Activities
Balloon Rocket (All Ages)
Materials: balloons, string, straws, tape
Directions:
- Tape one end of your string to wall or surface (you will want ample room – string length approximately 10 ft)
- Blow up the balloon, but do not tie it
- If you are handy tape the straw onto the blown-up balloon – or have a family member help
- Place the untapped end of the string through the straw and release the balloon rocket when ready
- Make two balloon rockets to race your family for extra fun
https://sciencebob.com/make-a-balloon-rocket/
Balloon that Inflates Itself (8-12)
Materials: empty plastic bottle, balloon, 3 tsp baking soda, 1/3 cup vinegar
Directions
- Pour vinegar into plastic bottle. Set aside
Empty baking soda into the balloon. This may require two people
- Push the baking soda down so it is completely inside the balloon
- Stretch the neck of the balloon so that it fits on top of the bottle. Be careful not to let the baking soda fall into the bottle
- Shake the bottle until the baking soda is emptied from the balloon and is combined with the vinegar in the bottle
- The balloon should then inflate
https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/Self-Inflating-Balloon/
Cloud Dough (All Ages)
Materials: hair conditioner, cornstarch, bowl, popsicle stick/spatula, food colouring (optional)
Directions:
- Add equal parts hair conditioner and cornstarch and mix
- Start slowly adding cornstarch in as you go until you get closer to a ratio of 2:1 cornstarch to hair conditioner
- Add a drop of food colouring, fold and knead until you reach your preferred colour
https://happyhooligans.ca/cloud-dough/
Coke and Mentos (All Ages)
Materials: 2L bottle of cola, Mentos
Directions:
- Place your bottle of cola somewhere where spills are acceptable – preferably outside
- Open your Mentos to have quick access
- Quickly open your bottle of cola and place the Mentos in as fast as you can
- Be cautious and step back quickly after the Mentos have been applied
Elephant Toothpaste (All Ages)
Materials: plastic bottle, dry yeast, warm water, liquid dish soap, 3% hydrogen peroxide, measuring cups and spoons, safety glasses (or parental help), large tub or tray to catch the foam, liquid food colouring (optional)
Directions:
- Measure ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide and carefully pour it into the bottle
- Add a big squirt of dish soap into the bottle and swirl it gently
- If you would like to make your foam your favourite colour, now is the time to add a few drops of food colouring
- In a measuring cup mix one tablespoon of yeast and three tablespoons of warm water
- Stir the water and yeast for 30 seconds
- Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and step back!
Finding Faces (All Ages)
Materials: Paper, scissors
Directions:
- (Optional) Create a picture frame out of the paper to improve the experience
- Head outside and start looking around your yard or the space available to you
- Use your imagination to find as many objects that resemble faces
- Be creative and challenge your family to see who can find the most faces (or the wackiest one)
Oobleck (All Ages)
Materials: Cornstarch, water, food colouring (optional)
Directions:
- If you would like colour add the colour of choice to 1 cup of water
- Then stir in 2 cups of cornstarch
- Finally let us know whether you think this is a liquid or a solid
https://www.instructables.com/id/Oobleck/
Puffy Slime (All Ages)
Materials: liquid white glue, shaving cream, foaming hand soap, baby powder, food colouring (optional), borax, water, spatula, large bowl, smaller bowl (for borax solution)
Directions:
- Start with the borax solution by combining 1 tsp of borax with 1 cup of hot water
- Squeeze the entire bottle of glue into the larger
- Add ½ shaving cream and ½ cup of hand soap to the glue – mixing well in the process
- Once the mixture has no lumps add a heaping tablespoon of baby powder and mix well
- Add in 4-5 drops of food colouring
- Add the borax solution in intervals of 3 teaspoons then stir (do not as too much or your slime will harden)
- Mix, knead and enjoy
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/how-to-make-fluffy-slime/
Veg Off (All Ages)
Directions:
- This game is perfect for settling arguments at home
- Have two people stand back to back (just like gunslingers in an old western)
- The game master will count to three as the two contestants take three big steps
- The game master will then call out a vegetable
- The contestants will use their bodies to best mimic that vegetable
- The person who looks most like the vegetable wins!