ECPC kids enjoyed a super cool science and art project this week. Inspired by Bev Bos and our friends at the Roseville Preschool Cooperative, Teacher Kathy made gelatin molds for the children to poke, prod and just experience the way only kids can.
How to:
Mix gelatin powder with water, using more powder than package directions to create extra-firm gelatin. Pour in a mold — here, we used glass mixing bowls lightly oiled — and chill to firm. Then invert onto trays and put out sturdy drinking straws.
The kids can poke holes and pull out “worms” of gelatin before really getting hands-on. Once they demolish the molds, melt the pieces back down in a large pot and start over. Let the kids see the melting gelatin to understand about the transformation from solid to liquid.
*Bonus activity: Use pipettes to let kids inject streams of color into the gelatin.
Science learning: This activity brought out all kinds of natural curiosity in the students. They were fascinated to hear that gelatin can be heated to a liquid and then cooled into a new shape, just like ice melts to water when it gets warmer and water freezes to ice when it gets very cold.
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