Tagged with 'Science'

https://youtu.be/fSKdbspDO7UHome's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 5-8Grades: K-3Supplies:• Plastic bottle• Balloon (or rubber glove)• Baking soda• VinegarProcedure:1. Use a funnel to shake 2 tablespoons of baking soda into an uninflated balloon.2. Fill a plastic bottle with ½ cup of white vinegar.3. Remove the funnel and carefully place the open end of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle, without letting the baking soda pour into the bottle.4. When you’re ready, lift the balloon so the baking soda pours into the bottle.5. Watch the balloon fill up with the gas from the baking soda and vinegar reaction! EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFxThjSZjmU&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 4-12Grades: pre-K-6Supplies:• Cardboard box• 2 Similar-sized objects• Camera or phone with slow-motion video capabilitiesProcedure:1. Stand a cardboard box on end, with the open flaps facing you.2. Set up your slow-motion camera to record the objects falling.3. Using one hand to support the flap, place both objects on one flap of the cardboard box and make sure they are not moving.4. Start recording on the slow-motion camera.5. Drop the flap on the cardboard box.6. Watch the video of the objects falling. Are they falling at the same speed? Or is one object falling faster than the other? Try dropping other objects! Do you notice any relationship between the shape and how the object falls? How about the size? Or weight?Explanation:The force of gravity is all around us. We experience it every day on Earth, whether or not we think about it. Sir Isaac Newton was the first to develop a mathematical explanation for gravity, which includes the importance of mass and distance. If an object has a lot of mass (is very heavy) then it will impose a larger gravitational force than other, smaller objects experience.When we drop two objects like the ping pong ball and tangerine in the video, they fall to the ground because the force of gravity is pulling them toward the center of the Earth. This gravitational force applies to everything on Earth, from an apple growing on a tree to a car parked on the street, and even planes in the sky.Now it’s time to experiment with dropping different objects! Be sure you aren’t dropping anything that might break. As mentioned in the video, this experiment is ignoring the effects of air resistance. Since we are in our homes and not a science lab, we can see how gravity affects all objects, but we can also see how the shape of an object changes the air resistance it feels as it falls to the ground.For this experiment, we are focusing on Newton’s Second Law, or F = ma.This law says the force an object feels (in this case, the force of gravity from Earth) equals the mass of that object (how heavy it is) multiplied by the acceleration it experiences. Everything on Earth feels the same acceleration toward the center of the Earth.So, what happens if we drop a ping pong ball and a baseball? A baseball weighs about 145 grams but a ping pong ball weighs about 3 grams. The acceleration is the same since both objects are on Earth, so the force the baseball feels is about 50 times as large as the force the ping pong ball feels (because it weighs almost 50 times as much).Why does it look like they reach the ground at the same time? The reason is inertia. Inertia is resistance to acceleration and depends on how much something weighs. If something weighs more, it won’t accelerate as fast. That’s why the ping pong ball starts to fall faster than the baseball.If we repeat this experiment with different-shaped objects, we can see the effects of air resistance. Try this out a piece of paper and a ball. The ball is round so the air can move around it easily, but the paper is a large rectangle, making it difficult for the air to go around it. The air resistance slows down the acceleration of the paper toward the ground, which is why it moves back and forth and reaches the ground after the ball.EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OGAvKbCZek&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 5+Grades: K+Supplies:• 1-gallon container (clear is nice so you can see the food breaking down)• soil• food scraps• worms (optional)In the United States, it is estimated that 30-40% of food is wasted. That’s more than 100 billion pounds of wasted food! Composting is a great way to make full use of that food material that would normally be thrown away, reducing waste and enabling a household to create their own, nutrient-rich dirt for gardens and planters.Procedure:1. Find a clear bin to store your starter dirt and fill it about ¾ full. We recommend using a container with a lid to help regulate the temperature and humidity, but it’s not absolutely necessary.2. Add kitchen scraps as you have them.3. Stir your compost every day or two to help distribute the material.Thing to compost:• eggshells• banana and orange peels• apple cores• food trimmings• coffee grounds• teabags• corn cobsOther tips:• Do NOT put meat or dairy products into your compost bin unless you want to attract flies and other pests• If you are adding materials with a lot of moisture (watermelon or squash, for example), add a few dry leaves or bits of finely shredded paper to absorb some of the liquid• Smaller items break down faster, so chop your food waste into small bits if possible• If you would like, you can add earthworms to your compost bin to help break down the food particles you add• You can make it easy on yourself by using the Educational Insights Now You See it, Now You Don’t See-Through Container.[caption id="attachment_6422" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Now You See It, Now You Don't™ See-Through Compost Container[/caption]Resources:Composting overview: https://www.thespruce.com/tips-for-indoor-composting-2539618Indoor composting overview: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/indoor-composting/ EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards!

If you’ve got a little one in school, you’ve likely heard the terms STEM and STEAM enough to wonder what they mean. Simply put, STEM is an academic focus on science, technology, engineering, and math. STEAM adds the all-important artistic aspect – hence, the “A”. For the last 20 years or so, the U.S. has committed to incorporating STEM learning into our kids’ school curriculum, and for good reason![caption id="attachment_5304" align="alignnone" width="724"] Photo credit: https://www.theedadvocate.org/[/caption]According to the experts at The Edvocate, STEM learning fosters ingenuity and creativity, builds resilience, encourages experimentation and teamwork, promotes knowledge application and the use of technology, teaches problem solving, and encourages kids to adapt what they’ve learned to fit specific problems. All good, right? Even better – it’s never too early to incorporate STEM learning into your at-home play time! Below are some of our favorite, super fun, STEM activities from around the web:

Science

Make your own bubbles! If you’ve got dish soap, corn syrup, and a straw, you’re ready to mix up your own batch of homemade bubbles. Visit our friends at homesciencetools.com for instructions and a simple scientific explanation.Soak up an oil spill! Bring the bummer of pollution home with this DIY oil spill clean up project from LittleBinsForLittleHands (don’t miss their FREE ocean-themed STEM activity cards!). Fill a pan with water, add some oil, then brainstorm ways to get it out. Try a spoon, paper towels, cotton balls, and finally, Dawn dish soap to demonstrate how difficult it is to recapture spilled oil in the ocean.[caption id="attachment_5308" align="alignnone" width="608"] Photo credit: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com[/caption]Get outside and explore! There’s no better teacher than mother nature, so get up and head outdoors! Observe the natural flora and fauna in your area, talk about the seasons, compare and contrast different plants, seeds, twigs, and rocks. Make exploring even more fun with kid-friendly scientific tools like microscopes, telescopes, adventure pens, and binoculars from GeoSafari®![caption id="attachment_5309" align="alignnone" width="530"] GeoSafari® Jr. Kidnoculars®[/caption]

Technology

Speak in code! From verbally programming your walk through the house to talking through tasks, step-by-step, there are lots of low-tech ways to introduce coding to your kids. Visit our blog on coding for some fun and easy at-home ideas!Get cute! 100% screen free and super cute, Coding Critters allow kids to code adorable animal friends following the directions in their new pet’s storybook adventures. Kids simply press buttons on the Critters’ backs to move them left, right, forward, or back, navigating the obstacles in the included pet playsets and introducing this key STEM concept.[caption id="attachment_5310" align="alignnone" width="688"] Photo Credit: learningresources.com[/caption]Draw it out! Kids who love art will go coding crazy for ARTIE 3000™ The Coding Robot! This self-contained unit teaches kids to write computer code line by line and then draws whatever they’ve coded! From shapes and letters to mandalas and custom designs, kids use an easy computer interface (no WIFI required!) with step-by-step instructions to tell ARTIE which way to turn, how many steps to take, and when to lift his pen or put it down. Then they simply click “run” to see their ARTIE execute their coded script on paper.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FyS_4ZTyK4&t=24s

Engineering

Ramp it up! Simple machines are the perfect way to slip some engineering into your child’s day and it doesn’t get much simpler than a ramp! Use a cut up the box from your last Amazon delivery, use a cereal box, or a wooden building plank, grab a small ball or toy car, and experiment with different constructions and angles. Find some fun ideas at BuggyandBuddy.com.[caption id="attachment_5311" align="alignnone" width="703"] Photo Credit: https://buggyandbuddy.com[/caption]Build, build, build! Wooden blocks, building bricks, and Lincoln Logs are the perfect first engineering experiences. Stack them as high as they’ll go, construct bridges, or – trickier – tunnels. As they play, kids will gain a sense of spatial reasoning, learn about structural integrity (crash!), explore the principles of design, and so much more.[caption id="attachment_5312" align="alignnone" width="909"] Photo Credit: manzanitakids[/caption]Make a marshmallow man! Encourage your kids to create all kinds of structures using marshmallows and toothpicks. Try making a cube, a curved dome, a two-sided ladder, or, some of these other ideas from our friends at BrainBrigade.org.

Math

Count it out! Even little ones can get in on the STEM fun and learning – with counting! Count Cheerios, crackers, steps to the car, anything and everything you can count, count!Match it up! Correlating a digital number with an actual amount is a key early math skill. One simple activity from BusyToddler.com has kids matching numerals 1-9 on sticky notes to sets of the same number of dots on a white board.[caption id="attachment_5315" align="alignnone" width="632"] Photo credit: https://busytoddler.com[/caption]Make an abacus! Well, sort of. Start with a bowl of multi-colored beads. Help your child find one bead of one color, two beads of another color, etc. Then assist your kiddo in sliding the beads onto a pipe cleaner, bending the ends so the beads don’t slide off. Then practice counting the number of beads on each pipe cleaner. This two-in-one activity from TheImagnationTree.com is also a great way to build fine motor skills ????.Click to learn more about the importance of STEM and for even more at-home ideas for incorporating STEM learning in your everyday play!

Get up close and personal with nature, through the amazing power of magnification! There are truly unbelievable details in nearly everything you find outdoors (and in, for that matter!), and magnifying glass activities are fun for the whole family. Teach your kids to look deeper by examining natural finds with a microscope or other magnifiers! EI’s GeoSafari® Jr. Science Utility Vehicle™ is a fun way to introduce magnification to young children, and our GeoSafari Adventure Pens are the perfect, portable scientific tool for older kids.Some particularly spectacular, every day outdoor objects to magnify include:Leaves – look for the veins!Bark – check out the texture!Snake or spider skin – is it translucent? Transparent?Feathers - are the edges smooth or frayed? Can you see a pattern?Blades of grass – are the edges smooth or rough?Sand – see the millions of mini granules?Dirt – what is dirt made of? What colors do you see?Moss – can you find a stem? Leaves?Insects – how many body parts does it have?Pond or Ocean water – is there anything swimming in your specimen?Your kids won’t believe the discoveries they can make when they take a closer look. And if you really want to take an even closer look, check out these images from the GeoSafari Talking Electron Microscope™ – you won’t believe your eyes!At EI, we believe in sharing, and we bet you do, too, so please don’t forget to share this post with your friends!

A scavenger hunt is a great way to add some structure to outdoor exploration – and kids love it! Make a list of natural springtime finds, arm your child with a magnifying glass, binoculars and a marker (they love to check things off as they find them!), and get out there! Be sure to include natural items that are easy to spot in your neighborhood, as well as a few more challenging finds. Below is a list of kid’s scavenger hunt ideas to get you started:1. Bird feathers2. Bird nests (No need to disturb it! Just spot it and check it off!)3. Grass seedlings or other new growth4. New leaves5. Flower blooms6. Moss7. Caterpillars8. Cocoons9. Butterflies10. Baby animals (ducklings, squirrels, gophers…)Encourage creative observation and discovery by adding open-ended prompts to your list, such as:

• Something golden (or any other color)
• Something huge
• Something tiny
• Something new
• Something old
• Something in nature that starts with the letter A, B, C, etc.

You can even bring some finds home for magnified observation under a microscope – just be sure you aren’t disturbing anything living. Talk about your discoveries, using scientific vocabulary, or take it one step further by writing about what you’ve found. And don’t forget to take the same route next season and compare and contrast!At EI, we believe in sharing, and we bet you do, too, so please don’t forget to share this post with your friends!

The Educational Insights team had an amazing time at the 2015 New York Toy Fair! We were lucky enough to take home a few awards, capture the interest of bloggers and press, and even catch a glimpse of Seth Meyers and Grumpy Cat! We met lots of interesting people - inventors, illustrators, entrepreneurs, etc. It was truly lots of fun! Open-ended play, Maker and Craft Movements, STEM and STEAM, Under the Sea Adventures, Dinosaurs, Outdoor Fun, and Customization and app-powered/cloud-connected toys have all been cited as top toy trends for this year and the coming year. So, how does EI stack up? OPEN-ENDED PLAY:One of our most talked about items in the open-ended play category was the Pete the Cat® Puppet-on-a-Stick™. Even Stephanie Oppenheim of Toy Portfolio tweeted about our adorable Pete!https://twitter.com/toyportfolio/status/567450244624154626STEM:Booth visitors, Bloggers, and Press alike LOVE the latest products from Nancy B’s Science Club. Space.com even honored the Stir-It-Up Chemistry Lab & Kitchen Experiments Journal as a “Do it Yourself Science” Space Age Award Finalist! Our new Design & Drill® sets have dazzled, blossomed, and brightened their way onto the scene. Working Mother Magazine honored Flower Power Studio™ with a “Best in Play” Award and has featured us on their website!DINOSAURS:Our newest Dino Construction Company™ sets had our visitors roaring with excitement! These action-packed additions are vehicles with mini dino action figures included. We have Snap the Velociraptor Forklift, Rocko the Styracousaurus Dump Truck, and Helix the Stegosaurus Cement Mixer! Each one promotes imaginative play and storytelling, encourages outdoor exploration and discovery, and develops fine and gross motor skills. OUTDOOR FUN:The GeoSafari® Jr. Sneak & Peek Periscope™ and Science Utility Vehicle™ created quite the chatter among the press and bloggers, such as Popsugar.com and WPIX-TV in NYC (CW network) featured Laurie Schacht , The Toy Insider Mom, who sung the praises of our GeoSafari Jr. Sneak & Peek PeriscopeAnd ssshh… just between us: we might have some new products cookin’ in our EI lab that fall under the Under the Sea and Maker/Craft movement categories. Stay tuned! We had so much fun at Toy Fair, and are already excited about next year’s show!

You know, of course, that liquid detergent is great for washing dishes. But did you know that you can use liquid detergent to stage a unique boat race? Grab some pals and let the games begin in this fun at-home science experiment. Stuff you’ll need:• Paper clip• Toothpick• Liquid dish-washing detergent• Cup or glass filled with waterNow, get ready, set go! Get instructions on the Soap Boat Derby science experiment, here.

It's Sci-Friday, and we're back with the Slushy Science experiment. Have you ever slurped a flavored slushy cup of ice before? Why doesn’t it freeze solid like an ice cube? Find out, using items right at home, about freezing points — and how to change them — in this experiment! Get the details, HERE.