Kindergarten Moon Unit Study
We were done with unit two of My Father's World Kindergarten, a study of the moon, when I saw this foaming volcano that you can build, paint, and erupt from Fun at Home with Kids. Immediately I knew that I would use her method to turn our moon dough into moon rocks. Better yet, moon rocks that erupt.
How to Make Erupting Moon Rocks
This post contains affiliate links. Here is my full disclosure policy.
Supplies:
- moon dough
- water
- squeezy bottles
- vinegar
Directions: I pulled out our bin of moon dough, and before turning it into moon rocks the boys played in it for awhile.
The boys formed balls of dough by cupping it in their hands and patting it down until a ball had formed.
J-Bug (5) had more fun crushing his balls rather than turning them into moon rocks.
JZ (6) was intent on creating moon rocks. To turn a ball of moon dough into a moon rock add water slowly until the entire ball is moist. Squeezy bottles aren't necessary, but they are helpful for younger children to control the amount of water they add. If you add too much water too fast the moon dough will dissolve. At the same time, you want to add enough water at a slow pace to completely moisten the dough ball.
The next step requires a bit of patience. Leave the moon rocks out until they are completely dry. I recommend overnight for best results, but if you made them in the morning on a hot day, they would probably be ready by the afternoon. Once dry, the boys were fascinated by how firm their moon rocks were.
Peanut (35 months) made it his goal to crush them. I highly recommend making a big batch of moon rocks if you have multiple children. We had plenty for Peanut to crush, while the other three boys preferred making their moon rocks erupt.
This time I filled the squeezy bottles with vinegar, so the boys could make eruptions. The eruptions were awesome. The glitter from the moon dough made them sparkly and gorgeous!
For more hands on activities to learn about the moon follow me on Pinterest.
More moon activities for kids:
I think your boys must have the most fun ever. This is great! Thanks for sharing at After School.
ReplyDeleteThis is so neat....cannot wait to try with my boys!
ReplyDeleteDo you need baking soda for them erupt?
ReplyDeleteYes, we used our moon dough to make the erupting moon rocks. Here is how to make the moon dough: http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/06/moon-dough-recipe-for-play.html
ReplyDeleteIf we make the moon dough and then make them into moon rocks, do we add the water the second time? Wouldn't they be moist already from the moon dough creation? I'm trying to combine the two activities and I don't want them to be too wet.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I didn't see this sooner. You can add a small amount of water if necessary to form the balls. You'll know if it's too much or not enough water. Too much will dissolve the dough. If there isn't enough water the dough won't stick. As long as you add it slowly you won't have an issue. :)
Delete