July 27-31, 2015
Water Play Day!
We beat the heat in Nutrition Expedition this week by playing with water! We played in the sprinklers, water tables, and I made sponge bombs and giant water blobs! Fun was had by all!
You might be asking yourself, "What are sponge bombs and water blobs?" Allow me to explain! I've always been a bit Pinterest-obsessed, so while lesson-planning for July, I came across some pretty neat ideas. To make the sponge bombs, I started out with two standard-sized, colored sponges. I cut each of them into 6 strips, lengthwise. Alternating colors, I made two rows of sponge strips, and stacked them on top of one another (see photo below). I then fastened a rubber band around the middle of the stack and shaped the ends to form a ball or star shape. Voila! These can be soaked in water for a very wet game of catch! For more precise instructions, follow the link below the picture:
Now, on to the best part of our water play day...the water blob! I started with a large roll of painter's plastic sheeting (10X25 ft., 3.5 mil.). The blog I followed for instructions said to use 4 mil., but Home Depot didn't carry the right size, unfortunately. However, the 3.5 mil. worked just fine! I unrolled the plastic and laid it out on the floor (you'll need a large room for this). Next, I folded the plastic in half. Here comes the tricky part! Taking a long piece of parchment paper, I folded it in half, then enveloped the edge of the plastic (begin with the corner opposite the fold) between the folded parchment paper to protect it from the hot iron (set on high). Carefully, I heated approximately 2 inches of the plastic between the parchment paper, methodically sliding the parchment paper and iron down the length of the plastic sheeting, being sure not to leave the iron on any one area for too long. Ideally, this will cause the plastic to bind to itself, creating a sealed edge all the way around the "blob" so that the water will not leak out. After I had sealed all the open edges, I cut a small opening into the folded edge of the blob, just large enough to fit the end of the water hose for filling.
Once outside, I added lots of blue food coloring to the blob before filling with water. Warning: this project uses a lot of water, and takes nearly 20 minutes to fill, but it was so worth it to see the joy on the children's faces! Once the blob is filled to your liking, carefully seal the small opening with duct tape. *A few tips: Be sure to place the blob on an even, flat area of your lawn, as any incline or slope will cause all of the water to collect on one end, making it difficult to fill. I found this out the hard way, as both of our play areas outside are not very even! I also placed a tarp underneath the blob before I filled it, to prevent any sticks or tough grass from penetrating the plastic. Once it is filled, the blob is virtually impossible to move; so heavy! You might also want to consider draining the blob after use, as it will damage the grass beneath if left on for more than a day or two.
Overall, this project was a huge success! The children LOVED it, and we will definitely be making more of these as the summer continues. I highly recommend making one at home! Be sure to follow the link below for more detailed instructions of how to make your own water blob:
Enjoy the video below of all the water blob fun, along with lots of pictures! What an awesome exercise week for Nutrition Expedition!
