Is your child wild about outer space, but not so much into art? Or maybe they’re the next Leonardo da Vinci, but think cells and organisms are pretty boring? Luckily, there’s a way for you to use their interest in one subject to make them appreciate the other. Here are five easy activities you can do at home that combine art with science!
Before photography became so accessible, botanical books were handmade, with actual plants glued inside. Many illustrations highlighting details such as the plant’s anatomy were drawn next to each specimen. People don’t typically make herbaria this way anymore, but it can be a lot of fun! Here’s how you can make your own herbarium:
Great job! You and your child are now budding botanists!
Jewellery making can be a lot of fun. And what better way to design your own jewellery than with beautiful homemade crystals? Various ingredients can be used to make crystals:
Simply dissolve your chosen solute (e.g., salt, sugar, borax) in boiling water (with supervision) until the solution is fully saturated (i.e., the powder no longer dissolves in the water). Next, add a few drops of food colouring. Let the water evaporate for several days, and that’s all there is to it! You’ll be left with sparkling crystals, each one more beautiful than last.
Want to make crystals you can eat? Use this sugar-based recipe from the Les Débrouillards (French only).
Did you know that you can dye fabrics using ingredients you probably have in your pantry? It’s true! When ground into powder or left in water long enough, many foods release pigments of various colours. Here are some examples:
Start by placing the ingredient of your choice in boiling water to bring out its colour. Next, add a piece of white cotton to the water and let it sit. Experiment and test your hypotheses by varying how much of the ingredient you use and how long you let the cotton soak. Be careful: these ingredients will stain!
For this activity, you’ll need the following:
Cut a piece of balloon and stretch it to cover the mouth of the jar, then secure it with your rubber band. Use the tape to attach one end of the straw to the centre of the stretched balloon piece, so that it lies horizontally.
Now it’s time for the artsy part! Draw a horizontal line down the centre of the white cardboard. In the top area, ask your child to draw (or paint) their idea of a perfect sunny day. In the bottom area, ask them to draw activities they’d do on a rainy day. Align the straw with the horizontal line in the centre of the piece of cardboard and give your barometer a few hours to stabilize.
For a more solid understanding of how your creation works, refer to our revision page on atmospheric pressure (French only).
There’s nothing complicated about creating an astronomy mobile, but the results can be truly impressive! Start by asking your child to pick a theme for their mobile. Help them do a bit of research online to ensure their creation is as scientific as possible. They can choose from any number of themes:
When making a mobile, the only criterion is that objects must be suspended from a structure such as a hoop or wooden branch. Everything else is up to your little one’s imagination. Will they make origami stars to represent Orion’s belt? Paint a watercolour replica of Neptune? Fashion stars out of wire? Use Styrofoam, playdough, papier mâché, or salt dough to make spherical shapes? The sky’s the limit!
Writing : The Alloprof Parents' team