The toddler’s engaged in an exciting sensory activity that sparked curiosity and exploration. The activity involved mixing baking soda and vinegar, creating a chemical reaction that introduces basic science concepts, particularly cause and effect. Each child had the opportunity to experiment with different containers: one mixture went into a plate, another into a bowl, and the third into a pot with holes. As the toddler’s observed, questions were posed such as, “what do you think
will happen when I mix the vinegar with the baking soda? Do you think it will make bubbles? Will the mixture come out the top of the pot or come out of the holes?”. These questions encouraged the toddlers to make predictions based on their observations and prior knowledge. In response, the toddlers eagerly shared their ideas, with Annie saying, “It’s going to be bubbly,” and Rowan predicting, “It’s going to come out the top of the pot”. The reactions from the experiment fascinated the toddlers, as they watched carefully how the bubbles formed when vinegar was added and how it spilled out from different parts of the container.
Through this hands-on experience, the toddlers were able to explore their senses such as sight and touch, deepening their understanding of how different materials can interact to produce surprising results. This experience introduced cause and effect relationships and gave the toddlers the opportunity to engage in critical thinking and observation with their peers and teachers.
This sensory activity highlights the importance of hands-on learning in fostering curiosity and early scientific thinking. The toddler’s engagement with cause and effect, as they observed the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar, laid a solid foundation for future explorations. Their ability to make predictions and discuss their observations signals a developing understanding of the world around them. Moving forward, we might wonder how to extend their learning by providing new materials or variations of the experiment, such as exploring colour changes. It would also be interesting to encourage more open-ended questions and discussions, allowing the toddlers to take the lead in their own scientific discoveries.
