Potions

Potion making allows children to experiment with mixing different materials and colours together to discover their own end results.  It allows creative expression and can incorporate elements of fantasy play as children imitate activities they have seen at home (e.g. cooking).

Equipment required:

• Individual containers for all children (we used ice cream containers here)
• A selection of scooping and stirring instruments
• Water
• Liquid dye with droppers
• Foam (not shown in first picture), dishwashing bubbles, or other messy play concoction
• Some kind of plant material (lavender buds are used here, however anything can be used, e.g. grass, petals, leaves, etc)
• The children should be allowed to add any other ingredients they wish (e.g. sand)
• Glitter should be discouraged in case children try to drink their potion

What do we do?

• Allow children to freely experiment with scooping, tipping, mixing, pouring, whichever ingredients they wish.

What are we learning?

• Fine motor skills (holding cup/spoon, stirring, squeezing eye dropper)
• Colour mixing/changing
• Turn taking with other children
• Measurements (full, half full, etc)
• Properties of objects in water (floating, sinking, etc)

Links to Te Whaariki

• Strand 3 - Contribution.  Goal 3 - Children experience an environment where they are encouraged to learn with and alongside others.
• Strand 5 - Exploration.  Goal 2 - Children experience an environment where they gain confidence in and control of their bodies.
• Strand 5 - Exploration.  Goal 4 - Children experience an environment where they develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical, and material worlds.