Yak Shows Off His Science Projects

One of the great things about roadschooling is visiting family and friends. Another is the ability to have an impromptu science camp when you're visiting the home of an engineering grad. Here, Yak shows off some of his creations, built from an "Eco Toys" kit, with the supervision of his brother-in-law. (Following commentary is Yak's.)

Eco Science Toys by Green Science on Amazon

Gravity Robot

You have to have some small nuts, stick on eyes, string, can and legs that will move that you can see in the clip. Robot needs: can,stick on eyes and the legs in the clip for feet. Attach the eyes on the can and take off the tabs on the can, attach the legs on the bottom. The mover: string and small nuts. Attach the string to the hole on the legs that you can see on the clip and on the other end put on the nuts (about 20 or 25) and then tie a big enough knot so that the nuts won't fall off no matter what and there you have the gravity robot put all the nuts on the string off a end of like a table and make sure you use a flat surface. Enjoy!

Disc Racer

This is a balloon and a disc and something else. You blow up the balloon and then put it on the thing that you will put in the middle of the disc and then it will float! Not in mid air but on a flat surface. Enjoy! This is not the one that has the 2 discs and the toilet roll.

Hover Disc

Cartesian Diver

Check out these posts, too:

Back To School - Blogging as Language Arts

Working and Homeschooling

My Budding Photographer

If You Give a Homeschooled Boy a Tire

The Happy Scientist

Of the many books on our living room shelves, two are specifically science experiments for children, "101 Great Science Experiments", by Neil Ardley, and "101 Nature Experiments", by David Burnie.  The other day, my son was browsing through them and decided to try making the homemade flashlight.  For perhaps a variety of reasons, he could not get it working.  Possibilities include not having the exact bulb holder the directions called for, weak batteries, bad wires.  Whatever it was, after a number of failed atttempts, he put the whole thing away.  The impressive thing here is that he went after it on his own, and though his several attempts failed, I assured him it is not always so.  It could even have been faulty directions.  At any rate, after his initial disappointment wore off, I caught him gathering supplies for a new experiment, this time from his science book.  I expect he'll have better results with this one - it's non-electric.