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[Boxcar]

I hope someone can help me because i'm drawing blank.

I need an interesting object or activty that will get 3 to 5 year olds talking. It doesn't have to be related to any subject area. The object or activity simply needs to be something new and unsual for the children.

I can think of a lot of things, but they have all been done so many times. I want something that the children are not familiar with.

I hope someone will be able to help me brainstrom. I've hit hit a creative wall at the moment!

[mopar]

I would try anything with dry ice. Ice you throw it on the ground, it will evaporate. This is mostly done in middle grades but it would definitely by unusual for 3-5 year olds.
Or try making a batch of oobleck and let them play with it. It is a substance that goes from a liquid in your hands to a solid when you try to pick it up. Very different. It ties with a Dr. Suess book Bartheloew and the Oobleck....
Bring in a community member: policeman, fireman, etc. Students love to ask questions to these kind of works.
Any kind of animal...butterflies, insects, dog.
You could grow grass on a sponge, just buy some grass seed.

[Boxcar]

Thank you so much for the ideas! I think I will do the one on oobleck. It is exactly the thing I was looking for. :) :) :)

[Boxcar]

One more question:

What measurements should I use to make enough for a whole class? That would be about twenty children, in this case. I have a recipe for an small amount that can be used by one or two individuals, but I'm not sure how to increase it.

[mopar]

Supplies Needed
4 boxes cornstarch
6 3/4 cups water
food cooloring

Prepare Oobleck at least 45 minutes before class begins. (1-2 hours works best.) Add food coloring to about 4 1/2 cups of water. Pour the water into a mixing bowl, and add 4 boxes of cornstarch and the other 2 1/4 cups of water. Swish and tip the bowl to level the contents, then place the bowl aside.

About 15 minutes before you plan to start the activity, remove the Oobleck and mix it by hand. Do not try to push the Oobleck mixture as if mixing batter, as it will prove very difficult. Instead, keep "lifting" the Oobleck from the bottom of the bowl to the top by slipping your fingers under it, until an even consistency is reached.

(It is better to err a little on the soupy side since some water will evaporate during class.) A doubled recipe yields enough Oobleck for a class of 20 children to explore.

NOTE: Dispose of unwanted Oobleck in the trash; it will clog pipes if rinsed down the drain.

I hope that this helps.

[Boxcar]

Thanks so much. It helps a lot. I think the class will really enjoy the activity. :)

[mopar]

No problem. Good luck!

[tamara]

Have you ever painted with Clear Karo syrup and food coloring? Place a small amount of Karo syrup and their choice of food coloring on a paper plate. Let them finger and tongue paint- My three year olds loved it and keep asking to do it again!! This brings out a lot of lanugage.

[teach1027]

You could also make clean snow. You use soap flakes, and torn up newspaper. it really is lots of fun.

[Chef Dave]

I would try anything with dry ice. Ice you throw it on the ground, it will evaporate. This is mostly done in middle grades but it would definitely by unusual for 3-5 year olds.

Exposing curious 3-5 year old children to dry ice is NOT a good idea.

As a chef instructor, I would like to caution everyone about the use of dry ice. Dry ice is frozen CO2. It is much colder than ice. At minus 109 degrees Fahrenheit, it can cause serious tissue damage via frostbite if you touch it with unprotected hands. Oral burns can occur if you swallow it. Contact your local poison control center or physician if a direct exposure occurs, especially if swallowed.

I know that some people like to put dry ice in punch to create a fog like effect. Although the effect looks really neat, it's an incredibly bad idea to put dry ice directly in a beverage. Dry ice, even encapsulated in frozen punch, is quite cold and could stick to a person's tongue or roof of the mouth, causing a nasty freeze burn and a trip to the emergency room for gastrointestinal burns.

Dry ice can be a serious hazard in a small space that isn't well-ventilated. As dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. In a small space, this gas can build up. If enough carbon dioxide gas is present, a person can become unconscious, and in some cases, die. The gas could also explode if sufficient pressure develops.

Safely dispose of dry ice by allowing it to melt and turn into gas in a well ventilated area. DO NOT DISPOSE OF DRY ICE BY PUTTING IT DOWN A GARBAGE DISPOSAL OR SEWER. If you shove it down a garbage disposal, you will inadvertently create a "dry ice bomb." CO2 gas will accumulate and could explode creating extensive pipe damage. The shock wave will be extremely loud and could result in permanent hearing loss.

Dry ice bombs are illegal in Arizona, California, and Nebraska. You can also be arrested for detonating a dry ice bomb in other states because dry ice bombs constitute a form of public endangerment.

For example, two bored 19 year old University of Florida students were recently arrested for detonating two dry ice bombs at the University's quad. Their stunt cost them a night in jail, eviction from their dorms, suspension from school and a possible five years in prison.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/27/Tampabay/For_USF_students__a_b.shtml

During this past summer in Oregon, three juveniles were arrested for making a dry ice bomb on the grounds of an elementary school. They were charged with Manufacturing and Possessing a Destructive Device.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/sheriff/media/icebomb.htm

Dry ice is classified as a "dangerous good" by the IATA, the International Air Transport Association. It is not presently regulated by the DOT as a hazardous material for ground (truck) shipments.

[bkfan1]

Making butter or whip cream and put music at the same time "shake your sillies out"
you'll need (just check the recipe google it for more info)
-35% milk
-containers for children that has a tight lid
I did this with 2-3 years old. They shook and they had whipcream. you can also do it with 5's they can turn it to butter because they have longer attnetion span

You can cut strawberries for the whipcream that they made, and they can eat it for morning or after lunch snack

For the butter you can have crackers, etc.

It's healthy

[SLP]

A great way to get kids talking is to tell a familiar story several times until the class knows it. Then, do a critical listening activity in which you tell the story and change some critical words as you tell it. Tell the children to stop you when you get "mixed up" then have them correct you. Be sure to tell the story smoothly, without giving cues that you have said the wrong word! I often will put the wrong character into a story (mix up Goldilocks & Little Red Riding Hood) or just change the animal (the 3 Little Pigs could be giraffes, ants, etc.) or change a concept (the porridge was too salty).

I also do this with familiar songs after the children have learned the correct words. For instance, I may sing, "Rudolph the blue-nosed reindog had a very shiny elbow....." you get the idea. The kids just love correcting the teacher and it gets them talking and laughing too. The critical listening aspect is great for improving auditory attention skills.

[Boxcar]

These are really cool suggestions. Thanks.