Mud

This is a natural topic in the summer. Huh? you say! When we run sprinklers or play in pools, water and dirt just find each other and are a great way to explore many science ideas.

Also, clean up is a breeze with the hose!

Science Words: color, texture, wet, dry, evaporation,

Make Mud Bricks: Add a small amount of water to different kinds of dirt and dirt with sticks or leaves. Pack in to a brick mold or some sand toys. Let them dry in the sun for a day or two. Make some predictions about which bricks will be the strongest? How could you test your idea? Unmold them and test your ideas.

What is in the dirt? Put dirt in a kitchen strainer and pour water thru it. What happens? What stays and what goes thru? Now put a coffee filter in the strainer and do the same thing. What is left behind now?

Growing: Do a dirt scavenger hunt in your yard. Gather up some pots and put different kinds of dirt in to each pot. Then put in a seed or plant and see which soil is best for growing plants.

Eat Dirt: Make chocolate pudding and sprinkle the top with crushed chocolate cookies or chocolate graham crackers. Add some gummy worms and you have dirt for lunch!

Compare dirt samples. Make a list of how they are the same. What is different about them.

Soil Layer Discovery: Fill a jar half full of dirt. Add water and fill to full. Close and tighten the lid. Shake the jar vigorously. Set the jar down and let it sit until the dirt settles into layers. Carefully pour off the water and insert a clear straw to take a core sample. Observe the layers.

Mud Pie: Have children measure out different amounts of water to stir into same-size soil samples in pie tins. Observe and discuss the changes in consistency of the pies as more water is added. Note how much water is required before the soil can no longer absorb it and the water pools on top.

Sing:
Mud, mud, mud is fun
Watch us stir it up
Round and round and round and round
Mud is fun to make.
Mud, mud, mud is fun
Listen to it squish
Through our fingers, round our toes
Squish is how it goes