Octopus and Iceburgs

After checking out Wondertime's 3 Great Games for a Wading Pool, I decided I had to try out the Octopus with A. let me fill you in on the steps.

1. Using a screw or other small, sharp object, punch a hole near the top of a 2L soda bottle, and another near the bottom.
2. Fill the bottle with water.
3. Cover the top hole with your finger and magically watch the water stop spilling out the bottom hole.

A enjoyed showing this trick to everyone who passed by. We had some good conversations about how this happens (As the water leaves, something has to take it's place. So if no air gets in to take the water's place, no water will spill.) We then punched one more hole in the middle and predicted which hole would have the larger squirt of water. He was right in the prediction, and I was glad he didn't ask me why because I didn't have a great way to explain pressure to a 4 year old.

We also followed Wondertime's suggestion of making some icebergs for the pool. We talked about if it would sink or float, and considered the hefty weight involved. After testing our theories I set it on the grass, sprinkled it with salt, and then let him decorate with a few drops from different food coloring bottles. The salt helps the ice to crack and well, become bumpy so the color shows better. We both liked watching the colors spread and mix.