O Week- Opposites

Opposites are a great concept to work on anytime. They are especially fun when toddlers can actually experience the difference between two things. Opposites can be too abstract of a concept for them, so it's good to make it a sensory activity. This week, we worked on opposites in a couple of ways.

First, we practiced opposites in the bathtub. We put rubber duckies in the water and took them out. We put them on the shelf and took them off. Toys went up and down. Things were wet and dry, warm and cold, big and little. What Trip loved the most was me turning the lights on and off. He especially liked me using the dimmer switch so that it didn't get light or dark all at once.

We also experienced some opposites with a cool substance called oobleck. It's simply one part water mixed with one-and-a-half to two parts cornstarch. This non-Newtonian fluid acts like a solid when you apply force to it, but is like a liquid when you touch it gently. You can mold it in a ball, but as soon as you let go, it will "melt" in your hand. It can be hard or soft depending on how you touch it.

Trip mostly just wanted to taste it,

touch it, and keep me out of it. Each time I tried to show him some things, he said, "Mommy no touch!" He wanted it to himself.

As you can tell from the table and Trip's hands and clothes, this was a little messy, but the great thing is that it cleans up easily and if any gets on the carpet, it dries up fairly quickly and can be vacuumed up.

By the way, this same paste is great for getting blood stains out of fabric and carpet. Just put some on the spot, let it dry, and it absorbs the blood. Just brush off the dried cornstarch and launder clothing or vacuum carpet.