We are all about hands-on learning with students at our Tampa private school. With our project-based learning style, we have seen that our students have more confidence, perform better and build stronger relationships. While school provides a full-time learning environment, we encourage families to continue education after our children leave for the day. Check out these hands-on activities you and your child can do at home.
Candy DNA Model
The best way to get a child’s attention is with their favorite food group, and for many children, that’s candy. Using licorice for the strands and colored marshmallows for the chemicals inside, create a candy DNA model held together by toothpicks. Four colors of marshmallows (or differently colored fruit chunks if you prefer a healthier option) can act as a color key for the four chemicals that make up the DNA code. This will be a fun visual to help your child relate to the scientific concept, as well as a snack after the model is complete.
Sink or Float
Fill a sink, tub, or plastic bin with water, and have your child see what sinks and what floats. Allow your child to use toys that will hold up when water tested, as well as water-safe household items like dishes and utensils. Have your child create a hypothesis about each item, explain her reasoning, and test it. Once each item has been tested, have her record the data and sort items into large bowls marked “sink” or “float.” This will showcase the scientific process in a memorable way.
Paper Airplanes
Remind your child that back in the day, children passed notes and did homework on paper, not on tablets or phones. Using regular printer paper, teach your child the art of folding paper airplanes. Make it educational by building different styles of plane, seeing which ones fly farthest and which ones hold the most cargo. Paper clips or coins make perfect cargo for paper planes, taped near the center and evenly distributed on each side. Using simple materials that can be found at home, your child will learn about the fundamentals of science. At our school, we encourage students to learn in creative ways.
At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, the faculty, staff, and families work as a team. Our service-oriented approach builds Christian leaders who think deeply, choose wisely, create beauty, and use their dreams to solve problems. Want to learn more about what makes us different? Contact us today.