AJ woke up this morning demanding science experiments. Like most four-year-olds, he has a natural bent for inquiry � he asks a lot of questions until he gets an answer that makes sense to him. But sometimes he asks such questions that my humanities-based brain has had trouble keeping up with him. On these occasions, we try to find science experiments.

It doesn�t take much to find him experiments, but it does take a little creativity. Last week he started asking questions about ice, following a head-bumping incident that had brought out an ice pack for AJ�s forehead. AJ didn�t like it when the ice started to melt. �Mommy, I want some ice that isn�t wet. Rather than explain the problem with AJ�s request, we set up a small experiment. We put three ice cubes in each of three zip lock bags and wrote down the time. We marked one �control� and left it on the kitchen counter. We put one in the refrigerator. Then we filled a bowl with hot tap water and put the third bag inside. While we waited for our results, I asked AJ what he thought would happen to each bag. On his own, he figured out that the temperature of the control and the third bag, as well as the water in the bowl, would eventually end up being the same temperature as the air in the kitchen, but that the third bag and the bowl would get there faster. He thought the refrigerator bag would get there more slowly, and he was right in a way, but he forgot that what slowed the warming process of the ice would also prevent it from ever reaching the room temperature. And so we learned about states of matter and temperature, as well as the idea of testing a hypothesis (although we still haven�t learned how to say �hypothesis�).

This week, encouraged by a display at our local library on Sir Isaac Newton, we checked out a book on experiments about gravity and picked up some free worksheets for other experiments. Because of the nature of my own work, I often have trouble thinking up new projects to try and this seemed like an excellent way to start. We have assembled a pile of cardboard, bottles, marbles and toy cars and have plans to create some gravity testing sites later this afternoon.

This morning we tried something simpler. We made a rainbow. After AJ finished up the applesauce in the large jar in the refrigerator (Bonus! Science AND breakfast!), he helped me wash it in hot soapy water to remove residual applesauce and the label. We then filled it with water and stood it on the windowsill in the family room, where the sun was pouring through and pooling on the floor. The results were, I have to say, quite spectacular. A vivid rainbow spread across about three feet of the carpet. After identifying the breakdown of the colors, we spent a good ten minutes putting various objects and ourselves into the rainbow to watch them (and us) change colors. I haven�t done a very good job at explaining the process of refraction, though. AJ�s still asking questions. �But WHY does it separate the colors always in the same order?� I�ll have to get back to you on that one, AJ. "But look at it. Isn't it beautiful?"

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