Pipette Salt Painting - Everyday Math Activity

This was a project that didn't work as well as I was hoping. It may be one we revisit in the future though!

I wanted to do a project with number shapes and pipettes (because pipettes are Tripp's favorite way to make a mess - I mean art! Ha!). I'd seen blog posts like this one that seemed fun, easy, and not overly messy, so I got our supplies and we headed to the playroom craft table.

Supplies:

• Cardstock
• Pipettes
• Glue
• Table salt
• Watercolor, or water with food coloring
• A pencil

This project was great for everyday math learning, numbers literacy, color mixing, and fine motor exercise.

I drew the numbers 1, 2, and 3 on paper and had Tripp help me trace them with glue. Then we added salt and tried our hand at the pipettes. However, Tripp's love of spraying the colored water all over the place was our downfall. You have to be a little more mindful and slow with this project, so that you can see the salt absorbing the color. This is one we'll come back to when he's a little older!

It's still fun to see him learning and reacting to new things, though!

What's That Sound? Everyday Math Activity

A weekly group Tripp and I attend uses the Parents as Teachers curriculum. This idea was part of one of the weekly handouts under Everyday Math, and I thought I'd give it a try with Tripp.

What's that sound?
This activity will give your child the opportunity to use her sense of hearing to match sounds. You will need several small containers with lids. Make a few pairs of shakes by partially filling the containers with small objects and taping the lids on securely. For example, put a few dried beans in two of the containers, paperclips in two others, and so on. Tell your child to shake a container and then find the one that sounds the same. 

Our downfall for this activity was doing it on the craft desk in his work-in-progress playroom - the same spot we've done a few projects with pipettes, which Tripp loves. (Hence why the desk is a little dirty, too... too much science!) He spotted the pipettes right away and wanted to do something with them instead of listening to rattling containers - but we pressed on anyway.

I filled 3 containers, one with M&Ms, one with small beads and one with pennies. We enjoyed rattling them, identifying the sounds and identifying what was the same and different. And then we moved on... to a pipette activity. Ha!