Leprechauns, Earthworms and Sunshine – It’s Time for Spring Science

The weather is warming up, bulbs are starting to emerge and I even had a wasp in my house this week. It’s time to shake off the winter blues and jump into some spring science.

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner – are you ready for little mischief makers to invade your home? My girls have been planning and testing their leprechaun traps in hopes of catching one this year.

Magical Leprechaun Visits
They are tricky little boogers and it’s not easy to catch them. They invade our home every March 17th wreaking havoc and causing trouble while we are sleeping. Their favorite activity? Turning the water green. This little trick that started with Steve Spangler and his boys, has caused many a child to oooh and ahhh and believe in the power of the leprechaun. All you need are a few tub tint tablets (blue and yellow or one green one), unscrew the end of the faucet, carefully place the tablets on the screen and screw it back in place. DO NOT turn the water on and wipe up any drips. Have the kids turn on the water the morning of March 17th. Other fun places to put the tablets – the bathtub faucet, the toilet, or the milk (you will want to use food coloring in the milk). The water will only be bright green for a short time, so catch some of it in a glass. For more fun leprechaun ideas, read St. Patrick’s Day Science at SteveSpanglerScience.com.

As the leprechauns run out, spring runs in. Spring is the perfect time for life science. Get outside and experience the awakening and rebirth happening in your front yard.

Plant Seeds
This is an easy and popular activity for early childhood learners to observe. Get a clear container – plastic cup, small jelly jar or plastic test tube. Fill with dirt and plant some seeds. Children can watch the seeds sprout, roots grow and plant stem come out of the dirt. They also learn about the basic needs of a plant – water, light and food. You’ve observed. Now, start experimenting. Try pots with different materials – rocks, gravel, sand, dirt, flour, or whatever materials you want to try. Now predict and observe which materials are best (besides dirt) to grow plants.

Build an Earthworm Condo
Grab a mayonaise or other clear jar. Place layer of sand on the bottom. Pour potting soil on top about 1-2 inches thick. Continue adding another layer of sand, another layer of soil until the jar is almost full. Now go dig up some earthworms and place them in the jar. The layers of sand and dirt will help reveal the earthworm’s movements and paths through the dirt. Again, you can experiment with which types of dirt work best. When you are done with your experimenting and observing, return the worms to their home. The earth needs them.

Insect Life Cycles
Insects are easy to collect and observe. You can watch the life cycle of an insect, observe their behavior and gain a deeper meaning of the creatures with we share the planet.  Find a caterpillar and watch it go through metamorphisis. Attract fruit flies with open jars and fruit. Leave one jar outside and one inside. See which one will attract the most flies. When you have collected some fruit flies, cover the jar with cheesecloth to trap them and watch them lay eggs. The eggs will hatch and new fruit flies will emerge. There are also many different commercial insect habitats for ladybugs, ants, butterflies and more. Spring is the best time to order these kits as the weather is not too warm or too cold to ship the live animals through the mail.

Solar Science
Now that the sun is shining again and things are warming up, get outside and learn about solar energy. How about designing a solar oven? Hold a contest to see who in the family can build the most efficient solar oven. Chocolate on a graham cracker is the best test food we’ve come up with. Add a marshmallow and everyone wins! There are also many fun science toys available in stores and at SteveSpanglerScience.com to help learn more about this great renewable resource. Energy beads change color when exposed to sunlight. Solar bags will float when the air inside is warmed by the sun.

Now get out there, explore, discover and learn…

Guest blogger Susan Wells is a native Colorado mom to two girls, ages 5 and 9. She loves to find the learning in everything. In a past lives, Susan has been a symphony bassist, sound engineer, news web producer and web developer. She currently works for Steve Spangler Science in web marketing, social media and blogger outreach.

Author: Susan Wells