Vacation Bible School Science Experiment Ideas

[NewWorldOrder]

I need some ideas for doing simple science experiments for Vacation Bible School.

I will be doing the Bible stories for 1st through 3rd grade, and our theme this year is Power Lab, a science lab theme. I was planning on donning a lab coat and either wearing a crazy wig or doing something crazy with my hair to make me look like a mad scientist, or a goofy scientist. I have been given the green light by our children's director to incorporate actual science experiments into the story time. I need some ideas for experiments that can be incorporated into each day.

The first day is being thankful, second day is helping others, third day is bravery, 4th day is living forever, and the fifth day is telling others about God. These need to be experiments that aren't too difficult to do, and are repeatable, because I tell the same Bible story three times each day.

I've already got inflating a balloon with the gas made from combining vinegar and baking soda, and that's it. I'm still thinking. You would think that as a homeschooler this would be a breeze, but science isn't my strong suit.

[funmudder]

Goodness honey, I have no idea. My first thought would be to check out Answers in Genesis, they have all sorts of stuff.

[Cd4u_2]

they have some neat ideas:

http://www.jonathanpark.com/learning_zone/

other than that, zoom on pbskids.org have some neat ideas

[NewWorldOrder]

Thanks funmudder, that was a good idea, but I couldn't find anything on their site.

CD4U, thanks for the link, I'm still looking at it.

I did do a google search and came up with some cool ideas:

an egg getting sucked into a bottle http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/kitchenscience/exp/sucking-an-egg-into-a-bottle/

lighting a light bulb with a balloon http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/kitchenscience/exp/lighting-bulbs-without-wires/

psychedelic milk http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/kitchenscience/exp/psychedelic-milk/

[Cd4u_2]

http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/index.html[/URL]

[URL]http://www.jonathanpark.com/learning_zone/homeschoollessons/ (http://pbskids.org/zoom/) <----you will have to look at these to get some ideas what to teach

[BlessedAssurance]

I need some ideas for doing simple science experiments for Vacation Bible School.

The first day is being thankful, second day is helping others, third day is bravery, 4th day is living forever, and the fifth day is telling others about God. These need to be experiments that aren't too difficult to do, and are repeatable, because I tell the same Bible story three times each day.
.

Hmmmmm. I think you should use the psychedelic milk for helping others (as the colors swirl you can talk about how everyone touches and causes reactions with everyone else. That even if you don't think you're doing anything, or the actual person isn't grateful, somewhere down the line there is a change).

Living forever you could cut the apple and get a star, then let it sit for awhile. It will turn brown. BUT if you put a little acid/lemon juice on it the apple will not turn brown. Could you do a thing on sin...that Jesus keeps our souls clean (relating him to the acid?)
http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/appleenzyme.htm
(the url got chopped in half to show the word demons, that's just an abbreviation of demonstration)

Telling others about God, well why don't you use the light experiment...That their bringing light into the world.

I'll keep thinking about this. I usually direct our VBS, and can't this year, so I miss it.

[BlessedAssurance]

One of my favorite things is to put baking soda and vinegar together into film canisters. You have to be very quick to put the lid on. Then, as they react, they create carbon dioxide. The gas build up pushes against the lid, popping it off. Thus, we put the film canister upside down on the ground (OUTSIDE) and the film can EXPLODES up into the air. :thumb

Could you do something with bravery with this? That if you're afraid to get that lid on, or to do it fast enough, or don't like the loud noise, that the whole thing will just make a mess. BUT if you're brave, and do it right, it shoots up toward God.

So when we're brave, and do what we're called to do, we get closer to God.

I don't know. Maybe that's not good.

[BlessedAssurance]

I just had a thought for 'thankful'

I'm guessing you're trying to tell them that God works on their souls better when they're thankful.

What if you put an Alkaseltzer tablet in water, and timed how long it took to dissolve. Then crush them up, and the rate of dissolving is MUCH faster. So you could talk about being thankful allows God to work better like the crushing up the ak went faster.

Or, hot water will do the same. God's love= heat. Cold=not reacting to God's love with thanks.

OOOH--you could then say, "When we turn to God's love with thankfulness and humbleness of spirit (crush) look how much faster we feel his love.!!!!! (put a crushed tablet in hot water) Ooooh, I like that! And you could make the point that humbleness is important, but thankfulness will still lead to a better relationship with God. I hope this made sense.

This one will get really expensive if you let the kids do it themselves, so you might ask the congregation to donate them.

[NewWorldOrder]

Thank you Blessedassurance, those are great ideas! I really like them. I don't think it would be a problem to go outside, and I don't need to do an experiment every day, I just thought it was a good idea.

[BlessedAssurance]

You could do the egg sucked into a bottle for the narrow way. But I think you have to give the kids fire (maybe?) so be careful.