Want to have some fun with your kids?

We did this the other day for Science. It's the 'mystery substance' that doesn't act quite like a solid and doesn't act quite like a liquid. It's to show that although science has all matter pegged into neat little groups there are substances out there that don't fit quite so neatly into the solid, liquid, or gas category.

Find a place that you don't mind getting this stuff all over. It cleans up very easily and even though some spilled onto the rug it vacuumed right up after it dried.

Mix 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 cup of water. Mix until smooth.

Start playing with it. Get some cups and pour it back and forth. Stick your finger down through it to the bottom of the bowl. Pick a handful up and watch what it does. Form it into a ball and see how long it will stay in that shape. Put a bit on the table, watch it spread like water and gather it up into a ball again. Does it act like a liquid? Sometimes. Does it act like a solid? Sometimes.

The girls and I played with this stuff for about 45 minutes. Usually we have a bunch of neighborhood kids participate in the Science projects but this time it was just us. I had a blast and so did the girls. This 'mystery substance' was really blowing my mind.

We've done all sorts of cool stuff with Science. I love this Science curriculum. It's very hands on for the kids and all projects are framed in the Scientific Method.

When it gets warm out I save Science until the school kids start knocking up to play. Then we take it outside and everyone participates. I've had them mixing soil and releasing worms (always good for a scream or two) to see which type of soil the worms prefer. We've had crickets in an aquarium on the porch with different little habitats built to see which they prefer. We broke my broom stick using it as a lever. (El cheapo dollar store brooms!) We've drug race cars and sneakers around with a spring scale to measure Newtons of force. The kids frigging LOVE it! They love it, I tell ya.

This is almost like a second childhood for me - I swear! I never had this much fun with Science when I was in school. Now that I think of it I never had much fun in school at all. It's not only science, either. It's really a lot of fun to teach your kids. It's fun to be a part of the experience and quite frankly I've learned a lot along the way myself. We've discovered many things together. I've realized how lacking my own education was. I never thought that it might actually be fun. I was worried, wasn't sure if I could do it, but to have fun? Never even entered my mind.

Even if your kids are in school - have fun with them. Try doing some of this stuff together. It will enrich their lives - and yours. I'm having a blast with them.