Curious GLADL!
Join us Thursdays at 3pm for another virtual adventure! More details on our Event Calendar.We love hearing from our patrons and hope that you are trying out these experiments and finding ones on your own. Please send us an email or Facebook messages or photos of your adventures. We want everybody to be CURIOUS!
Ukulele Play-Along with Roth Academy of Music
Join us, sing and play along with some fun introductory online ukulele classes with Michaela, a ukulele, piano and voice teacher from Roth Academy of Music here in Grand Ledge! Tune in from your house and Michaela will help you learn some chords, learn some easy songs and have musical fun with the ukulele. And even if you don’t have a ukulele, you can still have fun and sing along with fun songs for all ages!
Let’s make some Noise! — Chicken in a Cup!
Everybody loves to make some noise and hopefully some MUSIC! With this simple experiment you can learn about vibrations, frequency, and amplitude, and make your own musical instrument — or at least make some NOISE!
More Resources
Super sonic: the science of sound by Jay Hawkins (print) — fascinating facts and unique experiments to explore the extraordinary science of sound
Esquivel! space-age sound artist by Susan Wood (ebook) — Gorgeously illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, this lively biography follows Juan Garcia Esquivel from Mexico to New York City. Juan grew up to the sounds of mariachi bands; he loved music and became a musical explorer.
What is frequency and amplitude? from Britannica
Hoop Gliders!
A motorless, fixed-wing, heavier-than-air craft is known as a glider. Learn how to make your own glider with just a few easy to find items at home. Who knows you just might be the next Wright Brother!
More Resources
Wright Brothers experimenting with gliders — from Britannica
Wright Brothers in front of their house — which is now on display at Greenfield Village
Draw 50 airplanes, aircraft, & spacecraft by Lee Ames (print) — Simple directions for drawing various airborne articles, from the Wright brothers’ plane to the Saturn V rocket.
Comets!
A comet is a chunk of ice and rock flying through space. When they get close to the sun, they heat up. We can see their glow and long tails. We can make a couple different kinds of “comets” to have fun with at home. Check out our video with Mrs. Fellows.
More Resources:
- Space Adventurer’s guide: your passport to the coolest things to see and do in the universe by Peter McMahon
- Planets: a LEGO adventure in the real world by Penelope Arlon
- Quest for a Comet with NASA
- Learn about comets from Britannica
Foamy Fountain
We love to play with bubbles! This experiment is a great way to learn about chemistry and how different things reaction together. Using very simple ingredients we are able to produce some pretty interesting results. Learn all about EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS — be prepared to make a mess! CAUTION: Hydrogen peroxide can irritate skin and eyes. Be sure to wear safety goggles and don’t play in the foam!
More Resources:
Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
Spring is here! Let’s go outside! Let’s go fly a kite! What? You don’t own a kite? No worries, we can make one! It’s easy to make, fun to play with, and kids love decorating their very own kite.
Just like rockets, jets, or birds, all kites experience a combination of forces as they fly. The main forces that determine whether or not a kite is able to fly are weight, lift, tension, and drag. What better way to learn about these great science topics than with your own kite! Check out our tutorial for all the how to steps and more about the science!.
Hydroponnic Veggies!
Who doesn’t love to watch vegetables grow and what’s more intersting that seeing a new lettuce or celery grow right in your kitchen! With this simple setup you can. If you have ever bought a pack of romaine, iceberg lettuce, or celery from the store, you probably threw away the stem at the end. Follow these steps and learn how to reduce kitchen wast and using only water and sunlight and yield a brand new plant for your next salad!
Hydroponics: The science of growing plants in water or some substance other than soil is called hydroponics, from the Greek hydro, meaning “water,” and ponos, meaning “labor.” In hydroponics, also called soilless culture, the stems and roots of the plants are supported. The necessary nutrients for plant growth are provided in the solution surrounding the roots. All plants need the oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon available from either air or water. (Britannica)
More Resources
- How to grow fruits, vegetables & houseplants without soil (ebook/hoopla) — Dirt-free, low-cost, space-saving, low in pesticides, and environmentally friendly, hydroponic gardening
- DIY Hydroponic Gardens (ebook/hoopla) — DIY Hydroponic Gardens takes the mystery out of growing in water. With practical information aimed at home DIYers.
Growing Lettuce or Celery
at Home with
Mrs. Fellows!
Rockets, Rockets, Rockets!
- Learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion: The First Law of Motion “An object will stay at rest or in motion in a straight line until some force acts on it“. Gravity and Motion make all the difference in space — see how an astronaut eats a meal in space without gravity and how an object travels!
- Air powered – Rocket Templates — Paper Straw Rocket Step by Step Instructions
- Air powered — Pencil/Straw Rocket — Instructions/Data Log — What goes into design? More inforamton for Parents & Educators
- Learn about Newton’s Third Law of Motion “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” and how changing the action force results in a dramatic reaction.
- Air & Water powered — Pump Bottle Rocket — This experiment involves: air pressure, a satisfying ‘whoosh’ noise, a high speed departure and a good soaking if you are standing too close. Definitely one for adult supervision!
- All things Space from Hoopla/ebooks — try out one of these ebooks and discovery new things about astronauts, rockets, and our solar system!
Pump Bottle Rocket!
The pump rocket uses water to displace air inside the rocket housing to build pressure. This pressure will cause a cork to eject and then use the water as a propellant to blast off.
Bubble Art!
- Step by Step instructions for simple bubble fun at home
- Learn about surface tension
- Bubbles: lots of fun and learning too from MSU
- Soapy Science
- Soap Bubbles — (hoopla/ebook) — Dozens of experiments requiring nothing more than soap, straws, and bits of rubber, yet they impart profound and fundamental concepts relating to the science of fluids.
- Fun and Games: Bubbles Addition and Subtraction — (hoopla/ebook) — Beginning readers will enjoy learning subtraction, addition, and word problems with this brightly illustrated book featuring images of children blowing and counting bubbles.
All about Oobleck!
- Key Concepts & How to from Scientific American
- Bartholomew and the Oobleck (read & listen/Overdrive)
- More by Dr. Seuss (Overdrive)
- The Everything KIds’ Easy Science Experiment Book — (ebook/Overdrive) — Using easy-to-find household materials like soda bottles and flashlights, you can build bubbles, create plastic—even make raisins dance!
- Science Experiments you can eat — (ebook/hoopla) — Kids take the reins in the kitchen with this hands-on book of edible science experiments
- All things SLIME — (hoopla) — check out these fun ebooks and audiobooks from sea slime to a lime, a mime and pool of slime!
Pop Bottle Greenhouse
- MSU Extension — Vegetable Gardening
- Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Garden — (ebook/Hoopla) — 326 Fast, Easy, Affordable Ways to Transform Your Yard One Project at a Time
- Herb Gardening for Beginners — (ebook/Hoopla) — Teaches you how you can plant an herb garden and what mistakes you should avoid.
- Vegetable Gardening for Beginners — (audiobook – Hoopla) — A hands-on guide to the ins and outs of raising and using vegetables.