As a foster carer, finding engaging activities to do with your foster children is important for their development and happiness, but it can also be challenging, especially on a budget. However, with a bit of creativity, you can take inexpensive household ingredients and turn them into entertaining science experiments that will fascinate the children. In this article, we’ll explore some fun, educational experiments you can easily do at home.
Vinegar and Baking Soda Eruptions
One classic science experiment pairing is vinegar and baking soda. When combined, these two ingredients undergo a rapid chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas, causing a bubbly, erupting effect. To try this, allow your foster children to pour vinegar into a small paper cup or plastic bottle. Let them add a spoonful of baking soda and watch with delight as fizzing foam erupts out the top! They’ll learn about chemical reactions and have fun at the same time.
Float or Sink Testing
Children often enjoy testing which household objects will float or sink when placed in water. Fill up a big bowl or bucket and have them make predictions about various items – a plastic toy, a rubber ball, a coin, a paperclip etc. Will they sink or float? Let them test their guesses one by one. This encourages scientific reasoning and problem solving — skills they can take with them on their foster care journey. Extend the activity by asking why they think some objects float while others sink.
Egg Geodes
This next activity takes some preparation but yields beautiful glittering egg geode crystals! Start by carefully cracking an egg or two and emptying out the insides. Have your foster children decorate the empty eggshells however they wish with stickers, markers or paint. Then prepare a borax solution by dissolving borax substitute and water in a jar (3 tbsp borax to 1 cup water). Carefully pour the solution into the eggs until almost full. Add a spoonful of sand or tiny pebbles to act as crystal seeds, then top up with more borax. Leave the eggs in a safe spot for 3-5 days. Slowly, crystals will form inside, creating stunning geode egg ornaments!
Rainbow Milk
Children love vibrant colours, so try this experiment making rainbow milk with household items! You’ll need milk, liquid food colouring, dish soap, and cotton swabs. Pour milk into a shallow dish or plate. Place a drop of different food colouring colours around the milk. Then have your foster children dip a cotton swab into dish soap and then gently dab it into the food colouring drops, one colour at a time. As they lift the swab, vibrant rainbow tendrils will stream out, swirling through the milk. The soap changes the surface tension and makes the colours dance and twist together. Foster children will be mesmerised by the colourful, dreamy rainbow patterns they can create and mix. Let their imaginations run wild!
Doing science experiments together provides lots of learning opportunities for foster children while having fun at the same time. With just a few basic household ingredients, foster carers can create entertaining activities like colourful chemical eruptions, sink or float testing, crystalline geode eggs, and rainbow milk. Setting aside time for these simple science projects allows children to explore interests, ask deeper questions, and bond with their foster family.
