Staff Favourite – Melissa

Hello TTK Families!

This week we are bringing you another installment of our blog series – staff favourite activities!

Next up is… Melissa!

Melissa has been working with Tomorrows Topkids for over five years. She first joined us as an Activity Leader at our McKinney Clubhouse and has now been the Head Supervisor there for over 4 years. Melissa has been working in the childcare field for many years, she even ran her own daycare on the Sunshine Coast!

Recently, we had a Mad Scientist themed Pro-D Day and Melissa was so excited she got to do one of her all-time favourite activities – Elephant Toothpaste! This experiment is always a crowd pleaser. The name might sound a little funny but once you try it out, you’ll see where the name comes from!

How to make Elephant Toothpaste:

To start, this experiment needs adult supervision! We also recommend doing this experiment outside or in a clear bin, to avoid any messy spills.

Ingredients:

• • • Yeast
    • Warm water (not too hot!)
    • Hydrogen Peroxide*
    • Dish soap (we try to use dawn for maximum bubbles)
    • Funnel
    • Narrow-necked bottle (like a 1L pop bottle)
    • Food colouring and glitter (optional, but definitely recommended.)

*For best results, use 6% hydrogen peroxide or higher. The reaction will work with the 3% hydrogen peroxide from the grocery store, but the reaction will be smaller. An adult should handle the hydrogen peroxide at all times.

Directions:

1. 1. 1. Mix approximately 1 teaspoon of yeast (or half one packet) into 2 tablespoons of warm water (water should be comfortable temperature for washing hands – not too hot, but warm).
      2. In the bottle, add ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, a few squirts of dish soap, and your food colouring and glitter (again, optional, but highly recommended). Swirl the bottle lightly to mix it up.
      3. Place your bottle with the mixture inside a clear bin or outside. Using the funnel, quickly add the yeast mixture, then remove the funnel and stand back to watch! The reaction will start slowly, but soon you will see the reaction start!

This is an exothermic reaction, so you will be able to feel a little heat coming off of it. Once the reaction has slowed, it is safe to touch and wash down the sink. Kids always want to touch it, but we don’t recommend playing in the foam (mostly because it stinks like yeast!).