Kids came in the house and we had tables prepared with their lab trays all ready to go. These are pictures of the lab table and the supply table.
The lab trays had all the individual items that the kids would need. I found most of the items at Amazon. Each kid at the party got a disposable lab coat, a pair of safety glasses (safety first!!), pipette/dropper, a small notepad, a pencil, a hand lens, a petri dish with tiny grow beads, a baggie, packet of yeast, and a plastic cup. (I was trying to be prepared!)
The first activity was "Science for kids" from the Dollar Tree. (Love that place!) It was a box of small beads that when you add water they grow. We did this first so by the end of the party the kids would see the growth. They thought it was cool because we put the small beads in petri dishes (very scientific looking), and they got to use the dropper to add water and cover them up.
Next, we made slime in baggies. Kids put a couple tablespoons of Elmers glue in a baggie. They then added about 2-3 teaspoons of water to that. (Our kids used their droppers and added 8 droppers of water). Then, add a couple drops of food coloring for whatever color you want it to be, seal the bag and squish! Once this is mixed up add a heaping teaspoon of Borax (I found this in laundry detergent aisle at Walmart in a box). Reseal the baggie and squish again. That's it!! You can take it out and roll it around in your hands, pull it, squish it. Keep it in the fridge or I've been told it can mold. That's a whole new science experiment. ;-) [No good pictures of the slime]
Elephant toothpaste was the next experiment. Kids emptied their yeast packet into the provided plastic cup and an adult came by and added warm water about half way full. It takes about 5 minutes for yeast to be ready. Kids each had an empty 20 oz. bottle. In it they poured 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide 3%, and 1/4 cup of blue dawn dish detergent. They gently combine these by swirling together. When the yeast is ready pour it into the peroxide and soad mixture. Then watch the effect. Awesome! (Make sure you do this one in the tray because it is messy!! We just took the whole trays to the sink when they were done with this one.)
Next were the bug bombs. I found a 10 pack of plastic bugs at the Dollar Tree. I made a very thick paste of baking soda and water and packed it around the bugs. I then baked them in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes to dry them out. They became hard and solid. I took a metal cake pan and added vinegar to it. The kids then got to drop their bug bomb into the vinegar to reveal their hidden bug. They loved this, but the amount of baking soda mixed with all that vinegar was a little more then we had prepared for. It created such a reaction that it overflowed out of the pan. Luckily I had cheap plastic table cloths on the table that we could lift up to protect it from going all over the floor. Unfortunately, some of the notebooks got wet, but we had extras. Kids really enjoyed seeing what bug they got.
We thought we were done with all but the last and had saved the best for last, so we took all the kids outside and did the ever famous "Diet Coke and Mentos" experiment. We planned on doing this in the street because we live right by a cul de sac, and our yard is small and not very flat. Of course, a car comes, seriously!?!? That's okay... we hadn't started yet. We had enough materials to do this twice, because its a big effect instantly and then its done. Don't blink or you'll miss it. The kids ooed and ahhed so I was pleased. [I've got a video but no pics and it was taking way too long to upload to my computer, sorry!]
Next was lunch: We kept it simple: Pizza, cheeseballs, grapes and jello- which me made in petri dishes so it looked like a lab specimen, kinda cool! This was our table before the kids hit it, and our cake from Publix!!
We realized at the end of the party that we had a plastic bottle of vinegar with a baking soda balloon attached that we forgot to do. So as parents were starting to arrive we hauled the kids outside one more time. I made the call not to take the time to put everyone's lab coat back on and safety glasses... bad call!! We gave each kid a bottle and all at once told them to lift the balloon so the baking soda would mix with the vinegar and react. I thought they would simply inflate, but some actually blew off the bottle. Luckily no one was hurt or got seriously messy.
All in all it was a really cool party. Kids had a blast, Mom and Dad had fun, and I'm so thankful for the couple of parents that chose to stay. They were a great help!!
Just a couple more pictures:
Now, to start planning for Ellie's party that is next weekend. Feeling blessed, to have two beautiful, healthy kids!! Happy Birthday kiddos!!
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