made kaleidoscopes and straw airplanes that flew very well. Wish I'd cut the helicopters for the younger kids that we did in the older kids' camp. 

Wild & Wacky Science art camp day 3

we stated the  day with a 2 part project. We used construction paper and sequins to decorate altoids tins and serve as our rock boxes. Some were far more encrusted than their rocks. We then used more of the fimo clay to create different types of rocks--some with holes punched in them, some painted gold or with glow in the dark paints, some with a granite type look or ones with inclusions.
Our second project was one of color and movement of fluids. We started with coffee filters and colored many colored dots on them then dipped the edge in a plate of water and waited for the reaction. There were lots ohs and ahs as the colors spread but not nearly so much as the colloidal reaction. We used a plate of milk with food color then tried the effect of a Qtip--nothing, then a Q tip with detergent and the reaction was dramatic. The kids were then encouraged to gently stir the colors. Eventually of course it made a muddy color but was interesting as they went.
our last 2 projects were dymanic--we tried the experiment of propelling a soda bottle with vinegar and baking soda. Sometimes the bottles got corked and not quite flat on the floor before going off other times the cork had all the motion not the bottle, but sometimes the bottle scooted just as it should have. No matter what the kids really got into this very messy project. Secondly they used styrofoam egg cartons to make gliders and launch them. Most of them got them to fly a little way. I'd say we need some work on this one.
We finished off the week looking at our geodes which are crystalizing and our crystals. None of them glowed well but the crystals were pretty good.
Another 2 science camps are planned later in the summer.