Materials
- several dishpans filled halfway with dry sand
- jugs of water
- chart paper
- markers
- various plastic cups and jars
- Our Earth by Anne Rockwell
Preparation
- Fill several dishpans halfway with sand, high on one end and low on the other side, so that they resemble a hill or a mountain.
- Set out a gallon of water and several smaller containers of water.
What to Do
1. Ask the children to predict what will happen if a gallon of water is poured on the top of the sand mountain. Write their answers on chart paper.
2. Pour the gallon of water quickly at the top of the sandy mountain. Ask the children to talk about what they saw. Ask them why it happened.
3. In a different tub, repeat the same procedure using a half gallon container, a quart container, and a cup.
4. Explain to the children that rain can make rivers flood if we get a heavy downpour that lasts a long time, but a gentle rain can just trickle into a stream.
5. Read Our Earth by Anne Rockwell and take special note of the pages about water.
Assessment
Consider the following:
- Can the children repeat your actions and explain what is happening?
- Can the children predict what will happen next?
-Carol Hupp, Farmersville, IL
Instructions
1. Children love to use their imaginations; this activity helps them develop their
creativity.
2. Have the children sit in a circle. Tell them that you received a very special box
with something special inside it. Explain that you can't tell them what it is
and they won't be able to see it. For older children, use an imaginary box.
3. Think about an object and without telling them what it is, pretend that you
are removing it from the box. For example, you might pretend the object is a
balloon. Pretend to blow it up and use your hands to show it is getting
bigger. Or pretend it is a kitten and cup your hands while making a gentle
petting motion.
4. Tell the children that the object is about to change. Using your hands, have
the object become something heavy or something very small.
5. Then pass the imaginary object around the circle of children. Ask them to
think about what special object they want it to become. Encourage them to
use motions to show what the object is, but not to say the name of it out
loud.
6. You might want to have other children in the group try to guess what the
object has become.
More to do Dramatic Play: This activity can extend into the dramatic play area. Encourage
the children to take turns acting out animals or community workers and letting
the other children guess who or what they are.
