MAY 2012
Water is a natural learning tool. Children learn about liquids when they pour water and watch
it trickle into a bucket. They learn what sinks and what floats. Why do ripples form when you
drop a rock in the water? Where does the water go when it evaporates? Here are some fun
activities to help your child discover the properties of water.
SPLISH SPLASH: Fill a plastic dishpan with about 2 inches of water. As your child pats the water
talk about how it feels. “Is it cold? Is it slippery? Are you splashing? Give them a plastic
measuring cup. Have your child scoop the water then pour it out. Use different size measuring
tools. Talk about how the quantity of water looks different depending on the shape of the cup.
FLOAT, SINK, FILL: Give your child boats, metal jar lids, sponges, etc. to put in the water. What
do the items do? Where does the water go in a sponge? Talk about what you see and what
happens.
COLD, COLORED WATER: Put colored ice cubes in a tub of water. Does the ice sink or float?
What happens if you add hot water? Where does the ice go? What happens to the water?
OIL AND WATER: Take a cotton ball and place it in a cup of water. Does it sink or float? Now
take another cotton ball, dip in oil, place in a cup of water. Does it sink or float? Why? Explain
this is how ducks can float.
HOW MUCH WATER: Gather containers of different sizes and shapes. As your child to predict
how high the same amount of water would fill each container. Pour the same amount of water
into each container. Compare and talk about what you see.
WATER RACE: Punch holes in 2 plastic cups. Fill 2 buckets with water, and have 2 empty
buckets. Place the buckets about 20 feet apart. You and your child ‘race’ to see who can fill the
empty bucket first. You can also use a sponge to ‘race’. Dip the sponge in the water bucket,
squeeze out in the empty bucket.
WATER FUN: Use a large paintbrush and let your child paint the house with water. In the bath
tub, add plastic eye droppers, strainers, tube, whisks, funnels, etc. for your child to experiment
with water.
WATER FACTS: Water makes up about 60% of the human body. It regulates body temperature,
protects body tissues and organs, and lubricates joints. Nutrients and oxygen travel in water to
the body’s cells. Offer water to drink often during the day, especially during the hot summer
months.
BOOKS: “Water Dance” by Thomas Locker, “ Water, Water Everywhere” by Cynthia Overbeck
Bix, “Water, Water” by Eloise Greenfield.
Dear Parents,
Don’t mind the construction!!! You probably have not seen all the new shelves in the classroom closets,
bathrooms and teachers lounge, but you may have noticed that Debbie and Heather’s offices are not
piled full of toys and supplies for the classrooms and old kitchen sets have been removed from the
hallways! That is because the Advisory Council has been hard at work with the church staff and Debbie
and Heather to determine the best way to handle our storage constraints and needs. In the next couple
of weeks our welcome area will be transformed with custom built storage closets and seating. This will
not only provide much needed storage areas for the center, but will also add an upgraded look for our
welcoming area! We will also be able to re-purpose the furniture currently in the welcome area in the
teacher’s lounge. You can actually hear the CDC breathe a sigh of relief as teachers can easily find a new
puzzle for their classroom or make copies on purple paper without digging through stacks of paper!
In addition to our aesthetic changes, the Advisory Council is working closely with Debbie and Heather on
changes that go much deeper! We are looking at our affiliations with accreditation facilitators as well as
our curriculum. We continue look for opportunities to improve the CDC, but I continue to stand in awe
of our talented and dedicated teachers and staff. I count myself extremely lucky to have the opportunity
for my children, no our family to be a part of this incredible center as well as this church.
Caroline Sharp, CDC Advisory Chair
Summer is almost here and with that comes our Hornet graduation and summer transitions. If
you know when your child will be leaving the CDC (), please let us know.