Description: This unique resource for teachers of grades K-9 is filled with innovative projects that use ordinary toys and play materials to demonstrate the principles of chemistry in a way that young children can understand. And the best part is that these hands-on activities have already been proven effective in the classroom! Based on the successful Teaching Science with TOYS program funded by the National Science Foundation and Miami University of Ohio, these projects illustrate principles such as solubility, permeability, volatility, and attraction and repulsion by incorporating crayons, paint, balloons, Silly Putty, Magic Sand, and other common materials. Grouped separately for grades K-3, 4-6, and 7-9, activities include: Smelly Balloons - students learn about diffusion, permeability, and states of matter by observing the movement of odor through the surface of a balloon; Mysterious Sand - children explore the mysterious behavior of sand when coated with a waterproof material, learning about the principles of attraction and repulsion; and Salt Solutions and Grow Creatures - using Grow Creatures and superabsorbers, students use the scientific method, take measurements, and plot graphs to study physical change. For each activity, the authors provide a list of the key science topics covered and process skills used, the estimated completion time, a materials list, step-by-step instructions, safety and disposal procedures, suggestions for varying or expanding the activity, an explanation of the results, and reproducible student worksheets.

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