Impromptu Science Fun

On a beautiful sunny Saturday, we spent the day at the Mui Wo beach, 

 playing in the sun and water,

 and visiting with friends.

After a long day in the sun, we came home to clean up and relax. That evening, we received a typical grocery delivery (I buy most of our bulky items, household cleaners and supplies, canned goods, and anything heavy online so I don't have to lug it home myself - it's been a life saver and it's free!). This particular delivery included a few frozen food items which were kept cold with dry ice. Instead of disposing of the dry ice, Kyle saw an opportunity for some cool science experiments. A fun, educational, impromptu science class ensued.

The kids learned that dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and instead of melting turns into a gas. We emphasized the precautions to take while handling dry ice so nobody gets burned or breathes too much gas. Unfortunately, these dangers scared Abby too much and she participated only by watching from the distant sidelines.

 We put dry ice in warm water to watch it create a white cloudy fog.

 In drinking water, dry ice makes bubbles and makes the water tastes carbonated.

With water, dish soap, a container, and a damp towel, a bright, white bubble formed and grew larger and larger as the gas and water vapor filled it up. It popped with a burst of smoke. 

The favorite dry ice activity was watching it "float" on the tile floor. With tongs and other kitchen utensils, the kids played a fun game of dry ice hockey.

Our Dry Ice 101 class was definitely the best science class we've done all year.