Liquid Density Experiment

Liquid Density Experiment
Originally uploaded by jjfbaltzell.

We've been doing chemistry experiments for many moons (atomic and molecular stuff in the kitchen with CO2, liquids and solids, soap bubbles--that kind of thing), but this one was photogenic. We were exploring liquid density using oil, water (blue) andcorn syrup (red).

Pomanders

Pomanders
Originally uploaded by jjfbaltzell.

Jonathan had been reading in his Shakespeare book and wanted to try his hand at some pomanders. Each of the boys made one and we're waiting for them to dry. The Elizabethans evidently believed that disease was caused by "bad air" and so they carried around scented goodies to sniff whenever they got a whiff of something foul. They believed that it helped stave off illness.

We'll simply be wrapping ours in ribbon and hanging them on our Christmas Tree once we've dried and shrunken them (that seems wrong, gramatically, but I've checked, and it's acceptable; funny examples, too).

Pattern Blocks

Pattern Blocks
Originally uploaded by jjfbaltzell.

A pattern Jonathan made one morning. We were measuring perimeter, made easy by the fact that each side of each shape is 1 inch long. We also measured the area (based on the smallest units--the green triangles) of some of his designs. All of the boys have spent hours and hours playing with the pattern blocks. They've been a big hit for years, now.

Amerikaner Cookie

Amerikaner Cookie
Originally uploaded by jjfbaltzell.

We're really only reading about the Thirty Years' War so that we'll have an excuse to make yummy German baked goods.

Play Dough

Play Dough
Originally uploaded by jjfbaltzell.

We had to replenish our play dough supplies, and today being rainy and grey outside, we thought it was the perfect day for it. Click through for the recipe. We usually do it stove-top, but this one was much easier, and the results were the comparable.