Finally! DD asks before she does an experiment

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My DD loves to do experiments. I enjoy her scientific mind and really want to encourage her experiments. I'm not too thrilled when she just goes ahead and does one of her experiments without asking first because I'd rather the Experimental Review Board (that's me) has a chance to make sure experiments are safe and not likely to cause huge messes. If she gets in the habit of asking now hopefully we can avoid unauthorized skylights (explosions) as she gets older.

Last night she asked me if she could do an experiment. She wanted to see what happens if you freeze an egg shell and all. I didn't have a problem with that one. She found that the shell comes apart and knew why. I had to decline the experiment of putting an egg in the microwave. I know what happens. Poor microwave. That one will be deferred to her father for further design review and implementation.

There are a ton of youtube videos with objects in microwaves. You can always pre-screen the result by looking at the videos, before you decide. Eggs in microwave. VERY messy. Danger: if you try to take them out before they explode, they can explode in your hand and burn you.

Thank you for reminding me of You-Tube! She enjoyed watching the exploding eggs and many other experiments as well. I'm trying to get her to do the egg in vinegar experiment. Heck, I think I'll do that one on my own. She likes experiments better if she comes up with the idea.

Both you and your daughter sound awesome!

I just bought the coooooooolest "toy" for my own damn 31-yr-old self called Snap Circuits- it teaches the basics of electronics in a really fun, easy way (I've been struggling to design this stupid dark-detecting circuit for ages, so decided to go wayyyyy back to basics!): http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-100-Sna ... 518&sr=8-1

If your DD is at all into electronics, I can't recommend this thing enough. She can do all the experiments her heart desires and nothing will even explode! Plus she'll learn the basics of electronics and maybe she'll get into robotics or other cool, useful hobbies.

(Or get her a 2 lt of Coke and a pack of Mentos and take her to the park!)

If she likes chemistry you could always try some experiments from the Golden Book.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21654883/The- ... xperiments


PS DO NOT let your daughter have a copy of it to play with, it was written in a time before the concept of 'health and safety' and some of the experiments aren't really too advisable for unsupervised children. Like how to make chlorine gas... Most are harmless, fun and very educational, ten times better than science books for kids that you get now.

How to make chlorine gas....that's why I'm so adamant that she asks first. My mother just said no to any and all experiments, so of course I did them anyway. Well, I tried to be safe. I just had to find out what happened when you mix bleach and ammonia. At least I did it outside. Not a good idea anyway. One little whiff....It burnsssssss.

Ex#2 made an unauthorized skylight with one of his experiments. Nitroglycerine is probably not something you want to make in the garage.

Anything beyond simple electronics and explosives (vinegar & baking soda) I'm going to let her genius father handle.

Got to love a kid who knows the meaning of the word "hypothesis" at the age of five. Somewhere around here I have a book called "Kid Concoctions" or something like that.

Mostly harmless. Her dad is a pretty good model for the mad scientist/inventor. I really wish he had the funding and a keeper so he could really fulfill his potential. I make a terrible keeper. I need one myself.

My daughter had fun with "lab in a bag". She also has a micro chemistry set which comes with goggles but I have her only work with that on the kitchen floor.

Now that she has a microscope she is more into experiments with yeast and pond water.

I'd love to find a good microscope, maybe a used school set up. I got her a cheap one that worked a time or two. Unfortunately my vision makes it hard for me to help her focus. You Tube is good for that too.

Last night she wanted to find out what happens when you put a cd in the microwave. It didn't look too bad on You Tube so I thought about it. Hmmm.....You Tube doesn't have smell, and there's no proof that the microwave is usable afterwards. Let's call daddy. No cd in microwave unless you don't cook food in it again. Gotta love it.

I think your daughter and my son would get along well! He's convinced he's going to be a scientist when he grows up, especially after seeing the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.

I can prepare slides too. Already prepared slides are cool. The thought of my kid with methylene blue is a bit frightening. She's apt to decide my tuxedo cat would look better in black and blue.

She might get along with your son. She loves playing with other kids if they're smart and have a decent vocabulary. That's a great movie. KB loves Mythbusters, How it's Made, and Dirtiest Jobs among others. She just couldn't understand what the problem was when she brought up the subject of eating leeches in ceramics class.

I'd love to get her a lab in a bag type of thing. I'll be more willing after she can read a bit better or has the impulse control to wait a bit for help. Dyslexia puts a real crimp in her true abilities.

You guys are so awesome. My son likes science experiments, too, but doesn't do anything so involved.

We have snap circuits (for me and my husband.) it is very cool!

KB just likes to do stuff to see what happens. I use the opportunity to teach cause & effect and other scientific thinking. She's still in process of actually getting it.

There's usually nothing formal about it. Scenario: I come in and see her putting a piece of dog food in water. Whatcha doing? I want to see what happens. Oh, what do you think will happen? It'll get bigger. Why is that? I don't know. It's because it absorbs water like a sponge. Oh. What do you think would happen if you used milk instead of water? How about cat food?

I have to be very careful to let her know that getting the right answer isn't the point.