Hands-On Family Fun at Home
Hands-on activities help children explore their senses and learn how to interact with the world around them! They’re also a great way to keep your little ones entertained on the weekend or during school breaks.
Lots of these activities involve items that you probably already have in your house, so they’re super-convenient and low-cost. Use these ideas next time you’re looking for a fun and frugal way to keep the kids busy!
- Calming jars
These jars are made with liquids of two different colors that combine when shaken and separate when settled. It’s a cool science experiment and a relaxing visual!
You’ll need:
- Jars with lids
- Baby oil
- Water
- Measuring cup
- Water-based food coloring
- Oil-based food coloring
- Toothpick
Fill a jar halfway with water, add a few drops of food coloring, and shake to mix.
Pour an equal amount of baby oil into a measuring cup, add a few drops of a different food coloring, and use a toothpick to mix.
Pour the oil into the jar with water, shake to mix, and watch with amazement as the colors settle and separate!
- Edible DNA molecules
Make edible DNA out of marshmallows and Twizzlers!
You’ll need:
- Toothpicks
- Marshmallows
- Twizzlers
Place two marshmallows on a toothpick.
Connect the end of the toothpicks to a Twizzler on either side to make a ladder.
Twist the ladder, so it looks like a double helix – the shape of DNA!
- Play a math-focused card game
There are tons of card games you can play to help your little one learn math! Here is a super-simple one:
Lay out cards next to each other until you have three rows and four columns.
Ask your child to take away cards until they collect a certain value. For example, you can ask, “Pick up cards that add up to the number 13!”
IMAGINE EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE
Here at Imagine, we love using hands-on activities to facilitate fun and learning. Contact us to hear more of our ideas!
