Clouds, Friends and Experiments

Morning Group:

The weather report was for heavy rain on the way, so we made sure to get outside as soon as we could before it came.

Today's book was The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin. We talked about shapes we imagined in the clouds, as well as how we sometimes like to be alone and at other times, with friends.

The sky was full of clouds, dark, grey and thick. So there weren't too many shapes to find, unless a blanket shape counts. But we had another mission today - to enjoy time with our friends and see how playing with each other made things more fun.

Friends up high

The Rubbish Catcher, designed and made by friends

Look at the hole in the ground we found!

Brooding clouds

Friends in high places!

The tide was high

Problem solving - how can we cross this water?

Problem solved with lots of team work

Swing discovery on the other side 

Some of us saw a little eel in this tunnel. It will need some serious exploration later!

For home:
- Enjoy looking up at the clouds one day. What shapes can you find? Why not make up a story, picture or song about what you discover?
- Think about your friends and why you like them. Who are your best friends and why? (Family does count too!) You might want to make something nice for one of them.

Afternoon Group:

Picture books can also be helpful for us older ones. What Floats in A Moat by Lynne Berry was a good story to help us think more about what actually makes things float and sink.

We experimented with floating 'barrels' like those in the story - full, empty and half filled, then discussed the results.

Another experiment was to see how much water was displaced when different objects were placed in a full tub. We also noticed that when we put our hands straight into the water, fingers first, there was much less resistance than if we submerged them horizontally, palm down. Everything displaces its own weight in water. The space it takes on the surface is what determines if it floats or sinks. If it can displace its weight in water before it sinks, it will float.

Our challenge for the afternoon was to work in teams with limited materials to create a boat that could hold the heaviest weight. Both teams worked hard and their boats were each able to float while holding half a jar of water. Well done!

For home:
Continue thinking about your own rafts - are you covering enough surface to ensure they float with your weights on them?
If it's sunny next week, bring your rafts so far so we can check them out and help out if needed.