Book Review: Super Simple Science Experiments

Kids of a certain age seem to love science experiments, but it can be difficult to come up with ideas for experiments off the top of your head.

Andrea Scalzo Yi has collected 100 easy setup science experiments you can make with supplies you probably already have in your house in her book Super Simple Science Experiments for Curious Kids.

The book is divided by types of experiments: those involving liquids, solids, gasses, and light, color and sound.

Experiments are rated by simplicity level on a scale of 1 to 3. Materials and instructions are listed, as well as how and why the experiment works and variations you can try.

These projects can be done with parental help even by little kids, but older kids can handle doing some of them on their own.

A random sampling of projects includes:

fluffy slime
making a mobius strip
drinkable density experiment
wall marble run
spinning pencil
potato skewer balance
DIY fire extinguisher
wet and dry painting
make a sunset
sound you can see

Lots of these experiments are classics but there are some you might not have seen before. This book is a great reference for when kids want to do something but you don’t have anything particular in mind. It also allows you to slip in some science whenever you want. You can talk about what kids think will happen when you try different experiments, and because why they work the way they do is included in the book, you’ll be able to explain it to kids even if you don’t remember your own science classes!

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 100 projects. Published in July 2022 by Page Street Publishing. Suggested retail $22.99. Buy on Amazon.

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

Have you read?

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