Summertime = Science Time

School let out two weeks ago (I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one) and being the geeky mom that I am, I've set up a curriculum of sorts for the kids to stay on top of their game over summer break. Every day (for no more than an hour) Jake practices reading, spelling, or math, and then is "rewarded" with a different science or art project. The trick is, he has to be learning something with these projects whether it be working with different media, or just figuring out why different combinations of ingredients create an explosion. Everything we do is incredibly simple and uses very few ingredients that you don't already have laying around the house. 

Here is a video of one of our recent favorites. (Seriously, we had to immediately leave the house to purchase another liter of Diet Coke and go demonstrate this at Grandma's house!)

Materials:
1 or 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke
2 Mentos

Just drop the Mentos in and take a few steps back!

See! Even Carter and Natalie got to enjoy this one!

How does it work? Well, to explain it in terms a 7 year old would understand, it is a chemical reaction. The "fizz" in soda is made up of carbon dioxide. The same stuff you exhale. When the mint is dropped in the soda, it causes the carbon dioxide to rapidly separate itself from the rest of the drink and come rushing out the top!