tiny science double feature

[psocoptera]

Project: Additive Light
Materials: two flashlights, colored plastic to put over them
Explanatory details: suggested by q10 - see what happens if you shine filtered light in different colors onto the same spot
How did it go: Interesting! First I got to play a fun game of "chase the light" as Junie waved one flashlight around crazily and I tried to get the second one aimed onto it. Reminded me vaguely of Crystal Quest. I stabilized her flashlight in a hill of blocks, at which point she started switching colors rapidly... I eventually took control of both flashlights briefly, as I was actually quite curious about how this would work. I discovered that it was almost impossible to get anything to happen with the overlapping light beams that my eye would perceive as a mixed color - looking at any given spot on the wall, I inevitably saw either one color or the other, depending on relative intensity (and I suspect also hue). The only exception was with red on one flashlight and green on the other flashlight, I could see a faint ring of white between the red and green.
Things we talked about: Not much, was mostly trying to see if I could get anything interesting to point out to her
What Junie got out of it: She got to repeat the original flashlight colors activity and enjoyed that. She remembered how to make green and purple entirely on her own.

Project: What Sticks to a Magnet?
Materials: a small o-shaped magnet, various small objects: paperclips, a small piece of foam, a metal spoon, a wooden spoon, a chicken magnet from an animal magnets set, a small rubber duck
Explanatory details: suggested by a couple of people, sofer and tapas. I showed her how the magnet picked up a paperclip and suggested she see what else it would stick to
How did it go: Enh. She wasn't very interested; I had mentioned science and then given her a spoon, so she mostly just begged for some water to use with the spoon. At one point she asked to hop down from her highchair (where we were) and shrieked when I tried to take the magnet away; I think it was briefly involved in some cooking in the play kitchen before she got distracted by feeding a doll with the spoon.
Things we talked about: The things that stick to the magnet are all metal
What Junie got out of it: Mama is a cruel person who will taunt you with a spoon and then not give you water. No, seriously, she did do a little bit of fiddling with the magnet, and when I asked her just now what the magnet did, she said it "put it on", which I think was her referring to things sticking to it, although she did also try to put it on the rubber duck's head like a hat, so, who can say.

Comments

[mst3kforall.livejournal.com]

Seconded, on all counts.