Archives
Rocket Ride
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
An EASY activity perfect for snow days and guaranteed to get many-a-giggle**! What you need: ~ A balloon ~ A paperclip ~ An index card or other scrap of sturdy-ish paper ~ Some stickers or drawing supplies + your imagination What to do: ~ Grab your index card and either slap your favorite character sticker […]
Awesome Launcher
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
PREPARE TO LAUNCH**YOUR**AWESOME! With this mini, DIY, catapult you can launch most anything: mini-marshmallows, raisins, tiny toys, peas, your awesomeness… whatever your awesome self desires. Ready? Get to it! What you need: ~ A cap or other small cup-shaped something to be your launch pad ~ Glue (Elmer’s worked) ~ 6 or more popsicle sticks, […]
Make It Rain, Yo!
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, I dunno about where you live but weather in these parts has been downright wacky. So here’s a little weather inspired activity. Note: Part of the way we all cope with life is by getting used to stuff that happens. What’s happening here is common, so it can […]
Solar S’mores
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Summer is a perfect time for s’mores. If your house doesn’t lend itself to open flames, then harness the power of the sun. Why not! What you need: ~ an old pizza box ~ scissors or a knife ~ tinfoil ~ black paper ~ plastic wrap ~ tape ~ S’more fixin’s ~ a sunny day […]
Wacky Lava Lamp
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Create some wacky water patterns in a water bottle or jar in this Lava Lamp creation! What you’ll need: • 1 Used Water Bottle or Jar (or something clear) • Water • Food Coloring • Vegetable Oil • Salt • 1 Flashlight • Glitter (optional) • And of course, 1 Wacky Experimenter Step 1: Make […]
Super Surprising Spring
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
If you live on the East Coast, you are experiencing winter and spring battle it out. Winter won’t give up, but spring won’t either (I promise)! Here’s a wactivity that proves the power of spring (& life & mother nature & all sorts of cool stuff). What you need: ~ Some seeds (we used broccoli […]
Oobleck
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
A Solid and Liquid at the same time?! This mysterious chemical reaction is called Oobleck. This experiment is a hands on, messy one, but so cool! The concoction appears to be liquid when you pick it up, but feels solid! It slowly sort of melts into a liquid, but as soon as you touch it, […]
Leprechaun Catching Goo
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Idea by the first ever Guest Wactivity Poster Lyssa Horvath – teacher extraordinaire!! Welcome, Lyssa, and thank you for your awesome, timely Wactivity! Hey there WhyNotters, have you ever tried to catch a leprechaun? I’ve tried setting traps using boxes and snares, but those sneaky leprechauns are always getting away. This St. Patrick’s Day when the […]
Candy Cane Sunset
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
It may not get easier than this WhyNotters, so grab your candy cane, a shallow dish or plate and some water, ’cause it’s Candy Cane Sunset Experiment time! What to do: – Unwrap that Candy Cane and place it on your plate. – Pour some water over it… Then watch in WONDER! If I knew […]
Cold Rocks
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Hello WhyNotters! Welcome back to your weekly, Wednesday Wactivities. Most of you Willa and the Whynots fans are somewhere in the US where it is shockingly cold. This week’s Wactivity is one I heard of ages ago but was waiting for just this kind of weather to do it. See, the Polar Vortex is good […]
Color Magic
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
This is an easy-peasy wactivity that takes a little faith and a lot of patience! What you need: Three clear cups, food color, water and 2 paper towels (a tray is nice to catch any food color drips). And, of course, one wacky experimenter!! What you do: – Put water in 2 of the cups. […]
Color Scatter
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
An easy, fast, repeatable activity to keep the scientist in you busy! What you need: ~ Whole Milk ~ Food Coloring ~ Dishwashing soap ~ A shallow pan or dish What to do: ~ Lay down a thin-ish layer of milk ~ Drop food coloring in helter-skelter. ~ When you are ready, add drops of […]
Funky DIY Flubber
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
These days, I’m a writer but I’m also a stay-at-home-mom and a former kindergarten teacher. It takes a lot for homemade science stuff to impress me. So be impressed when I say: This. Is. Awesome. The final product is super fun, of course. But in this case, the magic that happens along the way is […]
Homemade Ice cream
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
I scream, You scream, We all scream for Homemade Wactivity Ice cream! (now in non-dairy too!) Ice cream made at home in plastic baggies? Why Not! We even tweaked the recipe for our non-dairy eating friends and, let me tell you, it is DELICIOUS even dairy free. So grab your baggies and get to shakin’ […]
Squeaky Clean
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
What you need: – A new bar of Ivory soap – a Microwave-safe plate – a Microwave &, of course, one wacky, WhyNot experimenter! What to do: – Unwrap your brand new bar of Ivory soap. **optional, cut in half or into quarters for more surface area – plop it on your plate and pop […]
SUPER Sweet SUPERsize Me Experiment
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
What you need: – Gummy Bears (yum!) – Water – A container optional: a rule and/or food scale &, of course, one wacky Whynotter! What to do: – If you opted for a ruler and/or food scale, take the measurements of your gummy bear. How long is it? How tall? How wide? How heavy? Record […]
Wild, Wacky and Wow-inducing Eggs
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Make a tasty snack into a wack and colorful snack! For this wacky snack you’ll need: ~ Hard Boiled Eggs ~ Food Coloring ~ Plastic Baggies ~ And of course, a Wacky Experimenter (and some brave, wacky taste-testers)! Step 1: Make the cracks! Gently hit the egg on a hard surface, or push down on […]
Woobly, Wacky Egg
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
This is an ah-maze-ing experiment. It’s one of those ones that doesn’t take much in terms of work or supplies but it does require patience. So practice that delayed gratification… I promise, this is worth it! What you need: – A glass – Vinegar – One raw egg & of course, one Wacky WhyNot experimenter […]
Fizzy, Freaky & Fabulous Wactivity
Posted on October 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
Supplies: – Plastic zip top baggies – Sharpie – Vinegar – Corn Starch (just to make the vinegar opaque) – Baking soda – Toilet paper – Food coloring (optional) – One wacky experimenter (not optional!) What to do: – Decorate your plastic baggies as you like. Feeling seasonal, we went with ghosts, pumpkins and monsters! […]
Rock’n’Roll Raisins
Posted on September 22, 2014 Leave a Comment
Let’s get those raisins rockin’! Rockin’ what?! That’s right. Have you ever seen raisins rock’n’roll? Get ready to rock your socks off with a fun kitchen experiment that will get your raisins rockin’! What will it take to make your raisin’s rock’n’roll? A few kitchen items, and of course the experimenter to run the lab […]
Michelle O'Hara Levin 