Zahra, from Dubai, sent in her beating heart experiment… we love it!
What did you do?
The heart
My son had his ear to his dads chest, and goes hey, what’s the sound coming from your chest. So then we said it’s the heart. Then the questions kept coming in. Why is it beating, I need a stethoscope etc. so Pinterest to the rescue! The biologist in me found this easy experiment so intriguing that I just had to try it and use it as a way to explain how the heart pumps blood in the body.
Materials:
straws
jar
balloon
food colouring and water
Steps:
fill the jar with water and add food colouring. Red preferably so it looks like blood but I didn’t have it so I did orange.
cut the neck of the balloon and place the balloon over the jar, stretching it out tightly.
cut two tiny holes in the balloons on opposite sides of the stretched balloons
use the neck of the balloon that you cut to wrap around one of the straws and tape it, blocking the top
put the balloons into the holes and then tap the top of the balloon on the jar, copying the motion of pumping the heart and watch the ‘blood’ rush out!
This was a great way to see the basic mechanism behind the heart, and Isa was fascinated to observe the results. Experiments are a great way for children to get introduced to the idea behind modeling science, another take on using creative Arts and crafts, fine motor skills, hand eye coordination and super simple too!
You need to have extra balloons at hand because whilst stretching, the balloon can rip. also, sometimes, when the hole for the straws is way too big, it does not trap the air, and therefore will not ‘pump’ out the water, so try and keep the hole as small and push the straw in as careful as possible.
Do you have any other projects planned?
We do daily projects at home! focusing on things my son has an interest for, I play with early learning objectives and play based learning ideas to make sure we try and incorporate an hour ish of planned activities!
Tell the Housebound With Kids community a bit about yourself…
My name is Zahra! I am a SAHM of one three year old, very funny toddler. with backgrounds in biochemistry and early years education, I am just trying to get by this lockdown and period of pandemic with my son at home. we live in Dubai but I am originally from Pakistan.
@makingmumories
How are you finding being housebound so far?
Its tough!! But do-able, if you count your blessings, take each day as it comes, and just focus on doing the main things everyday! keep expectations low and just enjoy time with your family and have an hour of two of hiding in a room somewhere, with a face mask on, enjoying a cup of tea somewhere! because that’s important too!
Do you have any tips for other parents?
– don’t lose your calm.
– try and understand that if this is hard on you, it will be way harder on the kids.
incorporate them into your errands and chores, make them feel important and things will get done.
– make a big deal of little things. like going for ice cream, or having a movie night with popcorn, or enjoying some new tv show together. or doing a fun activity based on what your kids like.
