Greedy Triangles and Carbon Dioxide

Waiting for Mom to find the components of an experiment can be enough of a barrier that our mad scientist leanings never get off the ground. Shoeboxes complete with ingredients and equipment all in one container offers Carter immediate independent exploration. An exhaustive online search garnered only really expensive items or learning centers based on worksheets, so, using the supplies I already have at home, I’m working to create some activity centers of our own.

Today there are two shoebox centers strewn about the living room. One of them follows Carter’s interest in geometry.

It consists of a plastic shoebox filled with a bag of pattern blocks and Marylin Burn’s The Greedy Triangle. Carter found it this morning and read the book, then Archie, Carter and I played around with the shapes trying to make the shapes in the book, and in the end, making a shape dinosaur and a shape creature.

The second shoebox consists of a candle, baking soda, an empty jar, white vinegar and the book, Cup and Saucer Chemistry.

The empty jar is for mixing baking soda and vinegar to make carbon dioxide and experiment with extinguishing the flame on our holiday candle. We haven’t tried it yet, but it’s rare for the boys to pass up the chance to play with fire.