Little Scientist and Artist

STEAM

A STEAM activity for the win! Simple and failproof. Both of those things are great for littles, middles and big kids alike. My kiddos are four and eight and the two were adequately able to participate and expressed equal levels of elation and intrigue. Not to mention the activity is a clear demonstration of the scientific concept. The learning is hands-on as well as effective.The image above is the finished product. This experiment is fun and functional. I will certainly be hanging this as an art piece yet it is weighty in educational substance. Win, win. 

The Scientific connect is that at the right level of heat a solid will become a liquid. As it cools it will return to the form of a solid.  Materials are simple. I chose a small white canvas, fresh crayons, (although old ones would work as well), and E600 glue from my local craft store. After she carefully selected the colors she desired we made three streaks of glue going horizontally on what would become the top of the board. She began to place the crayons in her desired order. Each crayon pointing downward.

The final step is the messy fun part! Enter blow dryer! Apply heat. She was doing this to her heart's content. Warning: there could be some splatter... We lay newspaper as you can see. The easel helped her but it is not necessary. The canvas could easily be placed against a wall lined with newspaper. This STEAM activity was kid tested and parent approved. Dad got involved and it became a family affair. When we are having fun and learning together those are the best moments.